World Cup 2010 National Anthems: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia

March 31st, 2010 | by: Daryl | View Comments

Before every international football match, the national anthems of the two competing teams are played. It’s all about tradition and patriotism, and it’s one of my favourite ceremonial things about the World Cup. We’re writing about the national anthems of the 32 team at World Cup 2010 four at a time, group by group. Last week we did Group B. So this week it’s Group C: England, USA, Algeria and Slovenia.

To find out why “God Save the Queen” isn’t actually England’s national anthem, why Roseanne Barr should never be allowed to sing anyone’s national anthem, and why the Slovenian anthem is very much alcohol influenced, read on.

National Anthem of England (sort of)

This is a little tricky. England doesn’t actually have a national anthem, since “God Save the Queen” is the national anthem of Great Britain. The Scotland and Wales teams sing “The Flower of Scotland” and “Land of my Fathers” respectively before football matches, but the England team sings “God Save the Queen.” It’s all to do with the semi-confusing crossover English people have between “British” and “English” identity, which we definitely don’t have time to get into here.

The two best things about “God Save the Queen” are:

1. When there’s a male monarch the lyrics are switched to “God Save the King”. Otherwise the whole thing would be very embarrassing. Got to love a flexible anthem though.
2. England fans have developed a tradition of singing “Der-der-der-der-der-der!” along with the instrumentation just before “Send her victorious”.

Important: the national anthem veriosn of “God Save the Queen” is not to be confused with the Sex Pistols version, which isn’t quite so enthusiastic about the monarchy:

Lyrics to the British national anthem “God Save the Queen”:

God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen:
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
God save the Queen.

From every latent foe
From the assassins blow
God save the Queen
O’er her thine arm extend
For Britain’s sake defend
Our mother, prince, and friend
God save the Queen

The National Anthem of the United States of America

The lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner” are from the poem “Defence of Fort McHenry”, written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 and later set to the tune of “The Anacreontic Song”. It became widely known and recognized as a patriotic song in the USA and was eventually adopted as the official national anthem in 1931.

One of my favourite things about “The Star Spangled Banner” is that celebrity singers are encouraged to add their personal touch when performing. Sometimes this goes well, as with Marvin Gaye before the 1983 NBA All-Star Game:

Sometimes not so well, as with Roseanne Barr before a Major Leage Basebeall game in 1990:

Shudder.

Lyrics to the American national anthem “Star Spangled Banner”:

Oh say can you see by the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

National Anthem of Algeria

Known as “Kassaman” (”The Pledge”), the Algerian national anthem was written by Mufdi Zakariah while he was a prisoner of French colonial forces, and later set to music by Egyptian composer Mohamed Fawzi and adopted as the national anthem in 1963, soon after Algerian achieved independence from France, a theme very strongly represented in the lyrics.

Lyrics to “Kassaman” (”The Pledge”) in English:

We swear by the lightning that destroys,
By the streams of generous blood being shed,
By the bright flags that wave,
Flying proudly on the high mountains,
That we have risen up, and whether we live or die,
We are resolved that Algeria shall live -
So be our witness -be our witness – be our witness!

The cry of the Fatherland sounds from the battlefields.
Listen to it and answer the call!
Let it be written with the blood of martyrs
And be read to future generations.
Oh, Glory, we have held out our hand to you,
We are resolved that Algeria shall live -
So be our witness -be our witness -be our witness!

National Anthem of Slovenia

“Zdravljica” (”A Toast”) is a poem written by France Prešeren in 1844. The seventh stanza of that poem is mostly about Slovenian unity and independence, and so was adopted as the Slovenian national anthem after indendence from Yugoslavia.

The brilliant thing about Prešeren’s poem is that the lyrics to each verse of “The Toast” are designed to form the shape of a wine cup. This can be seen in the English translation, but is more obvious in the original Slovene. Here’s the first verse, just so you get the idea:

Spet trte so rodile,
prijat’li, vince nam sladkó,
ki nam oživlja žile,
srce razjásni in oko,
ki utopi
vse skrbi,
v potrtih prsih up budi!

Nice, eh?

Here are the English language lyrics to “The Toast”:

The vintage, friends, is over,
And here sweet wine makes, once again,
Sad eyes and hearts recover
Puts fire into every vein.
Drowns dull care
Everywhere
And summons hope out of despair.

To whom with acclamation
And song shall we our first toast give?
God save our land and nation
And all Slovenes where’er they live,
Who own the same
Blood and name,
And who one glorious Mother claim.

Let thunder out of heaven
Strike down and smite our wanton foe!
Now, as it once had thriven,
May our dear realm in freedom grow.
May fall the last
Chains of the past
Which bind us still and hold us fast!

Let peace, glad conciliation,
Come back to us throughout the land!
Towards their destination
Let Slavs henceforth go hand-in-hand!
Thus again
Will honour reign
To justice pledged in our domain.

To you, our pride past measure,
Our girls! Your beauty, charm and grace!
There surely is no treasure
To equal maidens of such race.
Sons you’ll bear,
Who will dare
Defy our foe no matter where.

Our hope now, our to-morrow -
The youths – we toast and toast with joy.
No poisonous blight or sorrow
Your love of homeland shall destroy.
With us indeed
You’re called to heed
Its summons in this hour of need.

God’s blessing on all nations,
Who long and work for that bright day,
When o’er earth’s habitations
No war, no strife shall hold its sway;
Who long to see
That all men free,
No more shall foes, but neighbours be.

At last to our reunion -
To us the toast! Let it resound,
Since in this great communion
By thoughts of brotherhood we’re bound
May joyful cheer
Ne’er disappear
From all good hearts now gathered here.

More World Cup 2010 national anthems here.