Steve Crook

Officially, maybe (although less so all the time).
In practice, not in any serious way for a few hundred years

Steve

Steve Crook

Says who? Where do you get such strange ideas?

Steve

bhowells

How about "England Swings." by Roger Miller.

GRAEME

Cool Britannia by the Bonzos!

All men leak.

billy bentley

How does "Hearts Of Oak" go ?

Steve Crook

Heart of Oak
David Garrick/Dr. Boyce, 1759

Come cheer up, my lads, 'tis to glory we steer,
To add something more to this wonderful year,
To honour we call you, not press you like slaves,
For who are so free as the sons of the waves?
(Chorus, sung twice)
Heart of oak are our ships, Jolly tars are our men,
We always are ready, Steady, boys, steady,
We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.

We ne'er see our foes but we will them to stay,
They never see us but they will use away,
If they run, why we follow, and run them ashore,
And if they won't fight us, we cannot do more.
(Chorus, sung twice)

They swear they'll invade us, these terrible foes,
They frighten our women, our children and beaus,
But should their flat bottoms in darkness get o'er,
Still Britons they'll find to receive them on shore.
(Chorus, sung twice)

We'll still make them fear, and we'll still make them flee,
And drub 'em on shore, as we've drubb'd 'em at sea;
Then cheer up, my lads! with one heart let us sing:
Our soldiers, our sailors, our statesmen and Queen.
(Chorus, sung twice)

[alternative last verse]
Britannia triumphant, her ships sweep the sea,
Her standard is Justice -- her watchword, 'be free.'
Then cheer up, my lads, with one heart let us sing,
Our soldiers, our sailors, our statesmen, and king.
(Chorus, sung twice)

Stirring stuff for sailors, but hardly material for an anthem
The tune is quite dirge like

Steve

penfold

Hearts of Oak is a cracking tune....best played by a lively military band, naturally.

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

Marky B

There is a book out which suggests Jesus visited England when he was nowt but a lad.
His uncle,Joseph of Aramithea,visited Cornwall to buy tin from the mines and it is likely he brough the young Jesus with him.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Harleybloke

Wot? No Pasties........................

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!

funlover

It is a Christian country but we are not allowed to say so now. That is why a national hymn should not extol the virtues of any one religion or individual. "Jerusalem" while rousing would never ever be accepted because the very name means different things to different religions and they'd all fight for evermore to claim it a "thier" anthem. Beside that it's not a nice hymn at all.

Inidentally although we live in England not one of us can claim to be really English. Over the centuries the original blood has been intermixed with too many other races. Roman, Saxon, Norman etc.

funlover

Sam Kydd is quite right Steve. To be English patriotic is not "PC"

CaptainWaggett

Who doesn't allow you to say that England is a Christian country? I've never been told that. And why isn't Jerusalem a nice hymn? I would have thought that, whatever your faith, the idea of building heaven on earth is rather appealing. It's a magnificent tune too.

john audley

Independence from WHAT?

'You should be kind to us normals, there are not many of us left you know'!

john audley

Nothing unless you are a Republican or a Euro fanatic

'You should be kind to us normals, there are not many of us left you know'!

john audley

Who we might ask, plated you

'You should be kind to us normals, there are not many of us left you know'!