England's national anthem, 'God Save The King', has been ranked as the worst among all 48 anthems at the expanded World Cup, according to The New York Times' Athletic website. Journalist Brian Reade argues that the anthem is a banal, one-note dirge that fails to inspire players and fans, instead emerging as a release of stale wind from embarrassed mouths.
A National Embarrassment
Reade points out that while other nations have stirring anthems like the French, Brazilian, Dutch, and Colombian calls to arms, or Celtic favourites like 'Flower Of Scotland', 'Land Of Our Fathers', and 'The Soldiers' Song', England's anthem is uninspiring. He notes that a third of Brits don't want a monarchy and two-thirds don't believe in God, questioning why anyone from those categories should sing it.
Proposed Alternatives
Reade suggests several alternatives for England, including Billy Bragg's 'A New England', Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody', the Sex Pistols' 'God Save The Queen', The Jam's 'Eton Rifles', William Blake's 'Jerusalem', and Eric Idle's 'Always Look On the Bright Side Of Life'. He believes the latter best sums up English traits of cynicism, pessimism, and stoicism, and would resonate during World Cups when fans inevitably face disappointment.
