Anthemic

January 18, 2010 8:36 PM

Karachi pharmaceutical chemist zzahier's youtube channel "Our World" collects over 2,000 anthems, speeches, and patriotic songs.

Besides its 333 national and regional anthems from the Vatican City to Chechnya, "Our World" also rescues dozens of historical curiousities from the scrap heap:

Heil dir im Siegerkranz, the (oddly familiar) Prussian national anthem

Ottoman anthem

God Save the South

God Save the Tsar

Marechal Nous Voila, in praise of that bravest of all French heroes, Philippe Pétain.

Anthem of the Principality of Sealand


Plus Ainu drinking songs, William Jennings Bryan, "Pokarekare Ana", "Glory, Glory, Man United", and loads more unsorted goodies.

posted by ormondsacker (10 comments total)

Put them all together and you get Stockhausen's "Hymnen."
posted by Falconetti at 9:08 PM on January 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

He's missing the best version of The Internationale (Japanese).
posted by tellurian at 9:15 PM on January 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

Man, the national anthem of Bikini Atoll is as bitter as their national flag. That's got to be the saddest national anthem in the world. Nuclear testing sucks.

I didn't see the national anthem of Kazakhstan on the list (I mean this one, not the other one).
posted by twoleftfeet at 9:33 PM on January 18, 2010

He does have the old national anthem of Kazakhstan.
posted by twoleftfeet at 9:57 PM on January 18, 2010

Strong and peaceful, wise and brave
Fighting the fight for the whole world to save
We the People will ceaselessly strive
To keep our great Revolution alive

Unfurl the banners! Look at the screen!
Never before has such glory been seen!

Oceania! Oceania! Oceania! 'Tis for thee...
Every deed... Every thought... 'tis for thee...
Every deed... Every thought... 'tis for thee...
Every deed... Every thought... 'tis for thee...
posted by Rhaomi at 11:10 PM on January 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

No surprise that they do not have the new national anthem of Tajikistan (the old Tajik SSR one is exactly as you would expect it to be). My woman is Tajik and although it is not widely reported internationally there is an interesting story behind the current (soon to be ex-) anthem.

You have probably noticed that at Olympic events and other international sporting competitions the Tajik athletes just stand to a few minutes of silence. That is because the new anthem is currently under a judge-imposed gag order, pending litigation in US courts for royalties claimed due by plaintiff Neil Sedaka.

When translations of the new 1991 lyrics to Szurudi Milli (MP3 link) were released in the West it was immediately obvious that they were directly copied from the tune "Dry Your Eyes".

Claims by the supposed author, Gulnazar Keldi, that the similarities are accidental and coincidental seem unlikely when we take into account that President Rahmon is a huge Sedaka fan who has stated publicly on numerous occasions that "Our country will not be a true nation until Neil Sedaka performs here in the Presidential Palace". Indeed, the concert hall within the palace has been named the "Laughter in the Rain People's Sedaka Hall" and is waiting, still unopened, until Sedaka comes.

In other related news Tajikistan has won a temporary injunction allowing continued use of the national flag despite ongoing claims of infringement of copyright by Hungary and Iran.
posted by Meatbomb at 2:46 AM on January 19, 2010 [2 favorites]

Meatbomb, if President Rohmon is a huge Neil Sedaka fan, why would Keldi rip off Neil Diamond? Did he get his Jewish Singer/songwriters from the 60's and 70's named Neil mixed up?

Still, fascinating story
posted by piratebowling at 6:20 AM on January 19, 2010

Or are you just effing with me, brother Meatbomb? (I haven't had coffee yet, critical thinking skills are low).
posted by piratebowling at 6:22 AM on January 19, 2010

Oi, shit, my mistake! Now I can't remember if it is Sedaka / Oh! Carol! or Diamond / Dry Your Eyes. I have some strange mental block with those two guys...

I prefer to call it "spinning a good yarn", but the answer is yes. I consider it part of my life's work to spread lies, slander, and disinformation when it comes to my wife's homeland.
posted by Meatbomb at 6:30 AM on January 19, 2010

Hold high the flag! He's got four versions of the always charming "Horst-Wessel-Lied".

Clear the streets for the brown battalions,
Clear the streets for the stormtroopers!
Already millions look with hope to the swastika
The day of freedom and bread is dawning!

Honestly, I think the murderous Communists had better songs than the genocidal Fascists.
posted by orthogonality at 6:32 AM on January 19, 2010 [1 favorite]