God Save Wikipedia

Listening to some old codger on the 11A (was it Twenty Major, me wonders) rant about the offensiveness of the British national anthem, set me thinking. I like my Kanye West, Eminem and I am secretly pleased that several of my CD collection have "Parental Advisory" stickers on them. So when it comes to offensive lyrics, I reckon I can handle most things.

God Bless Wikipedia for delivering the lyrics of 'God Save the Queen'. (see here). I searched in vain for something that might annoy me. It's all "God save, God bless, lets protect, happy & glorious, long may she live".... hardly offensive material.

Now if I were Scottish, perhaps I be offended at the "Crushing of the rebellious Scots", but as I understand it, the Brits don't generally use these verses any more on account of the tediousness of the tune and the desire not to inflame their act of union brothers.

Not wishing to offend our fellow Celts, but I think that this omission is something of a shame. You see it also drops reference to Marshal Wade who was sent to do the crushing. And wasn't George Wade only born in Kilavally, Co. Westmeath!

I suppose it's because as our own anthem proudly boasts, "we're children of a fighting race" and all that talk of guns and canons roaring has us the way we are. But I swear to God if any other nation named an Irishman in their anthem we'd be having a national holiday and we'd twin their capital with Clonakilty.

But I'll leave the last word to the 'offensive' British anthem itself.

"Lord make the nations see, that men should brothers be"

Sounds like a plan. And about time we all grew up.
Paige