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Listen to this sobering, illuminating conversation between Kathryn Hayward, MD and award-winning composer and musician, Neal Barnard, MD,. International Anthem reveals to the listener how national anthems of a number of different countries work together in one piece of music to spotlight the dangers of patriotic pride.
Neal started off with the US national anthem, and then, because the US broke off from Britain, he brought in the British national anthem. And because Britain and France have had their struggles, he brought in La Marseillaise, the French anthem. That leads to France’s conflict with Germany and the German national anthem. And, since Italy has been on all sides of various conflicts, that anthem was added.
Neal notes that, although the melodies are beautiful and the songs are treated with reverance, the lyrics are bloody and full of violence. Then in the middle, Neal quotes Queen’s song, We Are the Champions, “which is the sad, pathetic basis for nationalism.” Finally, at the end, Neal plays the anthems backwards, so listen carefully for that surprise.
Nationalism starts out as a sweet, naïve idea about personal pride, but ends up clashing into not just violence, but unimaginable destruction. And yet, as soon as we pick up the pieces of it, we start all over again.
-Neal Barnard, MD
Lyrics
International Anthem (Barnard)
Oh, say can you see?
God save the King
Contre nous de la tyrannie
L’étandard sanglant est levé.
Blüh’im Glanze dieses Glückes
Blühe, deutsches Vaterland.
Fratelli d’Italia
L’Italia sè desta
Marchons, marchons
Qu’un sang impur
And the home of the brave
Allons enfants de la patrie
God save our gracious King
Le jour de gloire est arrivé
Long live our noble King
God save the King
Contre nous de la tyrannie
L’étandard sanglant est levé.
Send him victorious, happy and glorious
Oh, say can you see?
God save the King.
Blüh’im Glanze dieses Glückes
Fratelli d’Italia
Marchons, marchons
Qu’un sang impur
And the home of the….
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
We are the champions
Send him victorious
Happy and glorious
Long to reign over us
God save the King.
What so proudly we hailed
At the twilight’s last gleaming.
Le jour de gloire est arrivé.
God save our gracious King
Long live our noble King.
dell'elmo di Scipio
s'è cinta la testa
Dov'è la Vittoria?
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
Für das deutsche Vaterland!
And the home of the brave
Oh, say can you see?
God save the King
Contre nous de la tyrannie
L’étandard sanglant est levé.
Blüh’im Glanze dieses Glückes
Blühe, deutsches Vaterland.
Fratelli d’Italia
L’Italia sè desta
Marchons, marchons
Qu’un sang impur
And the home of the brave
Le jour de gloire est arrivé.
Against us,
Tyranny’s bloody banner is raised
Flourish in this fortune’s blessing
Flourish, German fatherland
Brothers of Italy
Italy has awoken
Let’s march, let’s march
So that impure blood….
Children of the homeland
The day of glory has arrived
Against us,
Tyranny’s bloody banner is raised
Flourish in this fortune’s blessing
Brothers of Italy
Let’s march, let’s march
So that impure blood….
The day of glory has arrived
With Scipio’s helmet
Upon her head
Where is the victory?
Unity and justice and freedom
For the German fatherland!
Against us,
Tyranny’s bloody banner is raised
Flourish in this fortune’s blessing
Flourish, German fatherland
Brothers of Italy
Italy has awoken
Let’s march, let’s march
So that impure blood….
The day of glory has arrived