The best-known songs in the world are violent, sexist, and religious — so why do we celebrate national anthems when we should be rewriting them?
“Fascinating and thoughtful ... showcases how anthems divide us even as they promise to bring communities together.” — MARK CLAGUE, author of O Say Can You Hear?: A Cultural Biography of The Star-Spangled Banner
This fascinating popular history of national anthems begins in a London theatre in 1745 when the modern idea of anthems was born. They started out as triumphant expressions of national superiority by glorifying violence, claiming the support of God, and mostly ignoring women.
David Pate has experienced the violent side of anthems firsthand: as a schoolboy in Scotland, he was caned for refusing to sing “God Save the Queen.” He says it’s time to dump lyrics about cutting throats, watering fields with blood, building walls with the bodies of enemies, and celebrating the sound of machine guns.
The Worst Songs in the World looks at the origins of many of the world’s anthems, from the movie theme song that became China’s national anthem to the English tune used for “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
This wide-ranging and deeply researched narrative combines politics, personalities, humour, and vivid storytelling to argue for better national songs.
“Fascinating and thoughtful ... showcases how anthems divide us even as they promise to bring communities together.” — MARK CLAGUE, author of O Say Can You Hear?: A Cultural Biography of The Star-Spangled Banner
This fascinating popular history of national anthems begins in a London theatre in 1745 when the modern idea of anthems was born. They started out as triumphant expressions of national superiority by glorifying violence, claiming the support of God, and mostly ignoring women.
David Pate has experienced the violent side of anthems firsthand: as a schoolboy in Scotland, he was caned for refusing to sing “God Save the Queen.” He says it’s time to dump lyrics about cutting throats, watering fields with blood, building walls with the bodies of enemies, and celebrating the sound of machine guns.
The Worst Songs in the World looks at the origins of many of the world’s anthems, from the movie theme song that became China’s national anthem to the English tune used for “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
This wide-ranging and deeply researched narrative combines politics, personalities, humour, and vivid storytelling to argue for better national songs.
Authors
- Pages
- 336
- Published in
- Toronto, CA
Table of Contents
- Cover 1
- Halftitle 3
- Title 5
- Copyright 6
- Dedication 7
- Contents 9
- Overture 11
- 1: Living for Music 21
- 2: To Arms! 37
- 3: Humming Along 57
- 4: Badly Played and Monotonous 73
- 5: God Loves Lots of Countries 93
- 6: Changing Times 111
- 7: Making Room for Women 127
- 8: The Verses We Don’t Sing 143
- 9: Abandoned Anthems 159
- 10: Don’t Mess with My Music! 177
- 11: Everyone Wants an Anthem 197
- 12: Who Owns Your Anthem? 215
- 13: Rebel Songs for a Cause 231
- 14: A Kinder, Gentler Way 243
- 15: The Soundtrack of Nationalism 263
- Final Verse 283
- Acknowledgements 297
- Notes 301
- Index 319
- About the Author 337
- Back Cover 340
