Jerusalem

[watervole]

Arrgh! I am corrupted forever! I actually agree with the Daily Mail about something.

I think 'Jerusalem' would make an excellent English national song.

I first fell in love with the song when I met it as a poem in a museum exhibition. I liked it so much, I copied the words down (I didn't even realise it was famous at the time). When I went to my senior school, I was delighted to discover that not only did it have a really good tune, but it was also the school song.

I think it's a beautiful song, my only question is: have the Daily Mail actually read the words?

Do they realise it's a song about social reform?

Sssh, don't tell them!

For anyone who doesn't know the words to William Blake's song, they are here: http://progressiveliving.org/william_blake_poetry_jerusalem.htm

Comments

[dev-iant.livejournal.com]

It's always been my favourite hymn. Me and my mates spent several years trying to persuade the music teacher to let us sing it in assembly. He never gave in. It's the only hymn on my iRiver music player - I just have to remember not to sing along on the train :-).

I agree with you (and the DM, shudder), Jerusalem would make a great national song, far better than Land of Hope & Gory (sic).

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

Well, you'd certainly have the best and most beautiful national song in the entire world... (I adore it. I've been known to tear up when they sing it at the last Night of the Proms.)

[vicarage.livejournal.com]

As Flanders and Swann said, why is the English national song about foreign parts. Much better to go for their Song of Patrotic Prejudice..

[kevinrtaylor.livejournal.com]

Jerusalem is a fine rousing song, but I've always been tempted to answer each of the questions in the first two verses with: "Actually, no!". And John Humphreys (BBC Radio 4 "Today") agrees with you on the Flanders and Swan song, though I think it's a teeny bit xenophobic. ;-)

[watervole.livejournal.com]

I did contemplate their song, but the tune doesn't quite flow the same way!

[peaceful-fox.livejournal.com]

*chuckle* I just heard it for the first time today. Oh. My.

[kerravonsen]

OT comment here: thank you *so* *much* for what you said on inkywaters' LJ. {hug}

Oh, and back on topic... I actually have mixed feelings about "Jerusalem" because, while it's very stirring, I found it kind of irritating because I'm not English, so I found it was too English-centric to be used as a hymn sung in Australia -- which probably means that it actually would make a good National Anthem for you.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

Ah, but we'd keep 'God Save the Queen' as the British national anthem, so you'd still have that one.

[kerravonsen]

But we haven't had 'God Save the Queen' for our national anthem in Australia since I was a kid!
Instead we have this dreary bland factual thing.

Australia's sons let us rejoice*
For we are young and free
With golden soil and wealth for toil
Our land is girt by sea.
Our land abounds in nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare
On history's page
Let every stage
Advance Australia fair!
With joyful strains now let us sing
Advance Australia fair!

*This got changed to "Australians all let us rejoice" when someone pointed out it was sexist.

The sentiment is okay, but the tune is terribly forgettable. Even "Waltzing Matilda" would be better as a national anthem, but of course, that one is not respectable enough.

I really wish "I still call Australia home" was our national anthem -- that one brings tears to my eyes. Unfortunately, it probably doesn't suit being a national anthem, since it's all about the places the author of the song is roaming all over the world while still calling Australia home.
But I still love it.

[darth-tigger.livejournal.com]

We never sang it at school, so my main introduction to it was via Monty Python. It's a wonderful song, stirring and inspiring, which would be good enough on its own. When you add to that the image of half the pythons standing in a fish tank singing Jerusalem in an attempt to get a salesman to remove a bucket from his head, it's just perfect.

[reapermum.livejournal.com]

It caused a quiet revol at my old school. We always sang it at the end of term assembly. Then were had a new headteacher who tried to substitute "Lord dismiss us with Thy blessing" and we didn't dismiss at the end. They had to send someone to the head to tell her why there was a delay in leaving, but we got our song.

[kerravonsen]

(am full of admiration at your revolution)

[lexin.livejournal.com]

I agree, too. I've always loved "Jerusalem".

[peaceful-fox.livejournal.com]

I love Blake. I love that song. Good choice! :-)