All I said was, that, that piece of fish was good enough for Jehovah...
@Pale Rider
As already mentioned by many, writing new words to a tune is hardly censorship and to say such is just nonsense and close to trolling in this thread. Nobody is suggesting banning anything from the public as the originals will still be freely available to be used and heard.
What you seem to be struggling with is my assertion that LoH&G should be ditched (in favour of something more suitable) as a piece to represent Britain or England as an anthem.
I know the difference is subtle, but most seemed to have grasped this. That doesn't mean it cannot be used/performed at all (so not banned), just maybe not as a National Anthem. I'm sure the EDL will take-it up along with GStQ and Rule Britannia and it will be heard aplenty.
Don't get me wrong, it's a great stirring piece of music, written for it's time, just one I'd not want as a national anthem
Now, onto the song itself, first performed in 1902 is clearly a pompous piece of Imperial propaganda: From Wiki...
Lyrics[edit]
Solo
Dear Land of Hope, thy hope is crowned,
God make thee mightier yet!
On Sov'ran brows, beloved, renowned,
Once more thy crown is set.
Thine equal laws, by Freedom gained,
Have ruled thee well and long;
By Freedom gained, by Truth maintained,
Thine Empire shall be strong.
Chorus
Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free,
How shall we extol thee, who are born of thee?
Wider still and wider shall thy bounds be set;
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet,
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet.
Solo
Thy fame is ancient as the days,
As Ocean large and wide:
A pride that dares, and heeds not praise,
A stern and silent pride;
Not that false joy that dreams content
With what our sires have won;
The blood a hero sire hath spent
Still nerves a hero son.
Chorus
'Wider still and wider'[edit]
The writing of the song was contemporaneous with the publication of
Cecil Rhodes's second (not final) will—which would have bequeathed his considerable wealth for the specific purpose of promoting 'the extension of British rule throughout the world', and included a long detailed list of territories which Rhodes wanted brought under British rule and colonised by British people. The reference to the extension of the
British Empire's boundaries may reflect the
Boer War, recently won at the time of writing, in which the United Kingdom gained further territory, endowed with considerable mineral wealth.
[2]
Classic FM's analysis;
Written before the World War I, it was initially intended to be a celebration of the glory of war and Britain’s power on the international stage. However, over the centuries people have taken strength from the song in different ways.
Even 'The Sun' God-Bless manages a pretty good summation of the song and it's meaning:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12493299/land-of-hope-and-glory-lyrics-words-meaning-song/
If this is a song you feel should represent Britishness in the current times, your vision of Britain and Englishness is very different to mine. I'd prefer to look forward not backwards. YMMV
