Roses are red
Violets are blue
These challenges I dread
I hope this one will do
God save our rugby team
Tough as the programmes seem
Watch over their dream.
Keep them all healthy
Tactically savvy
Safe and injury free
God save our team
Be it the Welsh or Fijians
Samoans or Namibians
Protect the ball
To confuse their tactic
Captain and coach must pick
Fifteen men to do the trick
God save them all
Quarters and semis next
And then at your behest
The final game
No matter whom you bring
Grant us victory and a win
Forever we shall sing
God save our team
Boadicea's Chariot 
Perhaps some may think that this is in poor taste, (it’s not flag burning) however when I looked up ‘parody’ it said spoof, send up, make fun of.
To be honest, that’s what I’ve tried.
The only poem I know reasonably well is Arnold’s Dover Beach. Only because Christopop and I spent hours in the old days discussing it.
I actually spent a fair amount of time re-reading Dover Beach and considered using it as my entry, but to be honest I’d have been nowhere.
The Sex Pistols had a hit with this ‘tune’, however it is not my objective to offend fellow members, if I have my apologies, say the word and I’ll start again.
Soutie – As a proud Englishman I have no problem with your version at all, although it’s probably just as well you didn’t turn your beady eye on ‘Flower of Scotland’ :-D.
OZ
You write that when you looked up ‘parody’ ‘it said spoof, send up, make fun of.’
So, you are admitting that your clear intention was to ‘make fun of’ our National Anthem?
Enough already, Soutie. My apologies.
Having originally been slightly miffed by your parody, I have now, as usual, reverted to my default mode of joshing. It still does matter to me just a wee bit but that is not your problem and I am sure that I will learn to cope in the great scheme of things.
Moving on, and for the avoidance of doubt, I can assure you that I am still hoping for a Bokke World Cup victory if it is not going to be Scotland, which it’s probably not.
Hello Soutie and John Mackie:
As my fellow countrymen so elegantly put it “I do not have a dog in this fight”
I personally would probably not parody someone else’s national anthem (it is a sensitive subject to some for a variety of good reasons), but I cannot say I would be unduly offended if someone else parodied mine, and if you would like to have a go, I’ll give you a start, here it is from the Mexican perspective.
José can you see by the dawn’s early light
the route that we planned in the twilight’s last gleaming.
Swim the river so broad, in the dark of the night
o’er the ramparts we’ll climb while the guards are still dreaming
well, you get the idea.
If yours is still here at closing I’ll judge it with the rest, if it ain’t I won’t.
Pob Lwc.
Hi, LW.
‘A Daniel come to judgement’ as our mutual boy Bill had it.
You’re not wrong and your decision, of course. I apologise again for flaring up at Soutie. I can’t help myself and it did matter to me.
In re our ex-colony’s Anthem (which is almost as good as ‘La Marseillaise’, in my opinion), how did you feel about Christina totally blowing the ‘ramparts’ line at Super Bowl XLV? Not a problem for me, to be fair, because the Pack won anyway. Go Aaron!
JM: I have every sympathy for not singing ours well, is a tough one even for a taff. But there’s no excuse for forgetting the words.
I’m not a big fan of “one star singing anthems” anyway I’m much more at home with the 70,000 voice choir at the old Arms Park.
Rogers and the Packers? a good game made better because Roethlisberger was handed his lunch.
Swing low.”……..
Do none of you know the Australian version of the Australian National Anthem?
It starts …
“Australians all let us ring Joyce,
“For she is young and free … “
I’ll let you imagine the rest. 😆
is that your National Anthem now then, Toc? Fair enough. I will endeavour not to parody (‘spoof, send up, make fun of’) it. Still have a soft spot for ‘God Save the Queen’ myself.
John,
Please remind me what they sing in Scotland. Is that the national anthem? 🙂 I thought yours was Scots Porridge Oates or something like that?
toc, this matters to me and I am now getting seriously unhappy.
Our National Anthem is ‘God Save the Queen’ We play and sing it on all state occasions.
We also have an unofficial anthem which is played on sporting occasions when we are talking Scotland and not the UK. Wales does the same and I would have no problem if England were to follow suit.
Does not alter the fact that ‘God Save the Queen’ means a lot to me. Sorry if you don’t feel the same. Your choice, of course.
Oh I do feel the same John. I find it really funny when Princess Anne sings Flower of Scotland (we sent him home again to think again). Her mother and father must cringe? At the end of the day, what the Scots sing is not an anthem it is just a pop song. Swing Low, is just a rallying call to the English supporters.
I’m English and proud of it. No problems for me with my National Anthem. 🙂
Toc, fair enough.
But why would my close personal friend, Phil the Bubble and Chookie Embra, ‘cringe’ about Anne the Great singing ‘Flower of Scotland’? How English is he?
And her Mum (whom God save) is the daughter of a ‘fat Scottish cook’, if the script of ‘The King’s Speech’ is to be believed. So, I have absolutely no problem when the Princess Royal chooses to celebrate part of her ancestry.
Like her, I’m British and Scots and proud of both.
Good for you John. Lol.
Swing Low…….:-)
Deep fried Mars Bars all round.
Is it breakfast time already?
There is only one football team in Britain that sing “God Save The Queen” at every match and they are not English.
(To Soutie) Thanks for your half-comment on our Distinguished Competition site. 🙂
I am not offended by your spoof of our National Anthem. They are an easy target.
The staunch Royalist.
Greetings all
Ja well, I’ve heard it said that this poetry malarkey is supposed to make us think. Having slept on the various points of view and noted the ‘likes’ (Gee thanks guys!) I’ll be leaving it as my entry.
LW
Pob – I’m confused
Soutie: That’s fine with me. Pob lwc? Welsh for “Good Luck”. I put it in as a counterpoint to the Latin and Japanese (Kanji?) popping up on the site, I’m going to slip in some Basque comments soon.
LW, can’t wait to see you in basque mode. Black, I trust with red trimmings?
Janus: Looks vaguely familiar, but I can’t remember why!
tocino, I think it’s been mentioned before that God save the Queen is the British national anthem and that the English teams use it as if it belonged only to England, forcing the Scots and the Welsh to find something different. So please remember it’s “our” anthem, not just “your”.
Janus: Sorry, wrong picture
Looks vaguely familiar, but I can’t remember why!