Monday, March 14, 2011

Misappropriation


My daughter surprised me today by playing 'God Save the Queen' on the piano.

Having finished, she rushed down to my office and asked me, "Guess what that was, Daddy!"
"Easy," I said. "That was 'God Save the Queen'".

"Wrong!" she replied with a mischievous grin, showing me the score. "It's called 'America'".

Lo and behold, the New World has misappropriated our most hallowed sporting chant. Not only that, the song (annotated to be played "proudly") has been furnished with the following patriotic lyrics:

My country 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing!
Land where our fathers died,

Land of the Pilgrims' pride,

From ev'ry mountainside,

Let freedom ring!


Now I know it's only our de facto national anthem, but it's just not cricket having American children extolling the virtues of the New World when they ought to be calling for the divine salvation of Her Royal Highness.

They stole our colonies too. Whatever will they steal next?

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