THERE WAS MORE talk and column inches filled by the kerfuffle over anthems than by the football played on the pitch last Saturday.
That probably tells you all you need to know about the match itself, sadly. But isn’t it amazing just how serious these things get? Songs, flags, emblems and symbols are all part of how a people communicate.
They say something about us. For thousands of years, they have inspired some of the most heroic of deeds and also been responsible for causing some of the most despicable acts in humanity.
All a bit much for a few pieces of cloth and the type of songs that would get you nul points in a Eurovision song contest. Let’s face it, nobody is off downloading the greatest national anthems on Spotify.
It creates a storm though because they are part of a communication. When we sing them, we identify with a particular crowd or story. When we don’t, people can assume we are opposed or at least not as enthusiastic about it. The problem is that like all pieces of communication, songs and flags are meant to say something and stand for something.
That means it’s also highly likely that some people will not like the things they stand for. I don’t know if there are many royalists left in France, but they probably aren’t all that eager to sing the French anthem if there are. England’s ‘God Save the King’ isn’t even a particularly good anthem as they go, but that’s subjective.
When you think about it, it’s a song dedicated to saving one person and hoping god almighty is looking after that one person. Its all a bit selfish. Nonetheless, it’s their anthem and that’s that. It says something to people and they are entitled to support and love that.
Equally, though it must be accepted that it will also offend some people, and they have every right to feel that way. Crowds of revellers fuelled up with a few drinks might chant ‘ooh ahh, up the Ra’ and might see it as harmless fun, they must also accept that the frivolous nature of the chant can be deeply hurtful and resentful to people who suffered violence at their hands.
Sad songs are much easier. You see nobody can complain about the Fields of Athenry because it’s all about the victim and the suffering. It’s not celebrating and cheering the death or subjugation of someone else. So it’s not a case of people being too easily offended. It’s just you have to accept some songs have meanings that do hurt.
‘God save the King’ is not even that national of an anthem. For large sections of British society do not identify with it. Football is used to this. Watch the controversy every time Liverpool FC play a cup final and their fans boo the anthem. They do not identify with it and are just the best known of several areas of northern England where the song is not welcomed. That said, people booing their own anthem is different to other nations booing it.
To be honest, we would all prefer if Ireland could have given a better riposte on the pitch than the boos from the stands. Yes, undoubtedly many people bristle to hear that anthem, but it is just music. We probably show we care far too much by booing. Far more important is a resounding rendition of your own anthem.
What then for poor Lee Carsley? All this hype about whether he sings or not. I respect that he doesn’t sing and stands by that. It does not bother me if an Irish player doesn’t sing. Some people do and it’s great, some people just aren’t into that and it’s quite alright.
There are lots of patriots who gave up their lives or did wonderful things for their country but we aren’t too bothered about whether they sang or not. It reminds me of the English rhyme ‘It’s Tommy this and Tommy that and kick him out the brute, but it’s saviour of his country when the guns begin to shoot.’ We have too many people who wave flags and sing anthems, but do precious little for their fellow citizens or help their country in any way.
It is time to accept that anthems have a place and can be good just like flags but placing huge importance on them is a fallacy that only leads to bitterness division and further hurt. All things have their place. Let them have that, but if your assessment of someone’s ability, patriotism is based on a piece of cloth or a few notes, then you really have a lot to learn. And yes we can be offended, but if it’s the worst offence you have today you should count yourself among the very fortunate in life.
Johnny Fallon is a political commentator, author and voice of ‘The Johnny Fallon Podcast’.
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