The Global ‘National’ Anthem
I wrote a piece on my blog about the National anthem and Kellie made a great comment about needing a Global ‘National’ Anthem. That really sent me thinking. She’d put her finger on it. It was just what we needed.
I had just been playing some Woody Guthrie and was reminded of his wonderful ‘This Land is Your Land’. What we needed was something that spoke of beauty, unity and tolerance, that took responsibility for the way we lived in this rich web of life and cared for each other as well as all life around us. I had a vision of a world of harmony, fairness and the helping hand. I have a vision of a world in which instead of war, abuse, inequality, pollution, nationalism, fundamentalism and greed, we all valued each other and the beauty of nature and worked together. It’s a dream. But it is also a vision worth working for.
Where would we be without our dreamers?
At our best humans are wonderful. We work for peace, cherish nature and are happy in our diversity full of love and altruism. At worst we are callous, selfish destroyers full of hate and cruelty.
An anthem shouldn’t be a pompous, grandiose, rousing song of war; it should be a happy, simple statement of love, tolerance and equality of a people who value this green planet and everything in it and recognise that all life is one interconnected force. When we damage it we are damaging ourselves. An anthem should be a celebration of us at our best.
This is what came out:
The Global ‘National’ Anthem
All join hands from sea to sea
And rejoice for the beauties that we see.
We’ve got one world
For you and me.
With a beaming smile and helping hand
We join our spirits across this land.
We’ve got one world
We can understand.
All together we can build it true
There’s lots of work for us to do
We’ve got one world
For me and you.
The rich green forests and the mountains tall,
Rolling seas and desert sands.
There’s room enough for all
To use our minds and hands.
There’s one world
One human band.
So value the earth and the fresh clear water
Care for the animals and care for the plants
That provide the life to our sons and daughters
They will endow everyone with all life grants
There’s one world
And abundance.
For we must use it well and use it wisely
The rich tapestry of life
All connected so precisely;
Not crucified with the gun and knife.
There’s one world
For man and wife.
All our brothers and sisters in strife
Living free in equality;
One people in the web of life
Living our lives so happily;
There’s one world
One family.
All join hands from sea to sea
And rejoice for the beauties that we see.
We’ve got one world
For you and me.
We’ve got one world
For you and me.
Opher 17.9.2015 (Thanks Kellie)
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