Most Iconic Folksong of your Nation

What's the most iconic folksong of your nation? The song that sums up the culture, the people, the beauty and the history etc... the best.

For Ireland, lots to choose from but the best IMO,

Song For Ireland

Walking all the day
Near tall towers where falcons build their nests
Silver-winged they fly
They know the call of freedom in their breasts
Saw Black Head against the sky
Where twisted rocks they run to the sea
Living on your western shore
Saw summer sunsets, asked for more
I stood by your Atlantic Sea
And sang a song for Ireland

Talking all the day
With true friends who try to make you stay
Telling jokes and news
Singing songs to pass the time away
Watched the Galway salmon run
Like silver dancing, darting in the sun

Living on your western shore
Saw summer sunsets, asked for more
I stood by your Atlantic Sea
And sang a song for Ireland

Drinking all the day
In old pubs where fiddlers love to play
Saw one touch the bow
He played a reel which seemed so grand and gay
Stood on Dingle Beach and cast
In wild foam we found Atlantic bass

Living on your western shore
Saw summer sunsets, asked for more
I stood by your Atlantic Sea
And sang a song for Ireland

Dreaming in the night
I saw a land where no one had to fight
Waking in your dawn
I saw you crying in the morning light
Sleeping where the falcons fly
They twist and turn all in your air-blue sky

Living on your western shore
Saw summer sunsets, asked for more
I stood by your Atlantic Sea
And sang a song for Ireland

Best version is by Luke Kelly of the Dubliners. Here's a great music site for Irish folk if you're interested;

Triskelle

So c'mon, what song makes you think of your nation most? :original:

This Land is Your Land by Woody Guthrie, easily.

Waltzing Matilda...

Once a jolly swagman camped by a Billabong
Under the shade of a Coolabah tree
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"

Down come a jumbuck to drink at the water hole
Up jumped a swagman and grabbed him in glee
And he sang as he stowed him away in his tucker bag
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me'".

Up rode the Squatter a riding his thoroughbred
Up rode the Trooper - one, two, three
"Where's that jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?",
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me".

But the swagman he up and jumped in the water hole
Drowning himself by the Coolabah tree,
And his ghost may be heard as it sings in the Billabong,
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"

A.B. (Banjo) Paterson

Originally Posted by Octavian

Waltzing Matilda...

I wonder how much sense it makes to non-Australians...

For Ireland: Saint Brendans Voyage and Song for Ireland (in my opinion)

For America: Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Londonderry Air for (Northern) Ireland, it is the de facto national song, but probably Song For Ireland

Originally Posted by Turnus

I wonder how much sense it makes to non-Australians...

It's never made much sense to me... except the spin-off version we used to make up as children.

Battle Cry for Freedom

Yes, we'll rally round the flag, boys, we'll rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom,
We will rally from the hillside, we'll gather from the plain,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

(Chorus)
The Union forever! Hurrah, boys, hurrah!
Down with the traitors, up with the stars;
While we rally round the flag, boys, rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!


We are springing to the call of our brothers gone before,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
And we'll fill our vacant ranks with a million free men more,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

Chorus


We will welcome to our numbers the loyal, true and brave,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
And although they may be poor, not a man shall be a slave,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

Chorus


So we're springing to the call from the East and from the West,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
And we'll hurl the rebel crew from the land we love best,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

Chorus

It's never made much sense to me... except the spin-off version we used to make up as children.

What spin off?

And I read once what everything in it means, but I've forgotten now. lol, sounds a bit like the swagman turned back to his convict past then committed suicide due to the fact that no one would dance with him

Edit: Ah, the wiki link explains a bit

I have to agree with Blaven on that one.

Originally Posted by HMMcKamikaze

I have to agree with Blaven on that one.

I'll have to concur with your agreement.

Imo dylans Masters of war(though i prefer the pearl jam version)

Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain

You fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud

You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins

How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand o'er your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead

The last verse is particularly vengeful and i like like that in a folk song.

Edit; i missed the "your nation" bit, so Working class hero, Lennon. but as the fundimental premise of folk music is that we are all of one nation i stand by my first choice. don's arron jumper and places finger in ear, hey noni noni, all around my hat.

Probably ekh ukhnem.
None of you know the words, but I bet you've all heard the melody (non midi file)

Originally Posted by RusskiSoldat

Probably ekh ukhnem.
None of you know the words, but I bet you've all heard the melody (non midi file)

LOL, as I heard that russkisoldat, I remember the words in russian, I can actually sing it! Also a picture pops into my mind, like workers are pulling a huge ship into a ship bay.

Ah, no wonder, you're only 14. It went something like this:

Waltzing Matilda, who bloody killed her?...

And then the child could continue with any line they wanted.

"Wales: a nation of song, poets and love". I suppose it's a bit of a cliche but I think it sums us up fairly well because I've always thought we take our culture far more seriously than we do our politics.

For me, Myfanwy sums up the "Welsh Condition". It is a beautiful Welsh hymn of lost love. Sung well by a male voice choir in Welsh, it reduces me to tears whenever I hear it (but that may be down to the onion I keep handy for such occasions - can't have everyone thinking that I'm a romantic lush ). The legend goes something like this:

Myfanwy, daughter of the Norman Earl of Arundel, was said to be the most beautiful woman in Powys, but she was vain and liked nothing better than to be told how beautiful she was.

Many men went to Dinas Brân to court her, but she had nothing to do with them, even if they were rich and handsome because they were unable to compose and sing poems that supposedly reflected the depth of her beauty.

Only one man, Hywel ap Einion, a penniless young bard who lived in the valley below the castle, was said to have the talent to satisfy Myfanwy.

Luckily, Hywel was in love with Myfanwy, and one day he plucked up the courage to climb up the hill to the castle with his harp, to sing and play to her.

He was allowed in to play for her, and while playing and complimenting her on her beauty she was said to have been unable to either listen or look at any other man.

Because of this Hywel believed that she had fallen in love with him.

But his hopes were dashed when a richer, more handsome and more eloquent lover arrived on the scene.

Hywel, discarded and quickly forgotten by Myfanwy composed a poem to his lost love:

Myfanwy

Words: Joseph Parry

Why is it anger, O Myfanwy,
That fills your eyes so dark and clear?
Your gentle cheeks, O sweet Myfanwy,
Why blush they not when I draw near?
Where is the smile that once most tender
Kindled my love so fond, so true?
Where is the sound of your sweet words,
That drew my heart to follow you?

What have I done, O my Myfanwy,
To earn your frown? What is my blame?
Was it just play, my sweet Myfanwy,
To set your poet's love aflame?
You truly once to me were promised,
Is it too much to keep your part?
I wish no more your hand, Myfanwy,
If I no longer have your heart.

Myfanwy, may you spend your lifetime
Beneath the midday sunshine's glow,
And on your cheeks O may the roses
Dance for a hundred years or so.
Forget now all the words of promise
You made to one who loved you well,
Give me your hand, my sweet Myfanwy,
But one last time, to say "farewell".

Original Welsh lyrics

Pa ham mae dicter, O Myfanwy,
Yn llenwi'th lygaid duon ddi?
A'th ruddiau tirion, O Myfanwy,
Heb wrido wrth fy ngweled i?
Pa le mae'r wen oedd ar dy wefus
Fu'n cynnau 'nghariad ffyddlon ffol?
Pa le mae sain dy eiriau melys,
Fu'n denu'n nghalon ar dy ôl?

Pa beth a wneuthym, O Myfanwy,
I haeddu gwg dy ddwyrudd hardd?
Ai chwarae oeddit, O Myfanwy
 thanau euraidd serch dy fardd?
Wyt eiddo im drwy gywir amod
Ai gormod cadw'th air i mi?
Ni cheisiaf fyth mo'th law, Myfanwy,
Heb gael dy galon gyda hi.

Myfanwy boed yr holl o'th fywyd
Dan heulwen disglair canol dydd.
A boed i rosyn gwridog ienctid
I ddawnsio ganmlwydd ar dy rudd.
Aug hofiar oll o'th add ewidion
A wnest i rywun, 'ngeneth ddel,
A rho dy law, Myfanwy dirion
I ddim ond dweud y gair "Ffarwel".
Llef or Deus Salutis.

I just wish that the translation could convey the power and emotion of the original Welsh!

err.
I don't think posting bawdy songs on this forum would be appropriate...

Originally Posted by Sidus Preclarum

err.
I don't think posting bawdy songs on this forum would be appropriate...

But it isn't a bawdy song, if it was I would never have posted it. It is an iconic children's folksong of the now adolescent generation.

errr.
That meant that as "I can't post our folksongs".