Onwards, Britannia!
National anthem of the United Kingdom | |
| Music | Judith Weir Hans Zimmer |
|---|---|
| Adopted | 2019 |
"Onwards, Britannia!" is the official national anthem of the United Kingdom. Officially adopted in 2019, the song was jointly composed by the Master of the Queen's Music Judith Weir alongside German composer, Hans Zimmer as the United Kingdom's official national anthem, prior to which, "God Save the Queen" had mostly served as the de facto anthem of the United Kingdom in the absence of an official national anthem for the country as a whole.
The song was sung for the first time in public at the coronation of Queen Alexandra, and has since served as the United Kingdom's official national anthem, while "God Save the Queen" continues to serve as the country's royal anthem.
Lyrics
Onwards, Britannia,
Onwards, Britannia!
Your seas are yours to sail!
Onwards, Britannia,
Onwards, Britannia!
Never shall your strength fade!
Even in the darkness,
Of the waves around you,
Never shall you resign!
Even in the roughness,
Of the hills around you,
Never a step behind!
Onwards, Britannia,
Onwards, Britannia!
Your seas are yours to sail!
Onwards, Britannia,
Onwards, Britannia!
Never shall your strength fade!
Proud the sails be hoisted,
Tall above the clouds,
Above to Olympus and away!
Proud the anchors be casted,
Deep into the sea,
Atlantis in Britannia's way!
Onwards, Britannia,
Onwards, Britannia!
Your seas are yours to sail!
Onwards, Britannia,
Onwards, Britannia!
Forever, the seas you sail!
Theme
In general, the anthem heavily alludes to the United Kingdom's storied naval past, with the chorus frequently featuring the name Britannia, the national personification of Britain, whom the chorus alludes to being a master of the seas ("Your seas are yours to sail!") and also a generally mighty figure ("Never shall your strength fade!").
Meanwhile, the first verse of the song mainly references both the rugged and hilly terrain of Scotland ("Even in the roughness of the hills around you"), the northernmost constituent country of the United Kingdom, as well as its position as an island surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the English Channel to the south, and the North Sea to the east and north ("Even in the darkness of the waves around you"). On the other hand, the second verse of the song particularly mentions the real-life Mount Olympus in Greece, known in Greek mythology as home of the Greek gods, as well as the mythical and fictional Atlantis, an island said to have been submerged into the Atlantic Ocean.