What is the national anthem of France?
La Marseillaise
"La Marseillaise" () is the national anthem of France. The song was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by France against Austria, and was originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" ("War Song for the Rhine Army").
La Congolaise
"La Congolaise" () is the national anthem of the Republic of the Congo. It was adopted upon independence from France in 1959, replaced in 1969 by "Les Trois Glorieuses", but reinstated in 1991. The lyrics were written by Jacques Tondra and Georges Kibanghi, and the music was composed by Jean Royer and Joseph Spadilière.
L'Aube Nouvelle
"L'Aube Nouvelle" (The Dawn of a New Day) is the national anthem of Benin. Written and composed by Father Gilbert Jean Dagnon, it was adopted upon independence from France in 1960.
Graeme Allwright
Graeme Allwright (born 7 November 1926) is a singer-songwriter. Born in Wellington, New Zealand, he moved to Great-Britain to become a comedian, but then moved to France in 1948. Here he worked as scene-man, comedian, beekeeper, wine grower, English teacher, nurse in psychiatry, etc... and began to perform and write folk songs a several years later in left bank's Parisian cabarets. He was eventually signed by Sonogram. In the 1960s, in addition to his own protest-songs, he translated into French a number of songs written by Leonard Cohen, Tom Paxton and Pete Seeger. He became famous through the 1970s, but voluntarily escaped from the showbiz universe by travelling the world. His life parallels this of one of its great inspirators, Woodie Guthrie; he introduced protest-song in France, and in spite of himself became iconic with the may 68's atmosphere. Some of his songs are now part of the French folklore ("Le Jour de Clarté", "Jolie Bouteille", "Les retrouvailles", etc...). He performed until the 2010s to spread his non-violent message - i.e., working in our consciences to change this inegalitarian society. In the 2000s, together with Sylvie Dien, he wrote new lyrics to the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise", making it a song of peace rather than a song of war. A movement is afoot in France to get the government to support the changes.
Pierre Quinon
The French national anthem, La Marseillaise, rang out. The cortege then walked in silence to the Roman Catholic Church of Saint-Trophyme in Bormes-les-Mimosas for a religious ceremony conducted by the parish priest, Father Lopez. During the religious ceremony, Robbie Williams's song Angels, which was chosen by Quinon's family to bid farewell to him, rang out inside the church. In his eulogy, Quinon's older son, Robin, who was then 24 years old, called his father "the hero of his life". In accordance with his wish, Quinon was then buried in the cemetery of Bormes-les-Mimosas. Only family members were present during the burial.
1812 Overture
Although "La Marseillaise" was chosen as the French national anthem in 1795, it was banned by Napoleon in 1805 and would not have been played during the Russian campaign. It was reinstated as the French Anthem in 1879—the year before the commission of the overture—which can explain its use by Tchaikovsky in the overture. However, "Veillons au salut de l'Empire" which served as the unofficial anthem of Napoleon I's regime had been largely forgotten by 1882, while educated Russians of the time were likely to be familiar with the tune of "La Marseillaise" and recognize its significance.
France
The French Revolution continues to permeate the country's collective memory. The tricolour flag of France, the anthem "La Marseillaise", and the motto "Liberté, égalité, fraternité", defined in Title 1 of the Constitution as national symbols, all emerged during the cultural ferment of the early revolution, along with Marianne, a common national personification. In addition, Bastille Day, the national holiday, commemorates the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789.
Wilhelmus
"Wilhelmus van Nassouwe", usually known just as the "Wilhelmus" (; ; English translation: "The William"), is the national anthem of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It dates back to at least 1572, making it the oldest known national anthem in the world. Although the "Wilhelmus" was not recognized as the official national anthem until 1932, it has always been popular with parts of the Dutch population and resurfaced on several occasions in the course of Dutch history before gaining its present status. It was also the anthem of the Netherlands Antilles from 1954 to 1964.
Charles Gounod
Later in his life Gounod returned to his early religious impulses, writing much sacred music. His "Pontifical Anthem" ("Marche Pontificale", 1869) eventually (1949) became the official national anthem of Vatican City. He expressed a desire to compose his "Messe à la mémoire de Jeanne d'Arc" (1887) while kneeling on the stone on which Joan of Arc knelt at the coronation of Charles VII of France. A devout Catholic, he had on his piano a music-rack in which was carved an image of the face of Jesus.
Pour Un Maillot Jaune
The film starts with a scene of riders arriving at the start by train and then of race organisers Jacques Goddet and Félix Lévitan and an anonymous man with a cigarette in his mouth supervising the cutting of a blue, white and red ribbon across the road as a band plays the Marseillaise, the French national anthem. The film then jumps – as it does throughout its 30 minutes – to an open-air mass for riders wearing their race clothes.
Communist symbolism
"The Internationale" is an anthem of the Communist movement. It is one of the most universally recognized songs in the world and has been translated into nearly every spoken language. Its original French refrain is "C'est la lutte finale"/"Groupons-nous et demain"/"L'Internationale"/"Sera le genre humain" (English: This is the final struggle/Let's group together and tomorrow/The International/Will be the human race). It is often sung with a raised fist salute.
You'll Have to Put Him to Sleep with the Marseillaise and Wake Him Up with a Oo-La-La
The lyrics relay the message to American girls that US soldiers have learned "a lot of things in France," and in order to keep men interested they should adopt French mannerisms and learn how to speak French. As the title suggests, American girls should learn La Marseillaise, the French national anthem. The chorus reads:
Tour de France
The Tour has inspired several popular songs in France, notably "P'tit gars du Tour" (1932), "Les Tours de France" (1936) and "Faire le Tour de France" (1950). Kraftwerk had a hit with "Tour de France" in 1983 – described as a minimalistic "melding of man and machine" – and produced an album, "Tour de France Soundtracks" in 2003, the centenary of the Tour.
France in the Eurovision Song Contest
Yet, France have had some good results during the 21st century. In 2001, Canadian singer Natasha St-Pier came 4th for France with her song "Je n'ai que mon âme", being the favourite to win the contest by fans and odds. This good result was carried into the 2002 contest, when Sandrine François came 5th with "Il faut du temps" and received the Marcel Bezençon international press award for the best entry of that year. Finally, the positive experience with Sébastien Tellier in 2008 created considerable interest among the French show business for the contest, which resulted in the fact that Eurovision is seen now in the French media as a great advertising campaign and it has been decided that big names will represent France in the future. With these ambitions, the French superstar Patricia Kaas represented France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, Russia. Kaas is one of the most successful French-speaking singers in the world and she has sold over 16 million records worldwide. She ended in 8th place. Kaas received the Marcel Bezençon artistic award, which was voted on by previous winners and presented to the best artist. In the 2016 Contest in Stockholm, Sweden, Amir with his song, "J'ai cherché", ended in 6th place and broke a 40-year record by scoring the most points in France's Eurovision history, by scoring 257 points in the final.
François Mireur
Mireur was born in Escragnolles in 1770, and studied as a medicinal doctor at the Faculty of Medicine in Montpellier. In 1792, he became a doctor, but volunteered for the army shortly afterwards. That year, he sang Rouget de Lisle's war song when he was headed to Marseilles to organize and lead volunteers from nearby towns. The song thus became known as "La Marseillaise", which was adopted as the French national anthem in 1795. During the war, he fought at the Battle of Valmy and later served in the Italian Campaign of Napoleon, twice refusing the rank of general. In 1798, he was promoted to general and served alongside Louis Desaix in the Egyptian Campaign, where he fought the Mamelukes and Ottomans. It was in this war that Mireur met his end. While riding a newly purchased Arabian stallion, after only a short distance, he was ambushed by three Mamelukes, and killed before he could call for help. His name was inscribed on the 28th pillar of the Arc de Triomphe at the top of the south pillar, near the avenue Kleber. He was honored as a national hero because of his role in popularising the "Marseillaise".
Music of France
One of the most famous French-speaking Asian artist is Anggun, a French-naturalised singer from Indonesia, best known for her single "La Neige au Sahara" (Snow on the Sahara) written by Erick Benzi. The song was released in 1997 as her debut international single in 33 countries worldwide, and topped the charts in Europe (#1 in Italy), America (#16 in USA Billboard), and Asia (#1 in Indonesia, #3 in Malaysia). French music also found surprising favorable reception in Japan, where the language and culture from France is often seen as romantic. Some Japanese groups use French language, as for example Malice Mizer or Versailles, named after the name of the Château de Versailles. Salvatore Adamo Charles Aznavour and Mireille Mathieu are widely recognized in Japan.
Ntokozo Qwabe
Two days after the Paris Attacks of November 2015, Qwabe posted a message on Facebook saying he did not stand with France and calling for a ban on the French Tricolour flag at universities, describing it as a symbol of a state "that has for years terrorised – and continues to terrorise – innocent lives in the name of imperialism, colonialism, and other violent barbarities." In a subsequent interview with "The Sunday Times", Qwabe compared the French flag to the Nazi swastika.
P'tite fleur aimée
P'tite fleur aimée ("Little beloved flower", also known as P'tite fleur fanée, "Little faded flower"), is the best known song from the island of Réunion. While "La Marseillaise" is the official national anthem, "P'tite fleur aimée" is considered an unofficial local anthem.
National symbols of France
National symbols of France are emblems of the French nation, and are the cornerstone of the republican tradition.
National anthem
Very few countries have a national anthem written by a world-renowned composer. Exceptions include Germany, whose anthem "Das Lied der Deutschen" uses a melody written by Joseph Haydn, and Austria, whose national anthem "Land der Berge, Land am Strome" is sometimes credited to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The "Anthem of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic" was composed by Aram Khachaturian. The music of the "Pontifical Anthem", anthem of the Vatican City, was composed in 1869 by Charles Gounod, for the golden jubilee of Pope Pius IX's priestly ordination.
O Canada
The original French lyrics of "O Canada" were written by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier, to music composed by Calixa Lavallée, as a French Canadian patriotic song for the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society and first performed on June 24, 1880, at a Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day banquet in Quebec City. At that time, the "Chant National", also by Routhier, was popular amongst Francophones as an anthem, while "God Save the Queen" and "The Maple Leaf Forever" had, since 1867, been competing as unofficial national anthems in English Canada. "O Canada" joined that fray when a group of school children sang it for the 1901 tour of Canada by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall (later King George V and Queen Mary). This was the first known performance of the song outside Quebec.
Serge Gainsbourg
In Jamaica in 1979, he recorded "Aux Armes et cætera", a reggae version of the French national anthem "La Marseillaise", with Robbie Shakespeare, Sly Dunbar and Rita Marley. Following harsh and anti-semitic criticism in right-wing newspaper "Le Figaro" by Charles de Gaulle biographer Michel Droit, his song earned him death threats from right-wing veteran soldiers of the Algerian War of Independence, who were opposed to their national anthem being arranged in reggae style. In 1979, a show had to be cancelled, because an angry mob of French Army parachutists came to demonstrate in the audience. Alone onstage, Gainsbourg raised his fist and answered "The true meaning of our national anthem is revolutionary" and sang it with the audience. The soldiers joined them, a scene enjoyed by millions as French TV news broadcast it, creating more publicity. Shortly afterward, Gainsbourg bought the original manuscript of "La Marseillaise". He replied to his critics that his version was closer to the original as the manuscript shows the words "Aux armes et cætera..." for the chorus. This album, described by legendary drummer Sly Dunbar as "Perhaps the best record he ever played on" was his biggest commercial success, including major hits "Lola Rastaquouère", "Aux Armes Et Cætera" and a French version of Sam Theard's jazz classic "You Rascal You" entitled "Vieille Canaille". Rita Marley and the I-Three would record another controversial reggae album with him in 1981, "Mauvaises nouvelles des étoiles". Bob Marley was furious, when he discovered that Gainsbourg made his wife Rita sing erotic lyrics. Posthumous new mixes, including dub versions by Soljie Hamilton and versions of both albums by Jamaican artists were released as double "Dub Style" albums in 2003, to critical praise in France as well as abroad and to international commercial success. Although belatedly, "Aux Armes Et Cætera – Dub Style" and "Mauvaises Nouvelles Des Étoiles – Dub Style" further posthumously established Gainsbourg as an influential icon in European pop music.
France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015
Prior to the 2015 Contest, France had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest fifty-seven times since its first entry in 1956. France first won the contest in 1958 with "Dors, mon amour" performed by André Claveau. In the 1960s, they won three times, with "Tom Pillibi" performed by Jacqueline Boyer in 1960, "Un premier amour" performed by Isabelle Aubret in 1962 and "Un jour, un enfant" performed by Frida Boccara, who won in 1969 in a four-way tie with the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. France's fifth victory came in 1977, when Marie Myriam won with the song "L'oiseau et l'enfant". France have also finished second four times, with Paule Desjardins in 1957, Catherine Ferry in 1976, Joëlle Ursull in 1990 and Amina in 1991, who lost out to Sweden's Carola in a tie-break. In the 21st century, France has had less success, only making the top ten three times, with Natasha St-Pier finishing fourth in 2001, Sandrine François finishing fifth in 2002 and Patricia Kaas finishing eighth in 2009. France have failed to reach the top ten in eleven of the last twelve contests (2003-2014). In 2014, the nation finished last for the first time with Twin Twin performing the song "Moustache".
National emblem of France
This article outlines present and historical national emblems of France, including heraldic coats of arms, first employed in the Middle Ages, as well as more recent, unofficial non- or quasi-heraldic emblems.
Stade de France
On 13 November 2015, in one of a series of coordinated shootings and bombings across Paris, the Stade de France was targeted with explosions occurring outside the stadium during an international friendly between France and Germany, with French President François Hollande in attendance. The terrorist, however, was unable to enter the stadium.
In 2016, the Stade de France was used as the central stadium for the 2016 Euros hosting seven matches. The stadium was used for the opening ceremony of the tournament which saw French DJ David Guetta perform at the stadium. At the end of his set, Guetta invited Swedish singer Zara Larsson on stage to perform the tournament's official song - "This One's for You". Following the ceremony the stadium was used for the tournament's opening game which saw France beat Romania 2-1. Across the next month, the stadium was used for six other tournament matches including the UEFA Euro 2016 Final between France and Portugal. The match followed the closing ceremony which again saw David Guetta perform. Portugal defeated France in extra time by one goal to nill and lifted the tournament trophy for the first time.
François Pouqueville
With dreams of glory and fortune, François Pouqueville embarked in Toulon with the ill-fated French Fleet under the command of Général Bonaparte as it sailed towards Egypt. On the way, he witnessed the taking of Malta, and he spent the days of the crossing to Alexandria teaching the French soldiers and sailors the vibrant lyrics of "La Marseillaise", the new French national anthem.
National anthem of Russia
God Save the Tsar! was used until the February Revolution, when the Russian monarchy was overthrown. Upon the overthrow, in March 1917, the "Worker's Marseillaise" (), Pyotr Lavrov's modification of the French anthem "La Marseillaise", was used as an unofficial anthem by the Russian Provisional Government. The modifications Lavrov made to "La Marseillaise" included a change in meter from 2/2 to 4/4 and music harmonization to make it sound more Russian. It was used at governmental meetings, welcoming ceremonies for diplomats and state funerals.
Laïcité
"Laïcité" is a core concept in the French constitution, Article 1 of which formally states that France is a secular republic (""La France est une République indivisible, laïque, démocratique et sociale".") This, however, does not prevent an active role on the part of the state (President of the Republic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of the Interior) in the appointment of Catholic diocesan bishops – see Briand-Ceretti Agreement: the President of the French Republic is the only head of state in the world (except the Pope) who still appoints Catholic bishops (in Strasbourg and Metz); moreover, he is an honorary Canon in several cathedrals and basilicas, most notably in the Archbasilica of Saint John in Laterano, the Cathedral of the Pope. Many see being discreet with one's religion as a necessary part of being French. This has led to frequent divisions with some non-Christian immigrants, especially with part of France's large Muslim population. A debate took place over whether any religious apparel or displays by individuals, such as the Islamic hijab, Sikh turban, (large) Christian crosses, and Jewish Stars of David and kippah, should be banned from public schools. Such a ban came into effect in France in 2004; see French law on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools. In the spring of 2011 there was a reinforcement of "laïcité" in hospitals, advocated by the Minister of the Interior, Claude Guéant, and in public service generally, by the official non-discrimination agency, la HALDE. The simultaneous broadcasting of the traditional Protestant and Catholic Lent sermons (operating since 1946) has been interrupted. Earlier the broadcasting of the Russian Orthodox Christmas night liturgy was similarly stopped on 6/7 January.
Le Mali
"Le Mali" () is the national anthem of Mali. It was adopted in the early 1960s.
It is popularly known as "Pour l'Afrique et pour toi, Mali" (French for: "For Africa and for you, Mali") or "A ton appel Mali" (French for: "At your call, Mali").
The words were written by Seydou Badian Kouyaté and the music was by Banzumana Sissoko. Adopted as the national anthem in 1962, its themes are patriotism, national, and African unity. It states the willingness of the people of Mali to lay down their lives for their nation and for liberty. A common theme throughout the song is the desire to strive for a united Africa. Its music is a traditional European style military march.
National anthem
A national anthem (also state anthem, national hymn, national song, etc.) is generally a patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions, and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. The countries of Latin America, Central Asia, and Europe tend towards more ornate and operatic pieces, while those in the Middle East, Oceania, Africa, and the Caribbean use a more simplistic fanfare. Some countries that are devolved into multiple constituent states have their own official musical compositions for them (such as with the United Kingdom, Russian Federation, and the former Soviet Union); their constituencies' songs are sometimes referred to as national anthems even though they are not sovereign states.
France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017
France participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. The French broadcaster France Télévisions, in collaboration with their television channel France 2, internally selected the song "Requiem" performed by Alma and written by Nazim Khaled to be the French entry for the 2017 contest in Kiev, Ukraine.
Bastille Day military parade
To mark the centennial of the outbreak of the First World War, the 2014 parade started with a detachment of soldiers wearing the 1916 blue-grey French uniform which was followed by colour guards from the 69 other countries involved in the Great War aside from France itself. The motorised parade ended with a limber team carrying a 75mm field gun, immediately behind the mounted French Republican Guard Cavalry Regiment. The 2014 parade ended with a choreographic performance by José Montalvo. The performance included 250 young dancers from the eighty countries which fought in the war; it took place on the Place de la Concorde. The eight-minute performance to a clarinet concerto by Mozart included echoes to "La Sardane de la paix" and "La Colombe", two paintings by Pablo Picasso, as well as "Les Oiseaux" by Georges Braque. The dancers released doves at the end of the performance, a symbol of peace through strength after the military parade. The national anthem and classic French patriotic songs "La Madelon" and "Chant du départ" were sung a cappella by the French Army Chorus during the pre-parade segment.
The 2015 edition, which had 250 less personnel due to domestic and international deployments of the French uniformed services, celebrated the 70th year since the end of the Second World War and the liberation of France from the Axis, as well as France's determination to fight all forms of terrorism. This parade saw the debut appearance of two special forces units of the French National Police and the GIGN from the National Gendarmerie, which had seen action during January's Charlie Hebdo shooting incident as well as cadets of the Heroic Military Academy, Heroic Naval School and the Air Force College from Mexico. In tribute to all the French fallen and veterans of the Second World War the "Patrouille de France" flew over the dais, in Cross of Lorraine formation. The pre-parade segment saw the French Navy Band forming the same formation together with the French Army Chorus, which sung "Le Chant des Partisans" a capella before singing the national anthem. In celebration of 70 years since the liberation of France and the end of the Second World War in Europe, these were joined by six recipients of the Order of Liberation, and colour guards of units that had been awarded with the order for their actions as part of the Free French forces.
The 2016 parade marked a massive increase in the number of participants, with 5,800 taking part in the march past itself. Personnel from the French Prisons Service Directorate of the Ministry of Justice were included. Participating units represented French military and police actions within France and overseas, partly as a result of the November 2015 Paris attacks. As a tribute to casualties amongst security and military forces, the "Patrouille de France" flew over the dais in a silhouette of the Effel Tower, while a 4,000 strong children's choir, dressed in the national colours, sang the national anthem alongside the French Army Chorus. Increased anti-terror efforts were marked by the marchpast of armed forces basic training institutions and personnel involved in counter-terrorist operations. In addition, to mark the 2016 national centennial of the events of the Battle of the Somme and the formation of the Lafayette Escadrille, marching in the parade were an ANZAC contingent from both the Australian Defence Force and the New Zealand Defence Force while several aircraft of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa - including one in the historical Lafayette Squadron colours - joined the flypast.
Marianne
Marianne is displayed in many places in France and holds a place of honour in town halls and law courts. She symbolizes the "Triumph of the Republic", a bronze sculpture overlooking the Place de la Nation in Paris, and is represented with another Parisian statue in the Place de la République. Her profile stands out on the official government logo of the country, is engraved on French euro coins and appears on French postage stamps; it was also featured on the former franc currency. Marianne is one of the most prominent symbols of the French Republic, and is officially used on most government documents.
Marianne is a significant republican symbol. As a national icon she represents opposition to monarchy and the championship of freedom and democracy against all forms of oppression. Other national symbols of France include the tricolor flag, the national motto "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité", the national anthem "La Marseillaise", the coat of arms, and the official Great Seal of France.
Flag of France
Article 2 of the French constitution of 1958 states that "the national emblem is the tricolour flag, blue, white, red". In modern representations, two versions are in use, one darker and the other lighter: both are used equally, but the light version (i.e. the main version used by Wikipedia) is far more common on digital displays. 
Currently, the flag is one and a half times wider than its height (i.e. in the proportion 2:3) and, except in the French Navy, has stripes of equal width. Initially, the three stripes of the flag were not equally wide, being in the proportions 30 (blue), 33 (white) and 37 (red). Under Napoleon I, the proportions were changed to make the stripes' width equal, but by a regulation dated 17 May 1853, the navy went back to using the 30:33:37 proportions, which it now continues to use, as the flapping of the flag makes portions farther from the halyard seem smaller.
Ma peau aime
"La chute est lente" was released as the lead single from the album on 10 June 2016. "Requiem" was released as the second single from the album on 13 January 2017. The song peaked at number 25 on the French Singles Chart. On 9 February 2017, France 2 announced that Alma would represent the France at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest at the International Exhibition Centre in Kiev, Ukraine. As a member of the "Big 5", France automatically qualified to compete in the final which took place on 13 May 2017, Alma finished 12th with 135 points.
Protest song
"The Internationale" became the anthem of international socialism. Its original French refrain is "C'est la lutte finale/ Groupons-nous et demain/ L'Internationale/ Sera le genre humain." (Freely translated: "This is the final struggle/ Let us join together and tomorrow/ The Internationale/ Will be the human race.") The "Internationale" has been translated into most of the world's languages. Traditionally it is sung with the hand raised in a clenched fist salute. "The Internationale" is sung not only by communists but also (in many countries) by socialists or social democrats. The Chinese version was also a rallying song of the students and workers at the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
Le Retour des Princes français à Paris
"Le Retour des Princes français à Paris" ("The return of the French Princes to Paris") was the "de facto" national anthem of France during the Bourbon Restoration. It uses the melody of the then popular marching tune "Vive Henri IV".
Provence
Provence also produced the most memorable song of the period, the La Marseillaise. Though the song was originally written by a citizen of Strasbourg, Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792, and it was originally a war song for the revolutionary Army of the Rhine, it became famous when it sung on the streets of Paris by the volunteers from Marseille, who had heard it when it was sung in Marseille by a young volunteer from Montpellier named François Mireur. It became the most popular song of the Revolution, and in 1879 became the national anthem of France.
André Montagard
Montagard wrote the lyrics to "Maréchal, nous voilà !" while Charles Cortioux composed the music. The song became one of the national anthems alongside "La Marseillaise" during Vichy France.
Anna Marly
Anna Marly (), (30 October 1917 – 15 February 2006), was a Russian-born French singer-songwriter. Born into a wealthy Russian noble family, Marly came to France very young, just after her father was killed in the aftermath of the October Revolution. She is best remembered as the composer of the "Chant des Partisans", a song that was used as the unofficial anthem of the Free French Forces during World War II; the popularity of the "Chant des Partisans" was such that it was proposed as a new national anthem after the conclusion of the war.
Something in the Air
"Something in the Air" features a short burst of "La Marseillaise" - the national anthem of France. The "revolution" reference in the song's lyrics has subtly been hinted at in the synthesised brass arrangement from 3'30". "La Marseillaise" also features in the "1812 Overture" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and in the opening of the Beatles' 1967 single All You Need Is Love.
Jacques Hélian
After the liberation of France from Nazi occupation, Jacques Hélian gained huge popularity, replacing Raymond Legrand's fame. His tune "Fleur de Paris" (with lyrics from Maurice Vandair, and music by Henri Bourtayre) became a virtual "hymne of liberation" for France. All music broadcasts would start and end with "Fleur de Paris".
Veillons au salut de l'Empire
Veillons au salut de l'Empire ("Let's ensure the salvation of the Empire") was the unofficial French national anthem under Napoleon.
Vers l'avenir
Vers l'avenir (, "Towards the future"), less commonly known by its Dutch title Naar wijd en zijd, is a Belgian nationalist song which was also the national anthem of the Congo Free State. Upon the annexation of the Congo Free State as a colony of Belgium, this anthem was replaced with "La Brabançonne", the national anthem of Belgium. "Vers l'avenir"'s lyrics were written by Gentil Theodoor Antheunis (1840-1907).
France national football team
The France national football team () represents France in international football and is controlled by the French Football Federation, also known as FFF, or in . The team's colours are blue, white and red, and the "coq gaulois" its symbol. France are colloquially known as "Les Bleus" (The Blues). The French side are the reigning World Cup holders, having won the 2018 FIFA World Cup on 15 July 2018.
Flag of France
The constitutions of 1946 and 1958 instituted the "blue, white, and red" flag as the national emblem of the Republic.
List of historical national anthems
The oldest national anthem defined as "a song, as of praise, devotion, or patriotism" by Dictionary.com is the Polish national anthem "Bogurodzica", "Mother of God". The hymn was created somewhere between the 10th and 13th centuries. Although, it was not the national anthem de jure. The second oldest is the Dutch national anthem "Het Wilhelmus", which was written between 1568 and 1572, but not then given any official status. The first anthem to be officially proclaimed as such was "God Save The Queen", adopted by Great Britain in 1745. "Het Wilhelmus" was declared the national anthem of the Netherlands in 1932; both of these anthems remain in use today. A royal or imperial anthem is a song that is similar in patriotic character to a national anthem, but which specifically praises a monarch, or royal dynasty. Some states have doubled their royal or imperial anthem as their national anthem.
Saint Barthélemy
The French State is represented by a prefect appointed by the president on the advice of the Minister of the Interior. As a collectivity of France, the island's national anthem is "La Marseillaise".
Anna Marly
After the fall of France in 1940 Marly fled to London with her Dutch husband. It was while she was in London that she made contact with the Free French rebels. Emmanuel d'Astier de La Vigerie, a prominent figure in the resistance, heard Marly sing the "Chant des Partisans" in Russian when he visited London in 1943. He asked the writers Joseph Kessel and Maurice Druon, both of whom had travelled with him, to translate the song into French. D'Astier asked for the translation with the intention of using the song as a replacement for "La Marseillaise", which had been banned by the Nazi party. Following this translation, the song quickly established itself as the surrogate anthem of the supporters of the French resistance both in France and Britain. Kessel and Druon, however, took the credit for writing the song; it was not until some years later that she gained the recognition she deserved for writing the original song.
Quand nos Aïeux brisèrent leurs entraves
The "Quand nos Aïeux brisèrent leurs entraves" was originally a poem written by Oswald Durand. In 1893, a visiting German warship set course to the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince to stopover and by protocol that required that a national anthem be performed. At the time, Haiti did not have an anthem, so the composer Occide Jeanty offered to compose music to the patriotic poem and it was completed later that night. It debuted aboard the ship. It remained as an unofficial national anthem until "La Dessalinienne" officially became the national anthem commemorating the 100th year anniversary of the Haitian Revolution on January 1, 1904. The anthem still remains in use as a presidential salute.
Jessye Norman
Also in 1989, Norman was invited to sing the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise," to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution on July 14. Her rendition was delivered at the Place de la Concorde in Paris, in a costume designed by Azzedine Alaïa as part of an elaborate pageant orchestrated by avant-garde designer Jean-Paul Goude. This event was the inspiration that led the South African poet Lawrence Mduduzi Ndlovu to write a poem titled "I Shall Be Heard" dedicated to Jessye Norman. The poem appears in Ndlovu's book of Poems titled "In Quiet Realm" whose foreword is penned by Ms Norman.
Nino Ferrer
In 1975 he started breeding horses in Quercy, France. In 1989, Ferrer obtained French citizenship, which he explained as his "celebration of the bicentenary of the French Revolution." He went on to record the French national anthem, accompanied by a choir.
French hip hop
Specifically, IAM incorporates many African-related themes into its music. Their 1991 song "Les tam-tam de l'Afrique" was one of the first French rap hits to deal explicitly with slavery. This particular track "focused on the plunder of Africa, the abduction of its inhabitants, the Middle Passage, and the plantation system in the Americas." It uses a sample from a Stevie Wonder song called "Past Time Paradise", which, appropriately, touches on race relations and slavery as well. Many other French hip hop artists made similar statements through their music, by collaborating to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in France in 1998. In order to mark the anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Martinique (which is an overseas department of France in the Caribbean), on May 22, Paris's Olympia theater hosted a concert that opened with "drummers chained together" and featured performances from "rappers of African descent such as Doc Gyneco, Stomy Bugsy, Arsenik, and Hamed Daye."
Music of Luxembourg
The national anthem is "Ons Hémécht" ("Our Homeland"), which was written by Jean-Antoine Zinnen (music) and Michel Lentz (lyrics). It has been the national anthem since 1895.
France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016
The French performance featured Amir on stage alone dressed in a suit with a white shirt. The stage colours were predominately blue with purple and white lighting and the LED screens displayed planets and a starry galaxy. The stage was lit up in the colours of the French flag at the conclusion of the performance. Amir was joined by four off-stage backing vocalists: Delphine Elbé, Fred D'Angelo, Ivan Pavlak and Lars Hägglund. France placed sixth in the final, scoring 257 points: 109 points from the televoting and 148 points from the juries.
France in the Eurovision Song Contest
France first won the contest in 1958 with "Dors, mon amour" performed by André Claveau. Three more victories followed in the 1960s, with "Tom Pillibi" performed by Jacqueline Boyer in 1960, "Un Premier Amour" performed by Isabelle Aubret in 1962 and "Un jour, un enfant" performed by Frida Boccara, who won in 1969 in a four-way tie with the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. France's fifth victory came in 1977, when Marie Myriam won with the song "L'oiseau et l'enfant". France have also finished second four times, with Paule Desjardins (1957), Catherine Ferry (1976), Joëlle Ursull (1990) and Amina (1991), who lost out to Sweden's Carola in a tie-break.
National anthem
National anthems rose to prominence in Europe during the 19th century, but some originated much earlier. The presumed oldest national anthem belongs to the Netherlands and is called the "Wilhelmus". It was written between 1568 and 1572 during the Dutch Revolt and its current melody variant was composed shortly before 1626. It was a popular orangist march during the 17th century but it did not become the official Dutch national anthem until 1932.
André Montagard
André Montagard (1888 - February 28, 1963) was a French songwriter and poet. He wrote the lyrics to several songs, including "Maréchal, nous voilà !", one of two national anthems during Vichy France. He published four poetry collections about Provence in the 1950s and 1960s.
Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle
Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle (), sometimes spelled de l'Isle or de Lile (10 May 1760 – 26 June 1836), was a French army officer of the French Revolutionary Wars. He is known for writing the words and music of the "Chant de guerre pour l'armée du Rhin" in 1792, which would later be known as "La Marseillaise" and become the French national anthem.
Fitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Lions Football Club Song was sung to the tune of "La Marseillaise", the French national anthem.
We are the boys from old Fitzroy,
we wear the colours maroon and blue,
we will always fight for victory,
and we'll always see it through,
win or lose, we do or die,
in defeat, we always try,
Fitzroy, Fitzroy,
the club we hold so dear,
premiers, we'll be this year!
France
Among current musical events and institutions in France, many are dedicated to classical music and operas. The most prestigious institutions are the state-owned Paris National Opera (with its two sites Palais Garnier and Opéra Bastille), the Opéra National de Lyon, the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse and the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux. As for music festivals, there are several events organised, the most popular being Eurockéennes (a word play which sounds in French as "European"), Solidays and Rock en Seine. The Fête de la Musique, imitated by many foreign cities, was first launched by the French Government in 1982. Major music halls and venues in France include Le Zénith sites present in many cities and other places in Paris (Paris Olympia, Théâtre Mogador, Élysée Montmartre).
Trafalgar Square
In March 2011, the square was occupied by a crowd protesting against the UK Budget and proposed budget cuts. During the night the situation turned violent as the escalation by riot police and protesters damaged portions of the square. In November 2015 a vigil against the terrorist attacks in Paris was held. Crowds sang the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise", and held banners in support of the city and country.
Axiom (rapper)
Also known as a social activist, he became known for his commitment to various social issues such as equal rights for people, secularism and against police brutality in France.
During the 2005 riots in France, he wrote the song "My letter to the President" composed with a sample of the French anthem "La Marseillaise". The song criticizes the failure of the French political system to address social issues in the French banlieues. He received thousand of letters from supporters worldwide as well as from the French president Jacques Chirac.
Peste Noire
In March 2009, Peste Noire released their third album "Ballade cuntre lo Anemi francor" (i.e. "Ballad against the enemies of France") with a new line-up; drummer A. (from Darvulia) and bass player Ragondin filled the chairs vacated by Neige, Winterhalter and Indria. This album, whose main theme is based on the nostalgia for medieval France manifested through traditional military songs or royal chants with warlike, nationalistic lyrics, is reminiscent in sound of the P.N. demos, but the style has evolved into a mix of black metal and progressive folk, with crust and hard rock rhythms. It also features piano / Hammond organ interludes played by Sainte Audrey-Yolande de la Molteverge, who is also responsible for the female vocals, notably on Peste Noire's interpretation of one of the Action Française's Monarchist anthems, "La France bouge". Unlike the previous two albums which had been captured in the Rosenkrantz studios, "Ballade" was recorded with intentional simplicity and sloppiness by Famine on his own equipment, in order to fit with the general national romantic aesthetics and the production was kept lo-fi and raw. Famine, still living up to his controversial reputation, characterized this unique style as "Boyscout satanism" in a very typically French fashion. Following their tradition of using the works of medieval French authors and poets in their albums, P.N. also adapted the 14th-century French poet, thief and vagabond François Villon's poem "Ballade contre les ennemis de la France" into a black metal version, entitled "Ballade cuntre les anemis de la France", as well as 19th century fin de siècle poet Paul Verlaine's piece "Soleils Couchants" - both these poets' roguish, low-life aesthetic being perfectly suited for Famine’s purposes.
History of Provence
Though most of Provence, with the exception of Marseille, Aix and Avignon, was rural, conservative and largely royalist, it did produce some memorable figures in the French Revolution:
Provence also produced the most memorable song of the period, La Marseillaise. The song was originally written by a citizen of Strasbourg, Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792. It was originally a war song for the revolutionary Army of the Rhine. It became famous when sung on the streets of Paris by the volunteers from Marseille, who had heard it in Marseille sung by a young volunteer from Montpellier named François Mireur. It became the most popular song of the French Revolution and in 1879 became the national anthem of France.
Anthems and nationalistic songs of Canada
"The Maple Leaf Forever" is an older but unofficial national anthem written by Alexander Muir in 1867. It was in consideration for official national anthem; however, as no French version was ever written, it was never popular with Francophones.
Antoine Predock
Antoine Predock was born on June 24, 1936 in Lebanon, Missouri; although, if you ask him he'll tell you that he is from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Predock was raised by an engineer and a liberal arts major. One of which read him poetry before bed and taught him “La Marseillaise,” the French national anthem; the other who guided Predock's interests to be those of a pragmatic engineer.
World music
France
Lesley Garrett
She also sang the British national anthem on the Champs-Élysées in Paris in 2012 after Bradley Wiggins became the first Briton to win the Tour de France, though her performance was not universally appreciated.
Flag of France
The flag of France () is a tricolour flag featuring three vertical bands coloured blue (hoist side), white, and red. It is known to English speakers as the French Tricolour or simply the Tricolour (). The Tricolour has become one of the most influential flags in history, with its three-colour scheme being copied by many other nations, both in Europe and the rest of the world.
First Congress on the French Language in Canada
The room was decorated with the flags of Great Britain, Canada, Quebec, France, the United States, and also the Carillon Sacré-Cœur. The musicians played God Save the Queen, the national anthem of both Great Britain and the Dominion of Canada, Ô Canada, then the national anthem of French Canadians, as well as other patriotic or traditional airs such as "Vive la Canadienne", "À la claire fontaine", "Ô Canada! mon pays, mes amours", etc.
Tomber la chemise
In France, the song went straight to #11 on 12 June 1999. It entered the top ten the next week and stayed in it for 20 weeks, three of them atop. Thereafter, it kept dropping and fell off the top 100 after 30 weeks. It achieved Diamond status awarded by the French provider, SNEP. The song is currently the 145th best-selling single of all time in France. In addition to being a commercial success, the song went on to be named the best French song of 2000 at both the Victoires de la musique awards and the NRJ Music Awards. 
In Belgium (Wallonia), "Tomber la chemise" remained on the Ultratop 40 for 19 weeks. It started at #22 on 7 August 1999, climbed quickly and finally peaked at #3 in its seventh week. It totaled ten weeks in the top ten.
Anthem
The United Kingdom's national anthem is "God Save the Queen" but its constituent countries and Crown Dependencies also have their own regional anthems which have varying degrees of official recognition. England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, as well as Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, each has a number of regional anthems which are played at occasions such as sports matches and official events. The song usually used as a regional anthem for England is "God Save the Queen", though sometimes "Jerusalem", "I Vow To Thee, My Country" and "Land of Hope and Glory" may be played instead. Scotland has adopted "Flower of Scotland" as its unofficial "national" anthem, while Wales has sung "Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" since 1856 when it was written by father and son Evan and James James; the translation and music were adopted by Brittany as its "national" anthem. Hen Wlad fy Nhadau was sometimes accompanied by the hymn, "Guide Me, O thou Great Redeemer", especially at rugby matches. Northern Ireland has used "God Save the Queen" though "Londonderry Air" is also used.
L'Amour à la française
It is a love song, using Franglais, a mixture of French and English, and according to the songwriters meant to combine French romance and punk for beginners. The lyric is a lighthearted dig at the most common stereotypes and misconceptions of France, the French people, the French language, French culture and in general all things French, with references to ""the Eiffel Tower", "Chanel handbags", "the Seine", "Les Champs-Elysées", "Le Moulin Rouge"" - but in equal measures an ironic dig at the English-speaking world's general inability to pronounce French properly, hence the thick Franglais accent.
Jean Lassalle
On 3 June 2003 Lassalle stood up in the National Assembly during questions to Minister of the Interior Nicolas Sarkozy and sang the Occitan anthem "Se Canta" in protest at an announcement by Sarkozy concerning the housing of 23 gendarmes tasked with guarding the Somport tunnel, which links France with Spain through the Pyrenees. The village closest to the French end of the tunnel is Urdos, but it was announced that the gendarmes would be housed in the nearby town of Oloron-Sainte-Marie, on the grounds that their wives would become bored in Urdos.
Vocative case
Like English, French sometimes uses (or historically used) a particle "Ô" to mark vocative phrases rather than by change to the form of the noun. A famous example is the title and first line of the Canadian national anthem, "O Canada" (French title: "Ô Canada"), a vocative phrase addressing Canada.
Partant pour la Syrie
The song was popular during the remainder of the First Empire, with Hortense in her exile at Arenenberg, and with the Bonapartists during the Bourbon Restoration. During the Second Empire "Partant pour la Syrie" was the unofficial national anthem, while "La Marseillaise" was forbidden but for the very end. With the collapse of Napoleon III’s rule, the popularity of the song waned. The song was played to the Emperor Napoleon III as he departed from Schloss Wilhelmshöhe to his exile in England in 1871. It remains part of the repertoire of French military music.
Paris Eternal
On November 8, 2018, the Eternal brand was officially unveiled. The team name alludes to the eternal flame that has burned under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris since 1921. The logo depicts an infinity symbol inscribed within the Gallic rooster, France's national symbol. The team's colors, blue, red, and white, reflect that of the French flag.
Raymond Delisle
At the finish, the television commentator, Léon Zitrone, asked Delisle: "How are you, Rouget?" Delisle laughed and answered: "Yes, I am in Rouget de Lisle's will and I get royalties every time they play the Marseillaise. Delisle had won as national champion on 14 July and Zitrone had punned by referring to him not as Raymond but Rouget, Rouget de Lisle being the composer of the "Marseillaise", the national anthem.
French Revolution
The song is the first example of the "European march" anthemic style. The anthem's evocative melody and lyrics have led to its widespread use as a song of revolution and its incorporation into many pieces of classical and popular music. Cerulo says, "the design of "La Marseillaise" is credited to General Strasburg of France, who is said to have directed de Lisle, the composer of the anthem, to 'produce one of those hymns which conveys to the soul of the people the enthusiasm which it (the music) suggests.'"
Alma (French singer)
On April 10, 2015, Alma signed a contract with Warner Music France. During 2015 and 2016 the collaboration with Nazim Khaled continued which led to the single "La Chute Est Lente", released on June 10, 2016, and the song "Ivre". She performed as pre-artist to Amir Haddad during autumn and winter 2016-2017: Maulaunay September 17, Arnouville October 18, La Cigale Paris November 17, Rock School Barbey December 6, Nice February 4 and Samer February 14. Around December 10, 2016, she was informed by Edoardo Grassi, since September 2015 the head of the French delegation at Eurovision, that the song "Requiem" had been selected as the French entry for Eurovision Song Contest 2017.
Ma Nouvelle-France
"Ma Nouvelle-France" (meaning "My New France") is a theme song from the French-Canadian film "Battle of the Brave (Nouvelle-France)", performed by Celine Dion. It was released as a promotional single on 1 November 2004, in Canada. "Ma Nouvelle-France" was written by Dion's longtime collaborator Luc Plamondon and produced by Christopher Neil ("Think Twice," "Where Does My Heart Beat Now"). Patrick Doyle composed the music.
Stade Français
His successful radio station NRJ (he helped develop it when he joined it in 1982, a year after it was founded) was a generous sponsor too. His contacts in show business allowed him to bring superstars Madonna and Naomi Campbell to some games, making them the official club's "godmothers". The club's official anthem was Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive", long before France used it as theirs in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
The Chance of a Lunchtime
Later, back at Nelson Mandela House, Del promises to help Raquel rehearse. Just then, Rodney is about to open the front door when Del urges him to ring the doorbell. Rodney does so, and the "Star-Spangled Banner" (which Del refers to as the French National Anthem by saying "Viva France") plays, because Del has just installed his latest item to flog: the Anthachime, a doorbell that plays 36 different national anthems. Del then tells Rodney the same thing he told Cassandra: meeting up at the restaurant in Wapping Way at 7:30pm. Rodney also agrees to the date and time.
Orchestre National de France
The Orchestre national de France (ONF; literal translation, National Orchestra of France) is a French symphony orchestra based in Paris, founded in 1934. Placed under the administration of the French national radio (named Radio France since 1975), the ONF performs mainly in the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées from where all its concerts are broadcast. Some concerts are also held in the "Salle Olivier Messiaen" in the Maison de Radio France (formerly known as Maison de la Radio).
Eugène Edine Pottier
Pottier was elected a member of the Paris municipal council - the Paris Commune, in March 1871. Following the Commune's defeat, in June 1871 he wrote the poem "L'Internationale", which became the International Workingmen's Association anthem during its last years (1871–1876), and has been used by most socialist and leftist political internationals since. The "Encyclopedia of Mass Persuasion" deems the anthem "one of the best-known propaganda songs since "La Marseillaise"". After writing the poem, Pottier went into exile but later returned to France, dying penniless.
Aux armes et cætera (album)
The title track is a reggae adaptation of "La Marseillaise", the French national anthem. Soon after the song's first appearance on television on April 1, 1979 (a controversial appearance followed as the recording was perceived by some as an insult to the French Republic), it became a big success. Gainsbourg received death threats upon release of his cover of the French national anthem. One journalist, Michel Droit of Le Figaro criticized the song writing that Gainsbourg was feeding antisemitism by ""trying to make money with the national anthem"". Deeply hurt, in turn the singer published a striking reply. Other critics did not like that the original text was truncated, half of the chorus line (including the most military-oriented section of the song) being edited out.
History of Marseille
The local population enthusiastically embraced the French Revolution and sent 500 volunteers to Paris in 1792 to defend the revolutionary government; their rallying call to revolution, sung on their march from Marseille to Paris, became known as "La Marseillaise", now the national anthem of France.
Amies-ennemies
"Amies-ennemies" is a song recorded by the French R&B singer Nâdiya. It was released as the third single from her third studio album, "Nâdiya", on October 30, 2006. The song is harmonically based on the second theme of Frédéric Chopin's Waltz Op. 64, No. 2. It was a top five hit in France and Belgium (Wallonia).
Les corons
"Les Corons" is a famous French song by Pierre Bachelet and was written by Jean-Pierre Lang and music composed by Bachelet himself. "Les corons" is a regional hymn for the Northern miners of France. The iconic song describes the pride of France's miners, their life and struggle and their feasts, also integrating the music and folklore of the region. The single was released in 1982 on the Polydor record label. It was also included in the self-titled album "Pierre Bachelet".
French nationalism
The symbols of nationalism included not only Joan of Arc, but also Roland, the hero of "The Song of Roland" ("La chanson de Roland"). He died in combat against the Unfaithful while defending Charlemagne and his men, making him a suitable patriotic symbol for the modern age.
Rosgvardia Academic Song and Dance Ensemble
The young French tenor Vincent Niclo wanted to record an album of great opera arias. He sent some songs to the Red Army Choir MVD, and General Eliseev was interested. The Choir of the Red Army then invited Niclo on their French tour in March 2012 in which he sang two songs from the album "Ameno" and the French anthem, the "Marseillaise".
History of Marseille
Marseille lost a significant portion of its population during the Great Plague of Marseille in 1720, but the population recovered by mid century. In 1792 the city became a focal point of the French Revolution and was the birthplace of France's national anthem, "La Marseillaise". The Industrial Revolution and establishment of the French Empire during the 19th century allowed for further expansion of the city, although it was captured and heavily damaged by Nazi Germany during World War II. The city has since become a major center for immigrant communities from former French colonies, such as French Algeria.
Christian Karembeu
The great-grandfather of Karembeu, who came from New Caledonia, was one of a hundred Kanaks taken to Paris in 1931 for the Paris Colonial Exposition and exhibited there as "cannibals". Later the "cannibals" were swapped with Germany for some crocodiles. Karembeu refuses to sing France's national anthem, La Marseillaise, due to the colonial past of the country.
La Cour des Grands (Do You Mind If I Play)
La Cour des Grands is a song by Youssou N'Dour and Axelle Red that was chosen as the official anthem for 1998 FIFA World Cup held in France.
Chant du départ
The "Chant du Départ" (French for "Song of the Departure") is a revolutionary and war song written by Étienne Nicolas Méhul (music) and Marie-Joseph Chénier (words) in 1794. It was the official anthem of the First Empire. It is also the regional anthem of French Guiana.
Skylab &amp; Tragtenberg, Vol. 1
As its title implies, the track "Hino do Fluminense Football Club" is a cover of the anthem of the eponymous soccer team; Skylab is a die-hard fan of it. "Hino Francês" is sung to the tune of the national anthem of France, "La Marseillaise".
La Marseillaise (disambiguation)
La Marseillaise is the name of the national anthem of France.
Mondegreen
A classic example in French is similar to the "Lady Mondegreen" anecdote: in his 1962 collection of children's quotes "La Foire aux cancres", the humorist Jean-Charles refers to a misunderstood lyric of "La Marseillaise" (the French national anthem): "Entendez-vous ... mugir ces féroces soldats" (Do you hear those savage soldiers roar?) is heard as "...Séféro, ce soldat" (that soldier Séféro).
O Canada
"O Canada" () is the national anthem of Canada. The song was originally commissioned by Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Théodore Robitaille for the 1880 Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony; Calixa Lavallée composed the music, after which, words were written by the poet and judge Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier. The original lyrics were in French; an English translation was published in 1906. Multiple English versions ensued, with Robert Stanley Weir's version in 1908 gaining the most popularity, eventually serving as the basis for the official lyrics enacted by Parliament. Weir's lyrics have been revised three times, most recently when "An Act to amend the National Anthem Act (gender)" was enacted in 2018. The French lyrics remain unaltered. "O Canada" had served as a "de facto" national anthem since 1939, officially becoming the country's national anthem in 1980 when Canada's National Anthem Act received royal assent and became effective on July 1 as part of that year's Dominion Day (now known as Canada Day) celebrations.
National anthem of Mauritania (1960–2017)
The "National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania" was Mauritania's former national anthem between 1960 and 2017. Its lyrics are taken from a poem written in the late 18th century by Baba Ould Cheikh. The melody was arranged by Tolia Nikiprowetzky. The anthem was adopted upon independence from France in 1960. The unusual and highly complex rhythm of it makes it extremely difficult to sing; for this reason it is often erroneously listed as wordless. The anthem was replaced by the current national anthem on 16 November 2017, after the Mauritanian constitutional referendum of 2017.