So long as we still live
What foreign force has taken from us
We’ll retrieve at saber’s point”
-Polish National Anthem
LAW has welcomed everyone from all over the world, including me, from the USA to Luxembourg, just about every country is represented here, including my homeland of Poland. This is truly an international company if there ever was one. While watching old clips from various World Cups throughout history, I began to notice something: Every nation has some sort of song that represents them, called a national anthem, even organizations have anthems, including the EU and UN. Then, I got a thought:
Why shouldn’t LAW have an anthem?
After all, it is a very international organization, from Asia to the Americas and back again. Then, I began to ponder what LAW’s anthem should even sound like, I feel like there are many options, so, since I had the idea, I would take up the mantle and write (or at least attempt to write) LAW’s anthem, if only for a fun project.
First thing that stood in the way was a melody, as I have zero experience with music, I determined that I would use a melody already written, and just place new lyrics over any existing ones. I first looked to my own anthem “Poland Has Not Yet Perished” whose lyrics you see above, but, soon realized that, outside of Poland, the tune had no real pull (save for the short lived Republic of Yugoslavia) so, I decided that was out.
I then looked at Japan’s anthem “Kimi Ga Yo” Listening to it, it sounds very reverent, and yet very powerful. Then I took a gander at the lyrics:
May thy peaceful reign last long!
May it last for thousands of years,
Until this tiny stone
Will grow into a massive rock
And the moss will cover it all deep and thick.
Obviously, this has to do with the emperor, however, since WWII, Japan has disassociated the anthem with the emperor, and basically said that the lyrics (which are from the 10th century, making this the oldest anthem in terms of lyrics) basically are meaningless. Plus, since we are centralized in Japan, it might be confusing to the audience to stand for their anthem twice.
So, I looked into a more…bombastic tune, and the first one that came to mind was France’s “La Marseillaise” probably the most recognized melody in terms of anthemry (That’s a word, isn’t it?) Even the lyrics had a fighting spirit about them, which is what I want in LAW’s anthem. Consider:
Arise children of the fatherland
The day of glory has arrived
Against us stands tyranny’s
Their Bloody standard is raised
Their bloody standard is raised
Listen to the sound in the fields
The howling of these fearsome soldiers
They are coming into our midst
To cut the throats of your sons, your wives!
To arms citizens
Form your battalions
March on, march on
Let impure blood
Water our furrows
I was just about to use this melody, than I ran into the same problem with Japan’s: We have a sizable French influence here at LAW, and it might be awkward for them to stand for their anthem, that is and isn’t their anthem at the same time…
So, country’s anthems were out. So I looked to classical melodies, and the first that came to mind was “Ode To Joy” by Beethoven. I was soon shut down by the fact that EU uses it as their de-facto anthem, plus, apparently it was also the anthem of Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, and it has rather…unfortunate connotations.
I was just about to give up, until something came that I didn’t even consider: Alma maters. For those who don’t know, it is a tradition in a lot of schools to have a song of praise to their school. And, wouldn’t you know it, there is one tune that many schools all over the world share, “Annie Lisle” made famous by Cornell University’s “Far above Cayuga’s Waters” So, I officially decided that would be the tune. Fortunately, this was the hard part, lyrics came naturally. So, will everyone rise in respect for LAW’s Anthem:
Melody
Canvas blue and white
Stands with honor, a wrestling ring
Brimming full of fight
CHORUS:
Sing the glory, sing the honor
of our League so true
Here we fight for pride and glory
Of L.A.W*
Hear our sons and hear our daughters
Sing the stories past
Songs of battle and songs of vic’try
A song loud and vast
CHORUS
As we look across the canvas
Eyes in Passion’s fire
Remember, we fight with honor
And not with classless ire
CHORUS
From around the world we gather
Dreams of earned valor
Should dishonor’s threat comes near thee
Never shall we falter!
CHORUS
*Meant to be spelled out, with emphasis on W (double u)
This is not intended to be used on a formal basis, though if DeFranco desires to adopt it, just give credit where it is due. This was mostly a fun project made in an idle hour. May you all be proud of what you have accomplished here.
-Elma “The Last Hussar” Jankowski
