TuesdayJanuary152008

Spain Chooses Lyrics Other Than "¡Olé! ¡Olé Olé Olé!" For National Anthem, Everyone Gets Pissed Off

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Gueth what, you guyth! After years and years of awkward humming, the Spanish anthem finally has lyrics. And, in typical Spanish fashion, they’ve been met with complaints, hatred and ire:

For decades Spain’s athletes have stood awkwardly on awards podiums, forced to hum their wordless anthem while winners from elsewhere sang their paeans to national glory. In October, the Spanish Olympic committee, seeking to bring an end to their suffering, launched a competition to put words to the Marcha Real, Spain’s official tune since the 18th century.
When the contest opened, doubts ran high that a country with so many distinct — and antagonistic — political identities would be able to settle on a single set of lyrics. But ever since the winning words were leaked to the Spanish newspaper ABC on Friday, politicians across the political spectrum have shown surprising agreement in their reception of the proposed lyrics: they hate them.
Socialist Carmen Calvó, a former minister of culture, was blunt: “I don’t like them at all. They’re antiquated.” United Left leader Gaspar Llamazares, objecting in particular to the Franco-esque ring of that “Viva España!,” called them “stale.” Artur Mas, leader of the Catalan party Convergence I Unio, sniped, “With words like this, I don’t think you’ll see me singing it much.” Even the conservative Popular Party, which has made the addition of anthem lyrics part of its campaign platform, could manage only a tepid response. “They don’t seem bad to me,” said PP congressional leader Jorge Fernández Díaz.

¡Hostia! ¡Cago en el copón bendito! The Spanish are systematically terrible.

Spain Unstirred By New Anthem [Time]

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