Americana: “God Save the Queen” Video

Written by bnbrainer on 28 May 2012

GodSaveTheQueen

and no, it’s not the Sex Pistols…

May 25th ’12 by amrit @ 12:32pm2012/05/25

If you’re expecting a Sex Pistols cover here, you haven’t seen Neil Young & Crazy Horse’s (excellent) “Oh Susannah” video, or heard much of anything about the conceit behind the outfit’s first album together in almost a decade: Called Americana, this LP sees Neil and Horses taking on standards from the great American folk songbook.

So this “God Save The Queen” is the original “God Save The Queen,” the one that served as the American national anthem before Francis Scott Key watched canons blaring across a harbor and set it to tune. (Also, the politics of this rendition are wonderfully scattershot, in that we have a Canadian singing a British tune for an album called Americana.)

The footage here is of Queen Elizabeth, promenading presumably on her Silver Jubilee, which is nice timing because next month the UK will party it up for her Diamond Jubilee, celebrating 60 years on the throne. (This makes her the second-longest running monarch, following only her great-grandmother Victoria who hung out on the chair for 63 years.

Facts here: http://www.thestar.com/travel/europe/article/1185183–queen-s-diamond-jubilee-where-to-celebrate-in-the-uk ) This is also nice timing because Neil’s album comes out next month, too — on June 5th — so feel free to enjoy it as a promotional asset for either of those June-rooted events. Vid’s here: