So far I’m aware of two:
- Stad i Ljus in Sweden.
- Le Connemara in France.
Other possibilities:
- I hear Me Voy works that way in Spain, and it certainly has that kind of vibe, but I can’t confirm from experience.
So far I’m aware of two:
Other possibilities:
Comments
There are a few, but arguably the most famous one would be “Schifoan” by Wolfgang Ambros.
I would say Homem do Leme and A Minha Casinha by the band Xutos & Pontapés.
Not common at all anymore, but in Ireland it used to be the national anthem.
Perhaps sounds scarily right-wing, but I don’t think that was ever the intention. I think it came about at “dances” long ago, not long after independence, so it was more a thing connected to patriotism rather than nationalism. I’m too young to have been going out then, but I think it began to die off in the 1990s, urban before rural. Maybe someone else can correct me. In any case, I only ever heard it myself once as a teenager in the 2000s.
As I say, it’s no longer common, but people still know what it means. A musician friend of mine went working at an Irish pub in the Canaries one summer. The pub had recently been bought by an English couple. One night, my friend was playing away her set, the night was going on and on, no end in sight.
Next thing the English couple comes up to her begging her for help, saying they’ve tried asking people to go, tried to stop serving drinks, but were having no luck. Maybe she could help get the message across the fairly narrow cultural gap, but seemingly a gap nonetheless. She plays the national anthem. The crowd sings along happily, then swigs back the last of their drinks and packs up and leaves. Message received. The English couple were simply stunned.
The Fields of Athenry would likely be the most common nationally.
If you are at a funeral/wake then “The Parting Glass”
But most counties and cities would have a ballad specific to the area that almost everyone knows.
In fact if you Google “Irish Place name & song” you’ll get a hit for most counties, cities, towns, villages, etc.
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In the French-speaking part of Belgium it also is Le Connemara. As the movie Better Man came out, I heard a lot of British people say that Angel by Robbie Williams was that kind of song for the UK.
There are couple that could be this, even though they’re are a bit cringe sometimes, not big or epic.. but it’s what could be sung together
André Hazes – Bloed, zweet en tranen
Many more by the same guy above, ie De Vlieger, Kleine Jongen etc etc
André Hazes jr. – Leef
Fluitsma & Van Tijn – 15 miljoen mensen
Boudewijn de Groot – Avond
Some local ones:
Groningen: Ede Staal – Het het nog nooit zo donker west
Fryslân: Gurbe Douwstra – Cliffs of Moher
In Iceland it would probably be “Ég er kominn heim”.
In Italy we don’t have a cheesy song, but at some concerts you can hear people belting out something similar to a football chant “Se non metti l’ultima noi non ce ne andiamo” (If you don’t play another song, we’re not leaving the venue)
Found an example
For Germany Gute Nacht, Freunde
There is also a french and a dutch version.
Translation (deepl):
Good night friends
It’s time for me to go
What I have left to say
One last cigarette
And one last glass standing up
Thank you for the day, for the night under your roof
For the place at your table, for every glass I drank
For the plate you put in front of me
As if nothing in the world was more natural
Good night friends
It’s time for me to go
What I have left to say
One last cigarette
And one last glass standing up
Thank you for the time I spent with you, I spent chatting with you
And for your patience when there was more than one opinion
For never asking when I’m coming or going
For the door that’s always open where I’m standing now
Good night friends
It’s time for me to go
What I still have to say
It takes a cigarette
And one last glass standing up
For the freedom that lives with you as a constant guest
Thank you for never asking what it’s worth
Maybe it’s because people outside think
That the light shines warmer in your windows
I’m not sure for Denmark, but a couple of contenders might be Stupid Man by Thomas Helmig, possibly Øde Ø (Lonely Island) by Rasmus Seebach. They’re certainly very well known!
I can’t think of only one that is the song. Danes love to sing along and know loads of songs by heart.
If for the cheesy, around-the-fire song, then “Kvinde min” (My woman).
Loch Lomond for Scotland. Probably Fields of Athenry for Northern Ireland but might just be the crowd i met. Not sure what it is for the rest of the UK and my friends that went to uni in England mentioned said they don’t really have one sole common one.
In Germany, at least at every Volksfest, club or party I’ve ever been, it’s always been “Angels” by Robbie Williams.
It used to be more popular I think, but I remember parties, weddings, school dances that ended with Elektryczne Gitary’s To już jest koniec. The chorus literally says “This is the end, there’s nothing here anymore. We’re free, we can go now”