Word for word

News that the Singer Christina Aguilera fluffed her lines while singing the American National Anthem in front of 100 mililon people caused me little surprise until I found out that she is, in fact, American. I should have thought she would have known it pretty well. Don't they have to sing it in school?

Then I reflected that I have never yet met an Italian who knew the words to his own anthem, l'Inno Mameli, nor could keep with the extraordinarily uncatchy tune.

And how many Britons have ever heard this verse from ours, which, by the way, is seven verses long:

In love's endearments fond,
In wedlock's holy bond,
Blest be our Queen.
In her blest progeny,
We future Monarchs see,
Of England bold and free,
God save the Queen!

Apologies to the good folk of Scotland, Wales and N.Ireland, but it just says 'England'. And speaking of progeny, I shall have words to say about Prince Charles, fra poco.