Flags in music

Music about flags

Last modified: 2025-07-19 by rob raeside
Keywords: music | song |
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• Songs about specific flags:
  • European Union:
    • Circling Stars
  • France:
    • Le Vieux Drapeau
    • Alsace:
      • Das Elsässische Fahnenlied
  • South Africa:
    • 1928-1994:
      • (several songs)
  • Spain:
    • La Banderita
  • (Flags in official anthems)
• Songs about several flags:
  • Flags shown in Madonna’s American Life video

See also:

• Flags used by Musicians
• FOTW Vexillological Reference
• FOTW Topical Index

Le Vieux Drapeau

Pierre-Jean de Béranger (1780-1857) was a French poet and chansonnier. He worked initially as a typographer and was later involved in the bankrupcy of his family’s bank. In 1809, he was hired by the University as a copyist. His anti-governmental poems and songs caused his dismissal in 1821. However, his works, of popular, liberal and patriotic inspiration, became rapidly famous. Renowned writers, such as Stendhal and Merimée considered him as the greatest poet of the XIXth century. Châteaubriand, Hugo and Dumas honoured him. Béranger refused titles and dignities, including a membership in the French Academy. In 1848, he was elected Deputee in Paris without having been candidate and resigned. This caused a great disappointment among his supporters and the “modern” writers, such as Baudelaire and Flaubert denounced his literary opportunism. Béranger was rediscovered by the French nationalists in the beginning of the XXth century.

A main inspiration source for Béranger’s poems was the Napoleonic epic. In 1820, he wrote a song called Le Vieux Drapeau (The Old Flag). The song can be found in Béranger’s Complete Works, published in 1850 by the Librairie Encyclopédique de Périchon in Brussels. I use here the online version (with a few typos corrected) from a Napoleonic website.

The song is made of six stanzas of eight octosyllabs each. In fact, each stanza is made of two independent quatrains, each with “embraced” rhymes, that is an "abba" rhyme scheme. The last two octosyllabs are common to the first five stanza and come back like a rant:

Quand secouerai-je la poussière
Qui ternit tes nobles couleurs?

Oui je secoueria la poussière
Qui ternit tes nobles couleurs

The poem is full of hints which would have been clearly understood by a reader in 1820. It is a rant by an old veteran of the Napoleonic wars, who kept a [Tricolor] flag in his poor house and regrets the glorious Napoleonic times. He calls several symbols of the Revolution and the Empire, such as the eagle, the Liberty, the Victory, the Gauls’ roaster, which were more or less banned during the Restoration. The «noble colours» are associated with the men of common birth who made the Napoleonic glory, The Bourbons are presented as the “oppressors” and the «dust which tarnished the noble colours» can also be associated to them. As said above, the end of the poem is a call to “counter-restoration” and reestablishment of the Tricolor flag.

The violence hidden in the poem and its popularity shows once again how clueless the Bourbons were when they suppressed the Tricolore flag. Initially considered as an insurgent’s flag, the Tricolore had progressively gained more respectability, especially via the Napoleonic epic, and was widely accepted. Having spent all that time in exile preparing their return and revenge, the Bourbons could not have understood the political and social changes which had taken place in France from 1789 to 1814.

Ivan Sache, 7 June 2003

Le Vieux Drapeau

quoted and translated by Ivan Sache, 07 Jun 2003

Das Elsässische Fahnenlied

Here is the text of the Alsatian flag song, written by Emil Woerth in 1911. Note that the text is written in German. Although Alsatian and German are different languages, the written form of Alsatian is German. Source of the original text (music also available) at Elsassnet.
Ivan Sache, 21 Jun 2003

		1. Sei gegrüsst, du unsres Landes Zeichen Elsass Fahne flatternd froh im Wind Deine Farben, lieblich ohnen Gleichen Leuchten stets, wo wir versammelt sind Ref: Weiss un rot, Die Fahne sehen wir schweben Bis zum Tod, Sind treu wir ihr ergeben (bis) 2. Echt und recht, wie unsre Väter waren Wollen wir in Tat und Worten sein Unsre Art, wir wollen sie bewahren Auch in Zukunft makellos und rein 3. Und ob Glück, ob Leid das Zeitgetriebe Jemals bringe unserm Elsassland Immer stehn wir in unentwegter Liebe Freudig wir zu ihm mit Herz und Hand 4. Lasst uns drum auf unsre Fahne schwören Brüder ihr vom Wasgau bis zum Rhein Niemals soll uns im fremder Hand betören Treu dem Elsass wollen stets wir sein		1. Be saluted, you, the emblem of our country, The Alsatian flag joyously flying in the wind. Your colours, graciously peerless, Shall shine for ever where we get together. Chorus: White and red, We shall see the flag flying, Until death, We shall be faithfully devoted to him. (twice) 2. Genuine and right, like our fathers, That is how we want to be in our acts and talks We want to preserve our manners Also in the future, unblemished and pure. 3. And if time brings either luck or misfortune To our Alsatian land, We shall keep love for ever To it with heart and hand. 4. Let us therefore swear on our flag, Brothers from Wasgau to the Rhine We shall never be placed in foreign hands We want to remain faithful to Alsace forever.

quoted and translated by Ivan Sache, 21 Jun 2003