It’s true! Spain’s national anthem, La Marcha Real, leaves everyone speechless—because it has no words. Spain’s parliament is now being asked to consider a possible new lyric for it, so that Spaniards will no longer have to just hum.
It hasn’t always been a wordless anthem. The Royal March, to give its English name, most recently used a poem by fascist poet Jose Maria Peman, but those were dropped as soon as Franco died.
In 2008, Spain’s Olympic Committee picked lyrics in a contest with 7000 entries, but came up with instant criticism because of the nationalist tone of the lyrics, and especially because it started with ‘Viva España,’ a rallying cry also associated with the Franco regime.
The current candidate is careful to avoid that trap, putting emphasis on geographic themes and peace and cooperation (“Water and earth border my frontiers under a blue sky that I want to share”, “Sun and moon, witnesses to the desire to live in peace without fear of failing,” “Hand in hand I want to respect your way of feeling, speaking and thinking.”)
However, while the words have been submitted to parliament’s public petitions committee, there’s no guarantee this one will fly either. Especially in a Spain where at least two major areas, Catalonia and the Basque country, are thinking seriously about not being Spanish at all.
