I always get goosebumps during national anthems. There’s something very stirring when voices of the proud rise together — not in perfect harmony, but in a moment of shared belonging, of identity, of belief.
The moment that touched me most hearing the French national anthem — the one I’ll never forget — happened in the Camargue. I was on a jeep tour, bouncing across the uneven, grassy fields to see the region’s famous black bulls. Out of nowhere, our driver — a rugged, Camarguais — broke into song. It was La Marseillaise.
He sang it with pride– his voice strong and steady. Just one man, in the wide-open spaces, and the anthem of his homeland. In that moment, I could feel the soul of France.
An Anthem Born of Revolution
La Marseillaise is more than a patriotic song — it’s a living symbol of France. It tells the story of a people who fought for liberty, who stood up to tyranny, and who still take pride in their identity today.
It was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, a French army captain stationed in Strasbourg. France had just declared war on Austria, and the revolution was in full swing. With foreign armies threatening the borders and civil unrest at home, de Lisle was asked to write a marching song for French troops heading into battle.
He called it “Chant de guerre pour l’Armée du Rhin” — War Song for the Army of the Rhine. Soon it was on every revolutionary’s lips. It wasn’t long before volunteer soldiers from Marseille adopted the song as their marching anthem. They paraded into Paris singing it, and their passion gave it a new name: La Marseillaise.
Fierce Lyrics, Fierce Pride
By 1795, La Marseillaise was declared the national anthem. Its words are fiery — even shocking — with lines like “Let an impure blood water our furrows.” But those lyrics reflect the times. This wasn’t peacetime patriotism. It was a fight for survival, for freedom from monarchy and oppression.
Some today find the lyrics too violent or outdated. There have even been debates about rewriting or softening them. But for most French people, La Marseillaise is part of their shared history, not meant to be pretty, but to be real.
More Than a Melody
France has shifted shapes more than once — from monarchy to republic to empire and back again. And each time the government changed, La Marseillaise went with it. It was banned under Napoleon, revived in 1830, dropped again, and finally brought back for good in 1879.
That tug-of-war through history gives the anthem a weight that few others carry. La Marseillaise isn’t just a patriotic song — it’s the sound of a nation fighting for liberty, equality, and fraternity.
The lyrics are bold, even jarring. Some people think they’re too violent. That line — “Let an impure blood water our furrows” — is not exactly easy to hear. But it wasn’t meant to be easy. It’s a song of resistance, unity, and sacrifice. Not because war is glorious, but because freedom has a cost.
Unlike many anthems that sound ceremonial or poetic, La Marseillaise is a battle cry. Compared to The Star-Spangled Banner, which was also written in wartime, the American anthem tells the story of a flag that survived the night. La Marseillaise is more personal — more urgent. It’s a rallying cry for citizens to stand up and fight for their future.
A Living Symbol of France
More than two centuries later, La Marseillaise remains one of the most stirring and recognizable anthems in the world. You might hear it at a football match, a Bastille Day parade, or sung spontaneously in the countryside — like I did in the Camargue.
For me, La Marseillaise is a reminder of the fierce love the French have for their ideals. It’s the soul of the Republic. You don’t have to be born in France to feel it. I wasn’t. But now, when I hear that familiar opening — “Allons enfants de la Patrie…” — I stop and listen. Because in those few minutes, you can hear the heartbeat of a nation.
And on July 14 — La Fête Nationale— there’s no better time to listen.
Sing-Along
French
Allons enfants de la Patrie,
Le jour de gloire est arrivé!
Contre nous de la tyrannie,
L’étendard sanglant est levé, (bis)
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes
Mugir ces féroces soldats?
Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras
Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes!
Aux armes, citoyens,
Formez vos bataillons,
Marchons, marchons!
Qu’un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons!
English
Arise, children of the Fatherland,
The day of glory has arrived!
Against us, tyranny’s
Bloody standard is raised, (repeat)
Do you hear, in the countryside,
The roar of those ferocious soldiers?
They’re coming right into your arms
To cut the throats of your sons, your women!
To arms, citizens,
Form your battalions,
Let’s march, let’s march!
Let an impure blood
Water our furrows!
2 Responses
An inspired piece of prose. Thanks!
A great and well-timed article!