June 15th 2024.
Spain's national anthem is quite unique for one particular reason. This is because the Spanish football team has a history of performing well in major international tournaments. As a result, their anthem has been played countless times before games on the grand stage over the years. However, many have noticed that unlike other teams at Euro 2024, the players of Spain do not sing along during the rendition. This may seem odd, but the reason for this is actually quite simple - the anthem has no official lyrics.
But why is this the case? How did Spain's anthem end up without any words? Well, it all started in 1761 when composer Manuel de Espinosa de los Monteros created a military march for the Spanish infantry, which later became known as 'La Marcha Real'. It was adopted as a state anthem in 1770 and eventually became the official national anthem during the reign of Queen Isabella II between 1833-1868. However, it wasn't until the 20th century, during the rule of General Franco, that words were added to the anthem.
Unfortunately, when Franco was overthrown, the words were removed from the anthem due to their association with the dictator. Since then, there have been several attempts to add lyrics to the anthem, but none have been officially adopted. In fact, the Spanish Olympic Committee tried to include 'Viva Espana' in the opening line in 2008, but this was met with widespread criticism as the phrase was closely linked to Franco's brutal dictatorship.
As a result, Spain's national anthem is now one of only four in the world, along with Bosnia Herzegovina, Kosovo, and San Marino, to not have any official lyrics. However, this hasn't stopped some Spanish fans from singing unofficial lyrics in the stands before games. The current version of 'Marcha Real' has three official variations - for orchestra, military band, and organ.
In contrast to other teams at Euro 2024, the Spanish players may remain silent during their anthem, but this does not take away from their pride and passion for their country. And regardless of whether there are words to sing along to or not, the sound of 'La Marcha Real' still evokes strong emotions and represents the spirit of Spain.
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