3 versions
When our Prime Minister Stephen Harper suggested changing a phrase in our national anthem six years ago, our national public broadcaster, the CBC, typically asked for opinions and suggestions for replacing the offending "thy son's command". My thought at the time was if we are going to replace offending lines we need to rewrite the entire anthem for only the first line is not at least intellectually offensive. As the current national anthem is presented on a page, it is 10 lines long. The first line is acceptable because it just lets everyone know we are singing about Canada. The second is of questionable veracity. Unless we look back more than 10,000 years only first nations people can claim to be native to the land we now call Canada. The third line contains "thy sons command" which as noted many times is offensive to women. "Glowing hearts" in the fourth line could be an indication of cardio-vascular disease which most Canadians probably have but if it is meant to convey a sense of pride there are less ambiguous ways; and except for a few bumps separating British Columbia and Alberta we see Canada spread more than "rise".
I have no idea how "true" and "strong" the "north" can be but I know we are definitely not "free". Not counting the two billion spent this year on two special events, does anyone really know how many billions of dollars we spend in a year keeping 'free'? In line six we come from "far and wide" to in line seven, "stand on guard for thee". "Far and wide", literally "from a wide area" lacks even a shred of definition. To "stand on guard for thee" has potential but not with the current connotation which has us spending most of the aforementioned billions of dollars guarding our borders while the land within them is drying up and being wasted away. However, even with the change of connotation there is still enough to say that the line does not need to be repeated two more times. Now finally, sandwiched between repetitions of line seven is "God keep our land glorious and free". "Free" here is just as meaningless as the first time it was used; and it is completely thoughtless to ask God to "keep our land glorious and free." when God can't keep humanity from self-destructing. That said I don't even need to mention all those Canadians who are offended by the mere mention of "God".
With these objections in mind I present the old and offer the new. Leave at least a thumbs up or thumbs down as a comment. If you are a Canadian, please mention that fact. If I get enough Canadians who also believe what we sing should have meaning as well as be meaningful I will inform Prime Minister Trudeau.
I created a third version inspired by our increasing political divides in 2025.
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O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
2.
O Canada,
Our home and precious land,
True protective love from all of us demand.
With glowing pride we all embrace
The great land that we view.
From sea to sea,
O Canada, we'll stand on guard for you.
We'll keep your land, green, clean and pure!
O Canada, we'll keep all life secure.
O Canada, we'll live so you'll endure.
3.
O Canada,
Our now divided land.
True partisan love from all of us demand.
With hardened hearts we see you fall
Down on your “wounded knee”.
There is some doubt
O Canada, I’ll stand on guard for thee.
More probably I’ll stand on guard for me.
It just depends on what’s in for me.
Yes Canada! I’ll stand on guard for me!
