"O' Canada!"

"O' Canada" is the national anthem of Canada. The lyrics were written in 1880 by Adolphe-Basile Routhier, and the music was composed in 1880 by Calixa Lavallée. It was first performed in Quebec City in 1880, and was officially adopted as Canada's national anthem on July 1, 1980, which is also known as "Canada Day."

Here are the English and French lyrics of "O Canada":

English:
O' Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all of us 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.

French:
Ô' Canada!
Terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.

The English lyrics describe Canada as a "home and native land" with "true patriot love" commanding all Canadians. The True North is described as "strong and free," and Canadians are urged to stand on guard for their country. The French lyrics describe Canada as the "land of our ancestors" with a "glorious" crest. The lyrics highlight Canada's history and valor and emphasize the importance of protecting the country and its citizens' rights.

The melody of "O' Canada" is typically performed in a moderate tempo, and is often accompanied by a brass band or orchestra. The national anthem is played at many official events, including sporting events and government ceremonies, and is also often sung by Canadians at special occasions and gatherings.

The history of "O' Canada" goes back to 1880 when Adolphe-Basile Routhier, a judge and poet from Quebec, wrote the French lyrics as a patriotic poem. The poem was later set to music by Calixa Lavallée, a composer and musician, who was commissioned to create a national anthem for the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society.

The original version of the song was in French, and it was first performed on June 24, 1880, in Quebec City. The song quickly gained popularity and became a symbol of French-Canadian pride and nationalism. Over the years, several variations of the song were created, with different lyrics and melodies, but the original version remained the most popular.

In the early 1900s, "O' Canada" began to be played at official events, such as the opening of Parliament, and it was played alongside "God Save the Queen," which was the national anthem of Canada at the time. In 1939, "O' Canada" was played at a World Series game in New York City, which helped to popularize the song outside of Canada.

In 1967, the Canadian government held a competition to create a new, official version of "O' Canada" with English lyrics. The winning lyrics, written by Toronto lawyer and poet Robert Stanley Weir, were officially adopted as the English version of the national anthem in 1980, along with the original French version.

Since then, "O' Canada" has become a symbol of Canadian pride and identity. It is played at many official events, including sporting events and government ceremonies, and it is also often sung by Canadians at special occasions and gatherings. In recent years, there has been some debate over the gender-neutral lyrics of the song, with some Canadians calling for changes to be made to make it more inclusive.

Source: Some or all of the content was generated using an AI language model