The Life and Times of the Star-Spangled Banner

Oh! Canada

The words for the Canadian national anthem were written in 1880 in French by Sir Adolphe Basile Routhier. The music was written by a prominent music teacher, Calixa LaVallee. They had been asked to write a song to celebrate St. Jean-Baptiste day, a holiday that celebrates both the patron saint of French Canadians and the summer solstice. The song grew slowly in popularity. When LaVallee died, it was not even mentioned in his obituary as one of his accomplishments.

Several attempts were made to write an English version of the song, but none of them achieved much popularity until 1908, when a lawyer, Robert Stanley Weir, wrote the words familiar today. Weir died in 1926, which meant that the copyright did not expire until 1976, fifty years after his death. To make sure that no one could claim to own the song, the act of the Canadian parliament that made Oh! Canada the official national anthem also declared it to be free of copyright restrictions.

The Flag of Canada



Canada

Tune

French Version English Version
O Canada! Terre de nos aieux, O Canada! Our home and native land!
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux True patriot love in all thy sons command.
Carton bras sait porter l'epee With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
Il sait porter la Croix The True North strong and free!
Ton histroire est une epopee From far and wide, O Canada!
Des plus brillants exploits We stand on guard for thee.
Et ta valeur, de foi tempee God keep our land glorious and free!
Protegera nos foyers et nos droits O Canada! we stand on guard for thee,
Protegera nos foyers et nos droits O Canada! we stand on guard for thee.
Sous l'oeil de Dieu pres du fleuve geant, O Canada! Where pines and maples grow,
Le Canadien grandit en esperant, Great prairies spread and lordly rivers flow,
Il est ne d'une race fiere, How dear to us thy broad domain,
Beni fut son berceau, From East to Western sea!
Le ceil a morue sa carriere, Thou land of hope for all who toil!
Dans ce monde nouveau. Thou True North strong and free!
Et ta valeur, de foi tempee God keep our land glorious and free!
Protegera nos foyers et nos droits O Canada! we stand on guard for thee,
Protegera nos foyers et nos droits O Canada! we stand on guard for thee.