An Immigrant-Friendly, Belief-Independent, Gender-Neutral O Canada

The Immigrant-Friendly, Belief-Independent and Gender-Neutral National Anthem of Canada O CanadaTo commemorate my boarding the Citizen Ship recently, and as blogged earlier, I took it upon myself to construct a version of O Canada to appeal to Canadians who are now more immigrant-friendly (country’s emerging reality), belief-independent (agnostics / atheists / humanists / non-biblicals ahoy!) and gender-neutral (as much as I’m a typical guy who’d like to have a son as first-born to share fishing and sport with, the state shouldn’t encourage me subliminally with the anthem, you know.)

Not that people have not been trying.

I have given a side-by-side comparison later so that those who are still not a hundred percent on their lyrical prowess and my rendition, can see how I have, er, improved the Original anthem. You may also wish to listen and referesh yourself with the original beforehand, just in case.

The Anthems – Recreated

  1. Review and Listen to the Original
  2. An Immigrant-Friendly Anthem
  3. The Universally Friendly Anthem for All Canadians
  4. How it really should be: William Shatner

1. Review and Listen to The Original Anthem

Before going futher, refresh your anthematic senses and get into the great tune…

2. The Immigrant-Friendly O Canada

My Semi-Universal Version against The Original (for the curious and uninitiated)

As written by me. No warranties. O Canada, The New Song. Sing to the tune of O Canada

My Semi-Universal O Canada

Original O Canada

O Canada, our home and chosen land! O Canada! Our home and native land!
True patriot love, in all of us command True patriot love in all thy sons command
With glowing hearts, we see thee rise With glowing hearts we see thee rise
Our new home strong and free! The true North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada we stand all proud for thee From far and wide, O Canada we stand on guard for thee
We’ll keep this land, glorious and free! God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand all proud for thee O Canada, we stand on guard for thee
O Canada, we stand our guard for thee O Canada, we stand on guard for thee

3. The Universally Friendly O Canada

How about not just to immigrants, but friendly to all?

In my immigrant-friendly version above “Our home and chosen land” (first verse) and “our new home” (4th verse), obviously, are more immigrant friendly.

If we are to make it widely appealing to everyone including immigrants and non-immigrants, both the “native” and “chosen” have to be, er, neutralized and made increasingly, say, universal.

Read my notes at the bottom for respective changes, as marked.

My Universal Version against The Original

As written by me. No warranties. Sing to the tune of O Canada

My Universal O Canada

Original O Canada

O Canada, our home and cherished1 land! O Canada! Our home and native1 land!
True patriot love, in all of us2 command True patriot love in all thy sons2 command
With glowing hearts, we see thee rise With glowing hearts we see thee rise
Our one home3 strong and free! The true North3 strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada we stand all proud4 for thee From far and wide, O Canada we stand on guard4 for thee
We’ll5 keep this land, glorious and free! God5 keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand all proud6 for thee O Canada, we stand on guard6 for thee
O Canada, we stand our guard7 for thee O Canada, we stand on guard7 for thee

Notes to the Universally Friendly O Canada

  1. No one is ancestrally native here except the true natives
  2. Suggestions of demands of performance from only male offsprings is discriminatory and not State’s business
  3. On avoiding “True North” phrase: not that I have anything against “True North” but it, to me at least, is poetically quite irrelevant. Besides, the literal ‘true north’ should be the North Pole and I’d rather not ‘officialize’ our stereotypes! True North is also so 19th century and relative only to yee-haw type southern neighbours on big trucks and guns
  4. Hammering a repetitive (three times!) “on guard” suggests constant militaristic paranoia from a bygone era to me and glorifies certain interventionist aspirations of today in foreign policy where ‘guarding’ one’s homeland now means going to war and fighting remote in far off lands! However, ‘on guard’ in its true meaning is retained in the last verse, read further.
  5. Religion is personal, anthem is universal – we all have, or don’t, different gods – not State’s prescribed version. ‘We’ is more individually and dutifully responsible, instead of passing the buck to a deity for glory and freedom.
  6. See Note No. 4.
  7. Standing on guard retained here for its true meaning and avoiding repetitive ‘on guard’ paranoid militaristic connotations (see Note No. 4.)

4. The William Shatner Treatment

And last but not the least, a version that takes all anthems to where no anthem has gone before.

First Published: June 1st, 2010

Comments

Blogging Immigrants

© A Canada Immigrant's Blog. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.