Canadian Anthem

[anthonzi]

I just say guard.

Be fortunate; at least we didn't have to sing that long bullshit or recite that nationalistic creepery the american kids had/have to.

Canada seems a little worse than American standards actually. National Anthem + Preamble to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Weekly recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance were only started after 9/11 in my schools. And you could always just stand, wait for everyone to finish, then sit without saying anything. *And they stopped doing it after awhile.

ADDIT: nevermind, "And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.'" was added to the Star Spangled banner in 1956 apparently. But it used to be completely secular, just like the Charter I suppose.

ADDIT 2:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star-Spangled_Banner

"Although the song has four stanzas, only the first is commonly sung today, with the fourth ("O thus be it ever when free men shall stand...") added on more formal occasions."

Since the "In God We Trust is in the fourth stanza, there is no God reference except for in maybe official government recitations.

Wow, looking at 'O Canada' on Wikipedia I didn't realise it's only been the national anthem since 1980.

This only seems to be partially correct. The current revision was adopted in 1980, but the song was written in French in 1880, and translated to English in 1906.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Canada#History

Competing anthem (that isn't entirely stolen from the British):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Maple_Leaf_Forever

You guys should just consider yourselves lucky the anthem isn't:

God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen...

ADDIT 3:

French-English comparison of the verse:

Official (French):
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,

Translation of French lyrics:
Thy valour steeped in faith

Official (English):
God keep our land glorious and free!

So yes, sucks to be Canadian

Protégera nos foyers et nos droits! (again, makes more sense than "Oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee!", IMHO)

That is the next verse, after they mention faith. "[Canada's faith] Will protect our homes and our rights" simply sounds more individualistic than the nationalistic "[God kept Free] Canada, we stand on guard for thee". But at least it doesn't contradict itself (God protect =/= people protect)

[anthonzi]

England has 1 official national anthem and 3 semi-official anthems.

God Save the Queen (King)
Jerusalem
Rule, Britannia!
Land of Hope and Glory


Rule, Britannia! is the only one that doesn't have god in it, hence my user name.

When Britain first, at Heaven's command

No mention of God? Technically, but still refers to His domain...

And guardian angels sang this strain

The nations, noot so blest as thee,

Otherwise, it is a very fitting and Imperialistic song,

The dread and envy of them all.
Rule, Britannia! rule the waves

Which is a legitimate matter to spill blood over. I like it!

[anthonzi]

No God in the Irish national anthem.

Soldiers are we
whose lives are pledged to Ireland;
Some have come
from a land beyond the wave.
Sworn to be free,
No more our ancient sire land
Shall shelter the despot or the slave.
Tonight we man the gap of danger
In Erin's cause, come woe or weal
'Mid cannons' roar and rifles peal,
We'll chant a soldier's song.

Damn that's a nice one!

Seen in that light, the line, "God keep our land/Glorious and free!" is fitting, as we certainly couldn't count on our underequipped, underpaid, understrength military to help us. I have no doubt they'd have behaved professionally, but there's not much they could have done.

Have no fear, fellow (if backwards) American. The good ol' USA's got yer back!

[Animavore]

No God in the Irish national anthem.

Soldiers are we
whose lives are pledged to Ireland;
Some have come
from a land beyond the wave.
Sworn to be free,
No more our ancient sire land
Shall shelter the despot or the slave.
Tonight we man the gap of danger
In Erin's cause, come woe or weal
'Mid cannons' roar and rifles peal,
We'll chant a soldier's song.

Damn that's a nice one!

Its more poetic in Irish.

Sinne Fianna Fáil
A tá fé gheall ag Éirinn,
buion dár slua
Thar toinn do ráinig chugainn,
Fé mhóid bheith saor.
Sean tír ár sinsir feasta
Ní fhagfar fé'n tiorán ná fé'n tráil
Anocht a théam sa bhearna bhaoil,
Le gean ar Ghaeil chun báis nó saoil
Le guna screach fé lámhach na bpiléar
Seo libh canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann.

[Fat Ronnie]

Say what you like about us Aussies (I'm sure you will), but not only does our national anthem NOT mention god, it includes the line: "Our land abounds in nature's gifts".
It also includes the the word "girt", I doubt any of you damn foreigners can say that.

[Reverend Blair]

So now the Canadian government wants to change the anthem from "in all thy sons' command" to "in all dost us command" or some fucking thing. This is the Harper government in action...they are worried that the song is sexist so they want to change the words. Of course they've slashed every women's equality program we have since coming to office and introduced a "childcare program" that basically encourages keeping women barefoot, pregnant, and shackled to the stove.

No mention of removing the reference to god either. Our Prime Minister goes to a fundy church that promote Canada becoming a Christian dominion, so removing a reference to god is a non-starter.

[Mysturji]

Watching the closing ceremonies just now.
I got erked!
GOD KEEP OUR LAND GLORIOUS AND FREE?
I know I have know this song for decades, but seriously never thought about it.
I sang this bull shit everyday back in school!
I do not stand on guard for the half-wit some call goD!

BAH here I was thinking Canada was a great place for atheists!

When I was growing up, I had to sing this all the time in school:

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
We'll stand on guard, O Canada
We'll stand on guard for thee
O Canada, glorious and free
We'll stand on guard,we'll stand on guard for thee
O Canada we'll stand on guard for thee

Rather a lot of standing on guard, but no mention of any gods.
I know they fiddled about with it a few years ago, to alternate English and Frence lines, and they replaced one of the "We'll stand on guard"'s with an "O Canada" (I think), but no god that I can recall (not in the English lines, anyway).
I've highlighted the version of your line that I remember.
Are you sure they changed it (to THAT)? You didn't just mis-hear it?
Was it printed on the screen? Was it translated from the French?

[Fact-Man]

Weekly recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance were only started after 9/11 in my schools. And you could always just stand, wait for everyone to finish, then sit without saying anything. *And they stopped doing it after awhile.

I was in public schools in America (Los Angeles, CA) from 1937 to 1948 and during that time the pledge of allegiance was said every school day without fail ... until the practice was halted early in 1946. In grammar school it was the first order of business every day and in secondary schools in was done first thing in the first class of the day.

It's a time worn procedure that's dragged out and imposed whenever the country senses that it's threatened.

[anthonzi]

It's a time worn procedure that's dragged out and imposed whenever the country senses that it's threatened.

Yes indeed

I was in public schools in America (Los Angeles, CA) from 1937 to 1948 and during that time the pledge of allegiance was said every school day without fail ... until the practice was halted early in 1946. In grammar school it was the first order of business every day and in secondary schools in was done first thing in the first class of the day.

That was before the God bit was added around 1956. My parents weren't even alive back then, but I'm not sure it would have been entirely unreasonable to recite it with Imperial Japan on one side and the Third Reich on the other. I'm sure it was also accompanied with a large quantity of prejudice against the enemy too however.

I was just listening to this song last night,

[Mantisdreamz]

I also heard they got Avril Lavigne and Nickleback to perform during the closing ceremony. Way to showcase the best of Canadian music, Olympics.

Oh it was wretched, that's what I was thinking the whole time as well. Though, they did have K-OS as the last performer, I kind of like him....

[GoodSmeagol]

Watching the closing ceremonies just now.
I got erked!
GOD KEEP OUR LAND GLORIOUS AND FREE?
I know I have know this song for decades, but seriously never thought about it.
I sang this bull shit everyday back in school!
I do not stand on guard for the half-wit some call goD!

BAH here I was thinking Canada was a great place for atheists!

When I was growing up, I had to sing this all the time in school:

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
We'll stand on guard, O Canada
We'll stand on guard for thee
O Canada, glorious and free
We'll stand on guard,we'll stand on guard for thee
O Canada we'll stand on guard for thee

Rather a lot of standing on guard, but no mention of any gods.
I know they fiddled about with it a few years ago, to alternate English and Frence lines, and they replaced one of the "We'll stand on guard"'s with an "O Canada" (I think), but no god that I can recall (not in the English lines, anyway).
I've highlighted the version of your line that I remember.
Are you sure they changed it (to THAT)? You didn't just mis-hear it?
Was it printed on the screen? Was it translated from the French?

I am fairly certain it was god keep our land....

But hearing that there is a godless variation pleases me a little.

Seriously french is the main language of the Olympics?
Thats bizarre! If it was Greek, I may understand....

[MissingNo.]

Yeah, I've never heard the godless version before either. But if I'm ever in a situation where I must sing the national anthem, I'll keep that in mind.

[Mantisdreamz]

[
I am fairly certain it was god keep our land....

But hearing that there is a godless variation pleases me a little.

Yep there was. "God keep our land, glorious and free, Oh Canada, we stand on guard...."

[Mysturji]

Seriously french is the main language of the Olympics?
Thats bizarre! If it was Greek, I may understand....

Seriously, who speaks Greek?