Some facts on history of anthem

Re: Awaiting referendum on national anthem (Letters to the editor, Feb. 26)

If you’re going to use history to make your argument, it’s important to get the facts straight.

The claim that O Canada was written 110 years ago is understandable. That’s in fact when Robert Stanley Weir’s English lyrics for O Canada were written — the version that took popular hold after a number of attempts by other writers. The anthem itself dates back to 1880, with French lyrics.

The line in question, “in all thy sons command,” replacing “thou dost in us command,” was introduced in 1913, not during the Second World War.

Evidence for Weir’s rationale has not survived. While war in Europe may have been on the horizon, it’s possible he intended it as a protest against the women’s suffrage movement.

As for that being the only change, there have been other amendments over the years. “We see thee rising fair, dear land” was in the original version. In 1980, when O Canada became our official national anthem, two lines were changed, including the removal of “And stand on guard” and the addition of “God keep our land.”

Concerns about the gender exclusive nature of the lyrics began to be discussed by the 1950s, with a proposal to use “in all of us command” as early as 1990.

If we want to honour “a historic work of art,” reverting to the English version written in 1908 is probably the best bet.

But hardly anyone says “dost” anymore, so surely the new lyrics are a reasonable compromise.

Tim Hutchinson, Saskatoon