Saturday, April 19, 2025

Yes, We Are Canadian



Not something in our character, 
To shout it out with pride.
Part of being Canadian,
Is a reluctance to take sides.

Our balance is our strength,
With steadiness and grace.
On skis, on blades, in a canoe,
No challenge we won't face.

We seek the quiet middle,
We’re a mix of many kin.
Stand tall as a Douglas Fir, 
Strong as a prairie wind.

We love in many languages,
We work in many fields.
Our voices and our values,
Express our shared ideals.

Yes, we are Canadian,
It's all we want to be. 
We sing it from the Rockies,
From the ice floes to the sea.  

Yes, we are Canadian,
It's all we want to be.
Nothing 'gainst the USA -
Just not a place for me.

We know who are our friends,
We honour every creed.
The flag we raise means unity —
Our symbol the maple leaf.

Our homes are always warm,
Our arms are always open.
With hearts vast as the wilderness,
Our spirits can't be broken.

We seek the quiet middle,
We’re a mix of many kin.
Stand tall as a Douglas fir, 
Strong as a prairie wind.

We love in many languages,
We work in many fields.
Our voices and our values,
Express our shared ideals.

Oui, nous sommes Canadiens,
Notre amours vaste comme cette terre, 
Nous le chantons des Rocheuses,
Jusqu’au bord du mer. 

Oui, nous sommes Canadiens,
Et c'est là qu'on vieillit.
Rien contre les États-Unis,
Mais ce n'est pas notre pays.

Yes, we are Canadian,
It's all we want to be. 
We'll sing it from the Rockies, 
From the ice floes to the sea.  

Yes, we are Canadian,
It's all we want to be.
Nothing 'gainst the USA -
Just not a place for me.

4 comments:

Kelp said...

Love it! It’s perfect! The rhymes flow effortlessly; nothing is forced. It’s a true anthem for the times. I don’t know if I ever told you, but my brother-in-law’s great-uncle was Wade Hemsworth. Are you familiar with his songs? He wrote “The Log Driver’s Waltz” and “The Black Fly Song”, among others. Your song reminds of his proud Canadian songs, and, I think, is on par with them.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Kelp! Hope all is well. Don’t know Wade Hemsworth. Will look him up. An inspiration was Leon Dubinsky who penned the ‘national anthem’ of Cape Breton ‘We Rise Again’. Also your beautiful Jerusalem tune.

Rachel Alkallay said...

Another national anthem🇨🇦🌟🇨🇦? Great melody; stirring lyrics which cover the enormity of our great land of Canada. Lots of heart in it. Good that you had a couple of verses in French; however more French verses would be appreciated so it doesn’t seem as tokenism. I heard the song before I read the lyrics; reading the lyrics in my head the tune that came to mind was “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”. Certainly this song - like all your music, but particularly at this time in our history - should be published and widely deseminated!

Glen said...

Thanks Rachel. Feel free to share the link with whoever you think would appreciate the song!