Canadian patriotic song
Maple Leaf Forever
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Maple_Leaf_Forever.jpg/220px-Maple_Leaf_Forever.jpg) |
National anthem of Canada
|
Lyrics
| Alexander Muir
|
---|
|
|
The Maple Leaf Forever
|
|
"
The Maple Leaf Forever
" is a Canadian patriotic song written by
Alexander Muir
(1830?1906) in 1867, the year of
Canada
's
Confederation
.
[1]
He wrote the work after serving with the
Queen's Own Rifles of Toronto
in the
Battle of Ridgeway
against the
Fenians
in 1866.
History
[
edit
]
Muir was said to have been inspired to write this song by a large
maple
tree which stood on his street in front of
Maple Cottage
, a house at Memory Lane and Laing Street in
Toronto
. The song became quite popular in
English Canada
and for many years served as an unofficial
national anthem
.
[2]
[3]
Because of its strongly
British perspective
it became unpopular amongst
French Canadians
, and this prevented it from ever becoming an official state anthem, even though it was seriously considered for that role and was even used as a
de facto
state anthem in many instances.
[4]
The tree which inspired Muir's song fell during a windstorm on the night of July 19?20, 2013.
[5]
Wood from the tree was used to make objects that will preserve its importance to Canadian culture, including the speaker's podium for
Toronto City Council
, and the
Maple Leaf Forever Guitars
.
[6]
Residents have expressed their hope that the city will be able to start a new tree from one of the branches.
During the early 1870s, Alexander Muir was an elementary school teacher in
Newmarket
, north of Toronto.
It has been asserted that Muir's words, however, while certainly pro-British, were not anti-French, and he revised the lyrics of the first verse from "Here may it wave, our boast, our pride, and join in love together / The Thistle, Shamrock, Rose entwine" to "/ The Lily,
Thistle
,
Shamrock
,
Rose
, the Maple Leaf forever" – the thistle represented
Scotland
; the shamrock,
Ireland
; and the rose, England – adding "
Lily
", a
French symbol
, to the list. Muir was attempting to express that under the Union Flag, the British and French were united as Canadians.
[2]
"The Maple Leaf Forever" is also the authorized regimental march of
The Royal Westminster Regiment
.
[4]
Additionally, it is the Regimental Slow March of the
Fort Henry Guard
.
[7]
The song makes reference to
James Wolfe
capturing Quebec
in 1759 during the
Seven Years' War
and the
Battle of Queenston Heights
and
Battle of Lundy's Lane
during the
War of 1812
.
Lyrics
[
edit
]
In days of yore, from Britain's shore,
Wolfe
, the dauntless hero, came
And planted firm
Britannia's flag
On Canada's fair domain.
Here may it wave, our boast, our pride
And, joined in love together,
The
thistle
,
shamrock
,
rose
entwine (Also sung: The lily, thistle, shamrock, rose)
The Maple Leaf forever!
Chorus
The Maple Leaf, our emblem dear,
The Maple Leaf forever!
God save our
King
and
Heaven
bless
The Maple Leaf forever!
At
Queenston Heights
and
Lundy's Lane
,
Our brave fathers, side by side,
For freedom, homes and loved ones dear,
Firmly stood and nobly died;
And those dear rights which they maintained,
We swear to yield them never!
Our watchword evermore shall be
"The Maple Leaf forever!"
Chorus
Our fair Dominion now extends
From
Cape Race
to
Nootka Sound
;
May peace forever be our lot,
And plenteous store abound:
And may those ties of love be ours
Which discord cannot sever,
And flourish green o'er freedom's home
The Maple Leaf forever!
Chorus
On merry England's far famed land
May kind heaven sweetly smile,
God bless old Scotland evermore
and Ireland's
Em'rald Isle
!
And swell the song both loud and long
Till rocks and forest quiver!
God save our King and Heaven bless
The Maple Leaf forever!
Chorus
Alternative lyrics
[
edit
]
CBC
Radio's
Metro Morning
show in
Toronto
ran a contest to find new lyrics for the song in 1997. The contest was won by Romanian immigrant, mathematician, and now a songwriter, actor and poet, Vladimir Radian, who came to Canada in the 1980s. This version received its first full orchestral treatment on June 27, 1997, at a concert by the
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
.
[8]
The new version removed all references to British-Canadian heritage, but added a special reference to Quebec's provincial symbol, the
fleur-de-lis
.
Padre G. E. Benton, a former Canadian army chaplain, also wrote a revised version.
[9]
The Canadian vocal harmony trio "
Finest Kind
" (Ian Robb, Ann Downey and Shelley Posen) recorded "The Maple Leaf Forever" on their 2003 CD "Silks & Spices". This version, with new words co-written by Posen and Robb and harmony arrangement by the trio, was sung at the ceremonial planting in Ottawa of two silver maple seedlings: direct descendants of the tree which is thought to have inspired Alexander Muir to write the original song in 1867. The ceremony occurred on November 2, 2014, and was attended by several local dignitaries and military veterans. The words acknowledge the Aboriginal, French, English and "new Canadian" contributions to the evolution of Canada, and highlight Canada's more recent military role as peacekeepers "where hate and war divide". The second verse also references John McCrae's iconic First World War poem "
In Flanders Fields
".
Maple Leaf Gardens / Winter Olympics
[
edit
]
During the final game of the
Toronto Maple Leafs
at their former home arena,
Maple Leaf Gardens
in Toronto,
Anne Murray
sang another version (modified from Radian's version) of the
Maple Leaf Forever
. This version was also used by
Michael Buble
during the
2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony
.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Muir, Alexander"
.
Encyclopedia of Music in Canada
.
- ^
a
b
"Maple Cottage, Leslieville, Toronto"
.
Institute for Canadian Music
. Archived from
the original
on March 31, 2009.
- ^
LAC
. "
Canadian Confederation
" the Web site of
Library and Archives Canada
, January 9, 2006 (
ISSN
1713-868X
) includes a
bibliography
Archived
February 28, 2009, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
a
b
Canadian Musical works 1800?1980 a bibliography of general and analytical sources
. Ottawa : Canadian Association of Music Libraries, 1983. (
ISBN
978-0-9690583-2-8
)
- ^
News; Canada (July 20, 2013).
"Tree said to have inspired song 'The Maple Leaf Forever' falls victim to Toronto storm"
. Retrieved
June 26,
2017
.
- ^
Rider, David.
"Guitar made from "Maple Leaf Forever" tree displayed at Toronto city hall"
.
- ^
Personnel, Government of Canada, National Defence, Chief Military.
"Volume 3, Part 2: Infantry Regiments - THE ROYAL WESTMINSTER REGIMENT"
.
www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca
. Retrieved
February 3,
2018
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link
)
- ^
"Neighbourhood grows trees from the seeds of Canada's history (with video)"
. November 2, 2014
. Retrieved
June 26,
2017
.
- ^
"Maple_leaf_forever_new"
. Archived from
the original
on October 2, 2011
. Retrieved
June 17,
2011
.
- ^
Michael Buble at Closing Ceremony
.
youtube.com
External links
[
edit
]