Lyrics: Oh Canada, Arise

Oh Canada arise, he said,
The daylight dawns upon your eastern shore
So head on down to Charlottetown in 1864.
It’s time to find some common ground
And rally round the future, bold and brave.
With shoulders, back, and Union Jack,
It’s Canada’s reveille.

So write this story down
And don’t forget the way, the why, the how.
Molding, mending, never ending
Nation do or die, for you and I.

In Ottawa we’ll build, he said,
A far flung, wide dominion under heaven.
When men conversed on July 1st, of 1867.
So cut the timbers, hew the logs,
And work the soil to till and toil and then
We’ll cultivate, and celebrate
As French and English men.

And time after time, in your arms, I found a refuge
Like the people who were rescued when they landed on these shores
So ring the bells of parliament
And hear the knell of freedom
In the stories, and the glories that ya hear time after time

We’ll build a railway west, he said, and find a way to keep the dream alive
In sovereignty from sea to sea in 1885
Invite the hale and hardy folks
With ox and yokes to coax the lone Prairie
So swing and strike the golden spike,
Up in Craigellachie

But write this story down
And don’t forget the way, the why, the how.
Molding, mending, never ending,
Nation do or die, for you and I

So come together now, he said.
With heart impart some joie de vivre divined
In working bees, and shivarees in 1889
Remind each one as humankind
To find in every piece bell tower chime,
That story, born of Canada,
Has brotherhood enshrined.

Cuz time after time, in your arms, I found a refuge
Like the people who were rescued when they landed on these shores.
So ring the bells of parliament
To hear the knell of freedom
In the stories and the glories that you hear time after time, after time.

So thanks for yesterday
And thank you for today and wisdom borrowed.
Let’s build her strong, and long before tomorrow, men will follow.

Story

From the first verse of this song it began to feel like an anthem.  I thought at first it should be sung a cappella - (anyone but me).  It’s the voice of authority - a man saying “Your time has come, Canada!” “Arise”.  He says “Don’t forget the way, the why, the how” - write it down. He speaks from the past into the future saying “Remember your forebears and ‘care’ for this country. This song is addressed to Ottawa and all citizenry to heed the wisdom of the best and rise above the practices of the mediocre. Let those bells peal!

Credits

Peter Thorne - Words and Music  

Sean Roberts - Acoustic Guitar