A toast to the Hamilton-born poet who wrote the English lyrics to 'O Canada'

Here's a bit of local trivia to talk about over Canada Day strawberries.

Did you know that the writer of the English lyrics to O Canada" was actually from Hamilton?

Robert Stanley Weir was born in the city on Nov. 15, 1856, four years after his parents immigrated to Canada from Scotland.

He didn't stay around here that long, leaving Hamilton as a child to move to Montreal with his folks. But I like to think that his early exposure to the city helped set in place a foundation of talent that would later blossom in the country's most important song.

As well as being a poet, Weir went on to become a distinguished lawyer and judge with the Exchequer Court of Canada, which later became the Federal Court of Canada. In his day, he was recognized as a leading expert on municipal civil law in Quebec.

Weir also had a knack for language and could speak fluently in English, French and Latin. No doubt, his proficiency with words was helpful in the daunting task of capturing the essence of a country in song.

He wrote his O Canada" lyrics in English in 1908 to mark the 300th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City. His words were applied to a stirring melody that had been written by a Francophone musical prodigy named Calixa Lavallee in 1880 that had become popular in Quebec. There were French lyrics by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier but the words clunked in translation and were more about Quebec than Canada. The song was originally created to celebrate St. Jean Baptiste Day.

There were many, many versions in English before and after Weir," says Robert Harris, author of the 2018 book Song of a Nation. The Untold Story of Canada's National Anthem."

But his version was the only one that worked. The other versions just didn't get it right. He wrote words that really resonated. He did an amazing job."

The lyrics were tweaked by Weir three times between 1909 and 1916. Most notably, he had second thoughts about the awkward phrase true patriot love, thou dost in us command" from his first draft.

Thankfully, he changed it. Imagine trying to sing thou dost in us command" after a couple of beers at a hockey game?

But the alteration he came up with - True patriot love, in all thy sons command" - created problems of a different kind. What about the daughters? Or for that matter, what about the mothers, sisters, brothers, fathers, uncles and aunts?

Through the 1900s, the Weir version gained popularity in English Canada but always played second fiddle to God Save the King (or Queen)." Then in the 1960s, the Liberal government under Lester Pearson announced plans for a new Canadian flag - instead of the Union Jack - and moved to make O Canada" the official national anthem.

Both bills were extremely controversial. The flag got through but the government gave up on the national anthem initiative.

O Canada' had been sung everywhere since the 1920s. It seemed like a no-brainer. But the government misjudged it," says Harris.

My theory is that music is so emotional that Canadians felt a feeling of unity with God Save the Queen' in a greater way than they did with the Union Jack flag. Music is something that hits you right in the gut."

Finally in 1980, O Canada" received House of Commons and Senate approval. And then, 18 years later, amid more controversy, the wording was changed to make the anthem gender neutral.

So, when you're toasting Canada's 153rd birthday on Wednesday, remember the long, twisted road to come up with a song to celebrate the country. And through it all, recall a largely unsung hero with Hamilton roots who somehow managed to come up with the words - well, most of them, anyway.

Here are some other interesting facts:

- During the 1960s, the federal government took a hard look at Weir's words and made a couple of changes that Weir's heirs were not crazy about. They launched a Copyright challenge that lasted three years. But it turned out the Copyright was held by a publisher who was agreeable to the changes.

- Not only was Weir a judge, but so was the writer of the French version of the anthem, Routhier. He was appointed Judge of the Quebec Superior Court in 1873, and later became Chief Justice, from 1904 until his retirement in 1906.

- Interesting how a song called O Canada" could be both a celebration of St. Jean Baptiste Day in Quebec and Canadian nationalism everywhere else. Harris notes the word Canada has different meanings in English and French Canada. To Francophones, Canada referred to Quebec. Outside the province, Canada meant the whole country. Consequently, there was never any problem with using O Canada," as the title of the song in both the English and French versions.

- While the English words went through enormous alterations over the decades, the French words and the melody have stayed the same.

- The opening melody of O Canada" is very similar to the March of the Priests" from the opera The Magic Flute, composed in 1791 by Mozart. Harris says that Lavallee, being a serious musician, would have been familiar with the piece of music.

Mark McNeil is a Hamilton-based freelance contributing columnist for The Spectator. Reach him via email: Markflashbacks@gmail.com