Song that could stop a nation if we knew it

January 27, 2015 11:25 pm 10 comments Views: 1

Jessica Mauboy has sung the National Anthem many times.
Source: News Limited

IT’S A SONG millions of us have sung at school assemblies, official events and pretty much at any major sporting match at some point in our lives.

And on our national day the Australia Day Council is asking patriotic Aussies to sing the song today.

Australia Day Council head Jeremy Lasek said he would like to see as many people as possible singing in recognition of the anthem as an “iconic national symbol”.

“It’s something worthy of singing proudly and passionately about,” he said.

“We’re down to two verses and the more we sing it the more chance that we know it off by heart.”

The Australian team sing the national anthem during the 2015 Asian Cup match between Oman and Australia at ANZ Stadium on January 13 this year.
Source: Getty Images

But how many Australians really know the national anthem off by heart, and more to the point what do the words mean?

If social media is anything to go by, some may be happy enough to sing it, even if they might not know all the words or the story behind it.

tbh i don’t know the whole second verse of the australian anthem

— claudia (@pervingnash) January 25, 2015

is it bad that i dont even know the australian national anthem

— eazy k (@kvrmel) January 25, 2015

#youknowyoureaustralianwhen you mastered lip syncing the Australian anthem because you sang it every week at an assembly

— Talisha Weir (@tishweir) January 25, 2015

#youknowyoureaustralianwhen no one knows the second verse of the Australian anthem

— kahlei (@twinklyhowell) January 25, 2015

And while there are a lot of us out there who may not know the song word for word, there would also be a quite a few who would be unaware of its history.

In a nutshell, the song was composed by Peter Dodds McCormick, a Scot, and was originally called Amicus, which is a Latin word for friend.

It was first performed in Sydney on Saint Andrew’s Day, 1878, but didn’t officially become the national anthem until April 1984.

However, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the song as we know it today wasn’t the song which was originally written.

For example, some of the lyrics have been altered such as “Australia’s sons let us rejoice” was replaced with “Australians all let us rejoice” and “For loyal sons beyond the seas” became “For those who’ve come across the seas”.

A barbie, the beach and a beer gut. Welcome to Straya. Picture: YouTube
Source: Supplied

Our national song has not been without a bit of controversy for various reasons.

In 2011 for example, thousands of schoolchildren were forced to sing an alternate version of the Australian national anthem that installs “Christ” as the country’s head of state and removed any reference to the Southern Cross.

Around 50 Christian schools of mixed denominations replaced the second verse of Advance Australia Fair with the lyrics, which begin, “With Christ our head and cornerstone, we’ll build our nation’s might”, for school assembly renditions.

Then Federal Education Minister Peter Garrett criticised the use of the unauthorised words, and said that under national protocols the anthem should not be modified and that the alternative verse had no place in the state’s educational institutions.

More recently, there were even some people suggesting we replace the iconic song with Coach Bombay’s release of the YouTube hit ‘Straya’.

This should replace the Australian national anthem ‘Straya’ Hey Ya video | OutKast song | Australia Day | Perth Now http://t.co/gIBzzEWCBr

— Doyle Buehler (@doylebuehler) January 22, 2015

This will forever be my favourite song #straya #australia #australiaday #aussiepride http://t.co/eTM2btdmaO

— Caitlin (@theweirdveggie) January 16, 2015

Wont be singing Advance Australia Fair on #Straya day, not bc I don’t love my country but bc it is a silly song #girt http://t.co/8vDEV1BIXu

— Seano (@SeanBradbery) January 16, 2015

Melbourne musician Terry Mann, or Coach Bombay as he is more commonly known, created a hilarious parody video with lyrics to the tune of OutKast’s 2004 hit Hey Ya.

The clip features famous faces from John Howard and Kylie Minogue to musicians such as ACDC and The Wiggles as well as showcasing many of Australia’s natural wonders along with our love affair with sport, backyard cricket and the beach.