Length: 75 words
Anthem lyrics (use the arrow on the left to collapse this section):
Sons and daughters of Saint Lucia,
love the land that gave us birth.
Land of beaches, hills and valleys,
fairest isle of all the earth.
Wheresoever you may roam,
love oh love, our island home.
Gone the times when nations battled
for this “Helen of the West!”
Gone the days when strife and discord
dimmed her children’s toil and rest.
Dawns at last a brighter day,
stretches out a glad new way.
May the good Lord bless our island,
guard her sons from woe and harm.
May our people live united,
strong in soul and strong in arm.
Justice, Truth and Charity,
our ideal forever be!
Historical context:
Saint Lucia’s national anthem, commonly called “Sons and daughters of Saint Lucia,” was originally adopted as the “national song” in 1967 when it became an “associated state” of the United Kingdom. This new concept effectively provided Saint Lucia with control over its domestic affairs, but left foreign relations and defense under the control of the United Kingdom. Like anthems of some other English-speaking Caribbean nations like Dominica, and Jamaica, the lyrics were written by a minister, the Rev. Fr. Charles Jesse.This state of affairs prevailed until 1979, when Saint Lucia gained full independence. At that time, the song became the newly independent nation’s official anthem. The country remains part of the Commonwealth of Nations, and retains Queen Elizabeth II as formal head of state; as a result, “God Save the Queen” is still used as the nation’s royal anthem.
Performance: