Jully Black Sings 'O Canada' With Subtle Lyric Change

People are still buzzing about Jully Black's rendition of “O Canada” at Sunday’s NBA All-Star game.

The Toronto R&B singer turned “Our home and native land” to “Our home on native land.”

Though she is not the first person to sing "on" instead of "and," she is the first to do so at such a high profile event.

“She represented the language in which we should be speaking. This is walking in truth. This is allyship,” tweeted author Amie Archibald-Varley. "The lands we have come to know as Canada, although many of us call it home, it is ON NATIVE LAND.”

But, the Toronto Sun’s Cynthia McLeod took exception to Black’s revision. "No. We do not get to individually change the lyrics to our national anthem. There is a process.”

As reactions flooded social media, Black spoke to TSN about how she prepared to deliver the anthem.

“I reached out to some Indigenous friends to say, first of all, ‘How do you feel about me doing this anthem?’ and I got some feedback,” she said. “And so I really dissected the lyrics, to really sing it with intention … Now I’m singing it in a whole other meaningful way.”

Canada’s anthem was composed by Calixa Lavallée and the original French lyrics were written by Adolphe-Basile Routhier and translated into English by Robert Stanley Weir. 

The words to “O Canada” have been revised three times – most recently in 2018 when "in all thy sons command" became gender-neutral "in all of us command.”

Many Canadians have pushed to have “God keep our land glorious and free” out of the anthem.

Check out more reactions to Black’s rendition of the national anthem:

"O Canada... our home *on* native land."@JullyBlack 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/bDXzfT77ov

— THE SHIFT (@theshift_sports) February 20, 2023

Jully Black just made some white supremacist's heads explode with that "on native land" tweak.

— Orangeworker (@JREEEEE9) February 20, 2023

Jully Black singing 'our home ON native land' is a Canadian Heritage Moment #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/vL7THd59tT

— Alice (@ArmoAlice) February 20, 2023

I’ve sung it this way for years and the lyric should be formally changed. If we can update the lyrics to be more inclusive of women’s contributions, we should also acknowledge our true history. Right on, @JullyBlack! #Reconciliation #cdnpoli https://t.co/DkWAYm3M3k

— Lisa Kirbie (@lisakirbie) February 20, 2023

Completely disrespectful of @JullyBlack to sing the Canadian national anthem incorrectly. When you are given the privilege to represent your country, you do so with respect or you don’t do it at all. She should never be asked to sing the anthem again publicly.

— Paul from Coquitlam (@PaulCoquitlam) February 20, 2023

Just take the “God keep our land…” out if it. Why can’t we have a secular anthem? It’s not up to God to keep our land glorious and free. It’s up to us to do that. I don’t sing that verse.

— Ann. Who? (@annwmac) February 20, 2023

Fair play Jully Black. If we can change the Canadian Anthem from "In all thy sons command" to "In all of us command" then it's no big stretch for truth changing "Our home and native land" to "Our home ON Native land". It's just more accurate. #NBAAllStar

— Drew (@JustRollinOn86) February 20, 2023

Regardless of the word change here, what's with the Americanization of our national anthem? Nobody sings it like that.

— Mike 🐟 (@TheFullMike) February 20, 2023

Out of all the sporting events I’ve watched in my life. The Canadian anthem has always sounded regular. Jully Black just made our anthem sound amazing #OCanada

— tonytoca (@tonytoca12) February 20, 2023

Love the change! Truth and reconciliation; our ancestors invaded their land, and stole it from the native population.

— Glamazon Zamboni (@Gayosaurus) February 20, 2023

Completely disrespectful of @JullyBlack to sing the Canadian national anthem incorrectly. When you are given the privilege to represent your country, you do so with respect or you don’t do it at all. She should never be asked to sing the anthem again publicly.

— Paul from Coquitlam (@PaulCoquitlam) February 20, 2023

“Our home on native land.” Shoutout to Jully Black.

— Chris Walder (@WalderSports) February 20, 2023

Our home “on” native land should really be the official change to our national anthem. Bravo @JullyBlack #nba

— Georgina Banks (@awwyeah123) February 20, 2023

Why are people living in Canada think it's okay to change the national Anthem at will? If you don't like OUR National Anthem then leave Canada #JullyBlack

— Richard (@RichardGill11) February 20, 2023

Love Jully Black's voice and her subtle change to the Canadian anthem. Did not love her rendition itself - too slow, too many random notes, too many of them off-key.
Still a noteworthy step in the progression of the anthem.

— Jack Todd (@jacktodd46) February 20, 2023

Bravo! Brilliant and true. Let’s make that change to the anthem permanent.

— Steve Hives (@steve_hives) February 20, 2023