Land of the Free

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Land of the free is often a reference to the United States of America, in part because the phrase appears in The Star-Spangled Banner.

This article is about the national anthem of Belize. For the album by the California punk rock band Pennywise, see the album.

Land of the Free is the national anthem of Belize. The words were written by Samuel Alfred Haynes and the music by Selwyn Walford Young in 1963. It was officially adopted in 1981.

1 Lyrics
2 Uses
3 History and Criticism
4 Trivia
5 External links

[edit] Lyrics

O, Land of the Free by the Carib Sea,

Our manhood we pledge to thy liberty!

No tyrants here linger, despots must flee

This tranquil haven of democracy.

The blood of our sires, which hallows the sod,

Brought freedom from slavery oppression's rod,

By the might of truth and the grace of God,

No longer shall we be hewers of wood.

Chorus:

Arise! ye sons of the Baymen's clan,

Put on your armour, clear the land!

Drive back the tyrants, let despots flee -

Land of the Free by the Carib Sea!

Nature has blessed thee with wealth untold,

O'er mountains and valleys where prairies roll;

Our fathers, the Baymen, valiant and bold

Drove back the invader; this heritage hold

From proud Rio Hondo to old Sarstoon,

Through coral isle, over blue lagoon;

Keep watch with the angels, the stars and moon;

For freedom comes tomorrow's noon.

Chorus:

Arise! ye sons of the Baymen's clan,

Put on your armour, clear the land!

Drive back the tyrants, let despots flee -

Land of the Free by the Carib Sea!

[edit] Uses

To introduce Belize at international events such as soccer matches, international sporting tournaments, conferences etc.
Locally, to introduce top national dignitaries such as the Governor General, Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition etc.
Most schools sing it at least once a week as part of school services; special church services, such as those on Independence Day, make use of the anthem.
Introduces most radio and television stations sign-on routine.
Generally, to identify Belize as an independent nation.

[edit] History and Criticism

[edit] Samuel Haynes

Haynes participated in World War I as part of the colonial effort for Great Britain and encountered much abuse and ridicule along with his fellow workers. On his return to Belize he became a part of workers' movements in Belize and is readily identified with the 1919 Ex-Servicemen's Riot that began on July 22. After that riot was supressed Haynes began organizing Belize's branch of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and facilitated the visit of its head Marcus Garvey of Jamaica. Garvey recruited Haynes to work with him in the U.S., a move that rendered the UNIA in Belize leaderless for much of the 1920's and that indirectly contributed to the Isaiah Morter controversy. Haynes most likely wrote the anthem as an answer to colonialism's stifling of Belizeans' identity. The lofty language and uplifting lyrics, with refernces to slavery and its end cleverly linked to the end of Belize's colonial period, a process that culminated on September 21, 1981. The song was originally titled "Land of the Gods", a salute to the proliferation of organized religion in Belize.

[edit] Exalting by the PUP

With the arrival of the nationalist movement led by the People's United Party, the search was on for new symbols of Belizean identity. The PUP had defied the colonial order by singing "God Bless America" instead of the royal anthem "God Save the King" (or Queen). At independence, the ruling PUP named the anthem Belize's official one and played it at emotional independence ceremonies on September 21. Most Belizeans agreed with the choice but lamented that it had not been put to a vote of Belizean residents.

[edit] Common complaints since

The anthem has come under fire from critics who charge that its language is archaic and does not appeal to a new generation of Belizeans who are in any case too young to remember Samuel Haynes. Some women have argued that the anthem is male-centric; witness the second line, "Our manhood we pledge to thy liberty," and the chorus' images of war, a mostly male occupation. Nationalist writers have argued that references to the Baymen are too slighting of the multi-ethnicity of Belize today and have proposed a number of replacements. The most recent complaint of this nature was leveled by Maya-Mestizo born correspondent Clinton Luna, who suggested that the phrase "sons of the Belizean soil" should replace "sons' of the Baymen's clan" in the chorus in recent issues of the Amandala weekly newspaper. The newspaper itself has previously argued to the same effect. However, Amandala contributor Henry Gordon countered in a later issue that nothing in the anthem represents any sort of bias to any ethnic group in Belize.

[edit] Alternative anthems?

Some have argued for the striking down of "Land of the Free" and its replacement by more modern songs. This line of attack has subsided somewhat as more Belizeans have grown used to the anthem.

[edit] Trivia

Former Prime Minister George Price toured the nation sometime in the early 2000's to promote the singing of the national anthem. He visited schools in rural areas and led children in singing the anthem.
Belize radio station Love FM's version of the anthem is sung by children of local primary school Grace Primary. Alternatively, a version is played featuring unknown male singers. Some other radio stations featured various singers or instrumental versions of the anthem at morning sign-on.
In author Zee Edgell's Beka Lamb, the title character and her friend Toycie Qualo sing the two opening and closing lines of the original song, Land of the Gods, while parodying the political meetings then being held by the PIP (itself a parody of the PUP) in Belize City. Edgell acknowledged permission to use the song at the front of the book.
The anthem was prominently featured in demonstrations in Belize in 2005.
Belizeans normally stand at attention facing forward, headgear off, while singing or facing someone singing the national anthem.