Canadian national anthem singer confirms she changed lyrics as jab at US during 4 Nations final
The singer who performed the Canadian national anthem prior to Thursday’s 4 Nations Face-Off between Canada and the United States admitted to intentionally changing a lyric in “O Canada,” per a report from The Associated Press.
Juno Award-winning artist Chantal Kreviazuk changed the lyric from “in all of us command” to “that only us command” in response to U.S. President Donald Trump‘s repeated remarks about making Canada the 51st state.
Kreviazuk told the AP during Canada’s 3-2 overtime victory she changed the lyric “because I believe in democracy, and a sovereign nation should not have to be defending itself against tyranny and fascism.” Kreviazuk, a Winnipeg, Manitoba, native, said she wanted to be “authentic” to herself on the world stage.
“I’m somebody who grew up on music that spoke to the heart and the moment. And it shaped me as a songwriter and really as a human being,” Kreviazuk said. “I don’t think it would be authentic to me to be given a world stage and not express myself and be true to myself.”
She wrote the phrase with mascara on her left hand and later posted the proof on Instagram.
“I just put it on there so if I ever had a moment and I kind of froze, I would be able to look at my hand and see it,” she said. “I’d love to see people sort of get inspired. And catch the fire and say their heart more in their art. … Sometimes you just got to speak the truth in your art and it’s awesome. That’s what it should be about.”
Canadian, US fans boo national anthems during 4 Nations Face-Off
Canadian fans booed the U.S. national anthem before last Saturday’s matchup at the Bell Centre in Montreal. U.S. fans at the TD Garden in Boston responded with booing of their own during Kreviazuk’s rendition of the Canadian national anthem. Booing of the U.S. national anthem started before the tournament after Trump threatened a series of tariffs against Canada. Trump also suggested making Canada the 51st state.
Those political tensions added to the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off and the on-ice rivalry between the two teams. Trump called the U.S. team before Thursday’s morning skate, wishing them luck in the final. After Connor McDavid‘s game-winning goal 8:18 into overtime, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a jab at Trump.
“You can’t take our country,” Trudeau wrote on X, “and you can’t take our game.”
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