Liberia
All Hail, Liberia, Hail!
1847
1847
Daniel Bashiel Warner
Olmstead Luca
🕊 Freedom ✝ God / Faith ❤ Love of homeland 🤝 Unity |
Key Facts
- 1. The phrase 'a race benighted' in the lyrics has been debated for decades, with some calling for a revision to remove what they see as a self-deprecating description
- 2. The melody is attributed to Olmstead Luca, an African-American music teacher who emigrated to Liberia and helped shape the country's early musical culture
- 3. Liberia is one of only two African countries (alongside Ethiopia) that were never formally colonized by a European power, and the anthem's lyrics celebrate this unique origin
Lyrics
All hail, Liberia, hail!
All hail, Liberia, hail!
This glorious land of liberty
Shall long be ours.
Though new her name,
Green be her fame,
And mighty be her powers,
In joy and gladness
With our hearts united,
We'll shout the freedom
Of a race benighted.
Long live Liberia, happy land!
A home of glorious liberty,
By God's command!
All hail, Liberia, hail!
All hail, Liberia, hail!
In union strong success is sure,
We cannot fail!
With God above
Our rights to prove,
We will o'er all prevail,
With heart and hand
Our country's cause defending,
We'll meet the foe
With valor unpretending.
Long live Liberia, happy land!
A home of glorious liberty,
By God's command!
All hail, Liberia, hail!
All hail, Liberia, hail!
The love of liberty brought us here,
And brought us true.
All men are born
To be free as the morn,
As flows the sea and dew.
With minds and hearts
All ill intentions scorning,
We'll press with pride
Till day an endless morning.
Long live Liberia, happy land!
A home of glorious liberty,
By God's command!
Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals
Analysis
EditorialOne of the oldest national anthems in Africa, adopted when Liberia was founded in 1847 by freed American slaves. The anthem was written by Daniel Bashiel Warner, who later became Liberia's third president. Its style and language closely mirror American patriotic songs of the era, reflecting the founders' origins in the United States.