You’re standing at a stadium, or maybe a school assembly, and the music starts. You belt out the words. "Australians all let us rejoice..." But honestly? Most of us are just humming through the "girt by sea" part and hoping we don’t accidentally sing the old version of the second line.
If you’ve ever felt like the Advance Australia Fair lyrics are a bit of a mystery—or if you’re still singing "young and free" when everyone else is singing "one and free"—you’re not alone. The song has a wild history. It wasn’t always the anthem. In fact, for a long time, it was just a catchy tune written by a Scottish immigrant who was annoyed that Australia didn’t have its own song.
The 2021 Tweak: Why One Word Changed Everything
On January 1, 2021, the lyrics officially changed. It was a single word. One syllable.
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The line "For we are young and free" became "For we are one and free."
Why? Because calling Australia "young" felt like a slap in the face to First Nations people who have been here for 65,000 years. Indigenous cultures aren't "young." They are the oldest continuous living cultures on Earth. Prime Minister Scott Morrison pushed the change through to make the song feel a bit more like it actually belongs to everyone living here today.
It’s a small shift, but it changed the vibe of the whole first verse. It moved the focus from a "new" colonial nation to a unified, ancient one.
The "Girt" Factor: What Does it Even Mean?
If there is one word that defines the Australian identity through song, it’s girt.
"Our home is girt by sea."
Basically, "girt" is just an old-fashioned way of saying surrounded or encircled. It comes from the word "gird." Think of a "girdle" or "girding your loins." It sounds clunky and a bit weird to modern ears, but it’s stuck.
At this point, "girt" is basically an Australian meme. We keep it because, well, what else would we use? "Our home is surrounded by water" just doesn't have the same ring to it.
The Original Lyrics (And the Verses We Chopped)
Most people don’t realize that Peter Dodds McCormick’s original 1878 version had four verses. And boy, they were different.
The stuff we sing today is the "cleaned up" version. The original was very, very British.
The Verse About Captain Cook
There used to be a whole section dedicated to James Cook. It went:
When gallant Cook from Albion sailed, To trace wide oceans o’er...
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It talked about him raising "Old England’s flag" and declared that "Britannia rules the wave."
The "Foreign Foe" Verse
There was even a verse that sounded like a call to arms. It warned that if a "foreign foe" ever tried to land on Australian shores, the people would "rouse to arms like sires of yore."
By the time the government got around to making it the official anthem in 1984, they realized that singing about British naval dominance and "rouse to arms" wasn't exactly the "inclusive 80s" vibe they were going for. They ditched the Cook verse, ditched the war verse, and combined the leftovers into the two verses we have now.
A Timeline of Identity
It took a really long time for Advance Australia Fair to win the top spot.
- 1878: Peter Dodds McCormick writes the song after attending a concert of national anthems and feeling salty that Australia didn't have one.
- 1901: It’s sung at the Federation of Australia, but God Save the Queen stays the official anthem.
- 1974: Gough Whitlam runs a poll. People like Advance Australia Fair, but the next government switches back to the British anthem.
- 1977: A national plebiscite (a fancy word for a big vote) is held. Advance Australia Fair gets 43.6% of the vote, beating out Waltzing Matilda and God Save the Queen.
- 1984: Bob Hawke finally makes it official. He also changes "Australia's sons" to "Australians all" to include, you know, women.
- 2021: The "young and free" to "one and free" change happens.
The Lyrics You Need to Know Now
If you’re heading to a citizenship ceremony or the Footy Finals, these are the current, official Advance Australia Fair lyrics.
Verse 1
Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are one and free;
We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil,
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in Nature’s gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history’s page, let every stage
Advance Australia fair!
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia fair!
Verse 2
Beneath our radiant southern Cross,
We’ll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who’ve come across the seas
We’ve boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia fair!
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Why Some People Still Aren't Fans
Even with the 2021 change, the song is kinda controversial.
Some people think the tune is a bit boring—often comparing it to a funeral march if it's played too slowly. Others, like legendary singer Judith Durham (from The Seekers), spent years campaigning for even more inclusive lyrics. She actually worked on a version that mentioned "the Dreaming" and "sacred land" to better reflect Indigenous history.
Then there’s the "boundless plains to share" line. In a country with a pretty intense debate over immigration and border security, that line can feel a bit ironic to some, or like a broken promise to others.
Making the Lyrics Stick
Learning the anthem isn't just about memorizing words; it's about understanding why they're there.
If you want to actually remember these for your next big event, try these steps:
- Focus on the "One": Whenever you get to the second line, visualize the whole country standing together. It helps replace the "young" habit.
- Listen to different versions: Don't just stick to the orchestral ones. Listen to Indigenous artists like Jessica Mauboy or Busby Marou perform it. The phrasing is often more natural and easier to pick up.
- Say "Girt" out loud: Just get it out of your system. Once you stop giggling at the word, it's easier to sing it with a straight face.
The anthem will probably keep changing. That’s okay. A national song should grow with the people who sing it. For now, the focus is on being "one and free"—a nod to the past and a hope for the future.