Forged from the love of liberty,
In the fires of hope and prayer,
With boundless faith in our Destiny,
We solemnly declare,
Side by side we stand,
Islands of the blue Caribbean Sea,
This our Native Land,
We pledge our lives to Thee,
Here every creed and race finds an equal place,
And may God bless our Nation,
Here every creed and race finds an equal place,
And may God bless our Nation.
Patrick S. Castagne composed the words and music of the National Anthem in 1962. The words of the National Anthem reflect the nature and strength of the people of Trinidad and Tobago and our courage as one nation working towards living in unity despite our diversity. The National Anthem should be accorded the respect due to it when played, and on no occasion should it be treated with scant courtesy. While it must be played in the original music, the pitch, speed and tone can be changed.
When the Anthem is being played, all persons should pay respect to it by standing to attention. Men in civilian dress should remove their headdress. Commissioned Officers of the Armed Forces, Gazetted Officers of the Police Service, Cadet Force Officers and Officers of the Fire Services, Prisons Service, St John Ambulance Brigade, Red Cross Society, Boy Scouts Association and Girl Guides Association, in uniform are to salute. All other ranks and all other persons are to stand to attention.
There is no law that says you must stand for the National Anthem, it is simply protocol.
