Singing Of Joy to Be Free

The national song calling the sons (and daughters) of Papua New Guinea to arise and to “sing of our joy to be free” was adopted by the Constituent Assembly to be sung on Independence Day.

 

Unlike the National Flag and Emblem which were adopted four years earlier, the National Anthem was not decided until just a week before Independence Day.

 

It was even mooted that there would be no national song until after Independence, even though this song and others had been submitted in a nationwide competition well ahead of Independence Day.

 

The National Executive Council decided only on September 10, 1975, to adopt the song whose words and music were composed by Chief Inspector Thomas Shacklady, the then bandmaster of the ever-popular Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary Band.

 

The words are:

 

O arise all you sons of this land

Let us sing of our joy to be free

Praising God and rejoicing to bee

Papua New Guinea

 

Shout our name from the mountains to sea

Papua New Guinea

Let us raise our voices and proclaim

Papua New Guinea

 

Now give thanks to the good Lord above

For His kindness, His wisdom and love

For this land of our fathers so free

Papua New Guinea

 

Shout again for the whole world to hear

Papua New Guinea

We’re Independent and we’re free

Papua New Guinea