Rufus Wainwright put a unique spin on “O Canada” before the fifth game of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night. The singer, originally from Montreal, altered the lyrics to “that only us command” instead of the traditional “in all of us command,” as he performed the anthem in both English and French prior to the showdown between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
This lyric change mirrored a similar act by fellow Canadian Chantal Kreviazuk, who made the same alteration during the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey final in Boston on Feb. 20 in response to Donald Trump’s controversial “51st state” remarks about Canada.
Wainwright’s rendition was not the only anthem lyric modification at the World Series this week. During Game 3 on Oct. 27, Grammy-nominated artist JP Saxe sang “our home on native land” instead of the traditional “our home and native land.” This adjustment echoed R&B singer Jully Black’s performance at the NBA All-Star game in Salt Lake City in 2023.
Ahead of Wainwright’s performance in Game 5, Toronto-born singer-songwriter Deborah Cox sang “O Canada” at Game 4 the night before. The series stood at a 2-2 tie going into Game 5, where the Blue Jays emerged victorious over the Dodgers with a final score of 6-1.
The next game, Game 6, is slated for Friday night at Rogers Centre, with a potential Game 7 scheduled in Toronto on Saturday if required.
