Patrick Castagne, a songwriter from Trinidad, had originally composed an anthem for the West Indies Federation (a proposed union of British-controlled islands in the West Indies, of which Trinidad was one of the largest in terms of area and population, and was also where the capital was located), however, this federation was dissolved in 1962 (partly due to Trinidad and Tobago striving for independence on its own). He reworked the song, titled “A Song for Federation”, by slightly altering the text, and submitted it for the contest for the anthem of Trinidad and Tobago. It was deemed to be the winner, and was played for the first time when independence was granted.

Special thanks to: Jo Hyo-roe for the sheet music.