"Gens du pays" is the unofficial anthem of the Canadian province of Quebec. Written by poet, songwriter, and avowed Québec nationalist Gilles Vigneault (with music co-written by Gaston Rochon), it was first performed by Vigneault on June 24, 1975 during a concert on Montreal's Mount Royal at that year's Fête Nationale du Québec ceremony. It has been played frequently at Fête nationale ceremonies since then. The chorus is by far the most famous part of the song, which, translated, states "people of the country, it is your turn to let you speak of love."

The song is also associated with the Quebec sovereignty movement, and the sovereigntist Parti Québécois, which uses it as a sort of anthem. A famous instance of this took place at René Lévesque's concession speech after the citizens of the province of Québec rejected independence in the 1980 Quebec referendum where the huge crowd assembled to watch him speak stood up at the end of the speech and united in singing "Gens du pays" as a symbol of strength and unity, and to show that the separatists had lost this referendum, but had not given up their dream of an independent Québec.

Other usage

In Québec, a modified version of the chorus is often sung to celebrate a person, for example on a birthday:

Mon cher ami (or Ma chère amie), c'est à ton tour

De te laisser parler d'amour.

("My dear friend, it's your turn/To let yourself talk of love.")

Alternatively, "ami(e)" is replaced with the name of the person being celebrated.

For instance, at the funeral of ex-Parti Québécois leader René Lévesque, mourners outside the church broke out singing "Mon cher René, c'est à ton tour, de te laisser parler d'amour."