歌曲本名“Advance Australia Fair”采用了倒装形式的诗意祈使句，以表达和期望“美丽的（Fair）澳大利亚（Australia）向前进（Advance）”。而澳洲联邦政府也先后采用“前進澳洲美之國”[3][1]和“前进美丽的澳洲”[2]于官方出版物内容之中，分别作为该曲的指定繁中及简中标题。相较之下，更为直白者则包括中国大陆政府翻译的《前进，美丽的澳大利亚》[4]和中国内地民间流传的《前进的澳大利亚》、《前进，澳大利亚》或《澳大利亚，前进》等等。
《天佑吾王》作为国歌沿用到1974年。1973年，高夫·惠特拉姆政府决定澳大利亚应该启用自己的国歌，并通过澳洲艺术公会（英语：Australia Council for the Arts）举行竞赛决定国歌。竞赛最终决定的三首候选国歌都是传统歌曲：即《前进澳洲美之国》、《丛林流浪》（Waltzing Matilda）及《澳大利亚之歌》（Song of Australia）[7]。1974年经过民意调查后，惠特拉姆政府决定将《前进澳洲美之国》定为“爱国歌曲”（National song），在除去有特别王室意义的场合外的其他场合演奏。
2020年12月31日，总理斯科特·莫里森宣布，总督大卫·赫利已同意将国歌歌词中的“我们年轻且自由”（For we are young and free）改为“我们团结且自由”（For we are one and free），体现国家认可澳大利亚原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民的历史。新版本歌词于2021年1月1日开始启用[10][11]。
此曲在草创初期曾有四段歌词，但是最终的官方国歌版没有采用第二段和第四段，因其后半部分写有“Still keep a British soul”字样而显得英国情结过于浓厚，招致多数澳洲人反感，更被澳洲国会认为有冒犯之嫌。原稿的第一段和第三段歌词在被选为国歌时都有修改，其中第一段的“Australia's sons all let us rejoice”被改成了“Australians all let us rejoice”，第三段则重新填写了歌词[12][13][14]。
第一部分 Australia's sons all let us rejoice For we are young and free We've golden soil and wealth for toil Our home is girt by sea Our land abounds in Nature's gifts Of beauty rich and rare In history's page, let every stage Advance Australia fair In joyful strains then let us sing Advance Australia fair 第二部分 When gallant Cook from Albion sailed To trace wide oceans o'er True British courage bore him on Til he landed on our shore Then here he raised Old England's flag The standard of the brave "With all her faults we love her still" "Britannia rules the wave" In joyful strains then let us sing Advance Australia fair 第三部分 While other nations of the globe Behold us from afar We'll rise to high renown and shine Like our glorious southern star From England soil and Fatherland Scotia and Erin fair Let all combine with heart and hand To advance Australia fair. In joyful strains then let us sing Advance Australia fair 第四部分 Should foreign foe e'er sight our coast Or dare a foot to land We'll rouse to arms like sires of yore To guard our native strand Britannia then shall surely know Though oceans roll between Her sons in fair Australia's land Still keep a British soul In joyful strains then let us sing Advance Australia fair
Beneath our radiant Southern Cross We'll toil with hearts and hands To make our youthful Commonwealth Renowned of all the lands For loyal sons beyond the seas We've boundless plains to share With courage let us all combine To Advance Australia Fair In joyful strains then let us sing Advance Australia Fair
第一部分 Australians all let us rejoice For we are young and free We've golden soil and wealth for toil Our home is girt by sea Our land abounds in nature's gifts Of beauty rich and rare In history's page, let every stage Advance Australia Fair In joyful strains then let us sing Advance Australia Fair 第二部分 Beneath our radiant Southern Cross We'll toil with hearts and hands To make this Commonwealth of ours Renowned of all the lands For those who've come across the seas We've boundless plains to share With courage let us all combine To Advance Australia Fair In joyful strains then let us sing Advance Australia Fair
第一部分 Australians all let us rejoice For we are one and free[15] We've golden soil and wealth for toil Our home is girt by sea Our land abounds in nature's gifts Of beauty rich and rare In history's page, let every stage Advance Australia Fair In joyful strains then let us sing Advance Australia Fair 第二部分 Beneath our radiant Southern Cross We'll toil with hearts and hands To make this Commonwealth of ours Renowned of all the lands For those who've come across the seas We've boundless plains to share With courage let us all combine To Advance Australia Fair In joyful strains then let us sing Advance Australia Fair
