Canadians are especially proud of their musical contribution to the world. Despite Nickelback, April Lavigne and Rush, we have still managed to gain the world’s respect and admiration for putting great music into the ears of nationalities everywhere. Fortunately, some of the good ones are still honouring their homeland’s virtues, challenges and lore in tunes closer to home. Here are a few great songs that reference Canadian history or culture in their lyrics. – Mike Berard
Love This Town – Joel Plaskett Emergency
In this love letter to his hometown of Halifax, Joel Plaskett speaks of crossing the bridge from Dartmouth to Halifax to see a music show at the Marquee club, a now legendary live music venue. He also opines on the drudgery of playing to a room full of unappreciative fans in Kelowna, contrasting the love with a little bit of hate. Sure, it may be a somber love letter but it’s a love letter indeed.
Choice Lyric:
I saw your band in the early days
We all understand why you moved away
We’ll hold a grudge anyway
Listen up kid
It’s not what you think
Staying up too late
Had a little too much to drink
Walked home across the bridge
When the Marquee shut down
There’s a reason that I love this town
Nobody cares how much money you have
If you’ve got enough to get in a cab
There’ll be drinks on the house if your house burns down
There’s a reason that I love this town
One Great City! – The Weakerthans
There is a delicate balance between sarcasm and insult. As such, it is with delicate grace and intimate knowledge of the city that vocalist John K. Samson bravely declares “I hate Winnipeg” on this standout track from The Weakerthan’s excellent 2003 album Reconstruction Site. The song, a perfectly crafted ode to the band’s hometown, attacks everything dear to Winnipeg including The Guess Who and the Jets. Initially humorous, the listener soon realizes Samson speaks of a love/hate relationship only those familiar with the city can understand.
Choice Lyric:
And up above us all, leaning into sky
our golden business boy, will watch the North End die
And sing, “I love this town”
then let his arcing wrecking ball proclaim “I Hate Winnipeg”
The Guess Who sucked, the Jets were lousy anyway
The same route everyday
And in the turning lane
Someone’s stalled again
He’s talking to himself
And hears the price of gas repeat his phrase
“I hate Winnipeg”
Wheat Kings – The Tragically Hip
Any list of Canadian music would be incomplete without the inclusion of Kingston’s musical sons, The Hip. While a number of tracks from their 11 studio albums could be considered, in the end Wheat Kings from the 1992 album Fully Completely makes the cut, if not for its beautifully simple chord progression and Bobby Baker guitar accents than for the intriguing story it tells. Through trademark poetic prose front man Gord Downie tells the tragic story of David Milgaard, a Winnipeg man wrongly accused of murder who subsequently spent 21 years in prison before being acquitted. Unapologetically Canadian, Downie references Saskatoon (“the Paris of the prairies”) and the CBC in a powerful tribute to one of Canada’s biggest legal blunders.
Choice Lyric:
Late breaking story on the CBC, a nation whispers “we always know he’d go free”
They add “you can’t be fond of living in the past, ‘cause if you are then there is no way you are going to last”
Wheat Kings and pretty things,
Let’s just see what the morning brings
A Case of You – Joni Mitchell
A no-brainer. Consistently cited as one of the most important Canadian songs (by one of the most important songwriters) of all time, Joni Mitchell’s A Case of You remains as influential now as it ever was, and for good reason. Mitchell, backed by the legendary James Taylor, sings into the hearts of all Canadians when she seamlessly threads the lyrics of our national anthem into this personal letter of heartbreak. With her haunting voice the words explicitly express the sadness and despair of a Canadian winter spent alone. And as if that isn’t enough, every tried and true Canadian can appreciate the beer-stained metaphor “Oh I could drink a case of you. I could drink a case of you darling and I would still be on my feet.”
Choice Lyric:
Just before our love got lost you said “I am as constant as a northern star”
And I said “constant in the darkness, where’s that at?
If you want me I’ll be in the bar.”
On the back of a cartoon coaster, in the blue tv screen light
I drew a map of canada, Oh canada
And your face sketched on it twice
Western Skies – Blue Rodeo
As a born and raised B.C. boy once transplanted to Toronto for two years, this song occupies a special place in my music collection and in my heart. While Blue Rodeo has been playing the beer-soaked bars of Queen St. for over two decades, they never forget that Canada extends beyond the golden horseshoe and it shows in the plentiful Canadian references throughout their discography. In Western Skies, singer/Torontonian Jim Cuddy sings the praises of Western Canada with all the enthusiasm of an Albertan ranchman and manages to do so without sounding like an Eddie Bauer-clad tourist.
Choice Lyric:
Well I’d rather be walking through the tall pine trees high up above Lake Louise
And I’d rather be chasing after shooting stars than waiting for this dumb 503 TTC
I’d like to see the sun set behind Saddle Mountain and listen to the wind whisper my name
yeah this world and me don’t fit, one of us is going to have to quit
Oh how I miss those western skies
Escarpment Blues – Sarah Harmer
Sarah Harmer’s well publicized protest of the environmental rape of her native Niagara escarpment has put the issue front and center for Canadian environmentalists. In a time where musicians and celebrities have become synonymous with “activism” that more often leans towards verbal diarrhea than productive progress, Harmer’s Escarpment Blues is a heartfelt and surprisingly effective contribution towards making a difference in the world. The bonus? We, the listeners, get an amazing song (and album) out of it.
Choice Lyric:
We’re two-thirds water, what do we really need but sun, showers, soil and seed?
We’re two-thirds water, the aquifers provide
Deep down in the rock, there’s a pearl inside
- Mike Berard