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13 Sep 99 - 08:53 PM (#114003) Subject: This Land (Canadian version) From: MandolinPaul Does anyone know the Canadian lyrics for "This Land is Your Land"? |
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14 Sep 99 - 02:50 AM (#114062) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Joe Offer Well, I found this alternate chorus in the Rise Up Singing songbook (Canadian chorus:I found the same thing in a cute little booklet called Nova Scotia Seniors in Song, a less-than-scholarly work, but at least it's from Canada... Don't know if there's more. In the lyrics I found, there was just the different chorus, but the verses were the same. -Joe Offer- |
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14 Sep 99 - 03:09 AM (#114064) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Murray on Saltspring Joe's right -- all I've ever heard are the Guthrie verses + the Canadianised chorus. |
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14 Sep 99 - 07:42 AM (#114080) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Bat Goddess I've heard Frank Taylor ("The Flying Scotsman") from New Brunswick do it and it seems to me he sang more than just a Canadianized chorus. I'm not sure how to get in touch with him these days. Linn, the Bat Goddess
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14 Sep 99 - 10:16 AM (#114101) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Rick Fielding The "Canadian words" are apparently credited to Jerry Gray and other members of the band "The Travellers", however a few years ago Oscar Brand told me that he'd had a hand in writing them as well. God, how I hate that song! Most Canadians think it's practically our national anthem, and request it constantly. I used to explain that it was a (minor) re-working of an American song, but often the folks wouldn't believe me. "Oh no, I remember my great grandmother singing that back in Cape Breton...yada, yada.." I hate to admit this but (mudcat IS therapy isn't it?) on occasion I would introduce it with a description of Woody's affiliation with the Communist party, and then watch as the audience (often folks of middle age and even more middle opinions) squirmed, while deciding if they still thought it our national song. Bad form on my part, I know. Rick |
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14 Sep 99 - 12:28 PM (#114129) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Paul S Sounds like the risks and rewards of the folk process, Rick. If anything, I'd say this is a testament to how great the song is. I can relate to what you're saying, though. Back when I was playing the blues, it used to really piss me off when people would describe some of my favourite Elmore James tunes as "my favourite George Thorogood song". |
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14 Sep 99 - 02:20 PM (#114152) Subject: This Land Is Your Land (discussion) From: Joe Offer What was it your wife said about your sense of humor, Rick? Gee, you sound like John the Baptist, a voice crying in the desert, waiting to get his head served up on a plate. I gotta say I admire your integrity - you've got a worse case of it than I have. I sometimes hear people insist on singing the Canadian chorus, in a very earnest effort to be equitable to "our friendly neighbours to the North." More often, I find people want to castrate the song by singing only the first three verses, the ones they learned in school or from Peter, Paul and Mary (ribbon of highway, roamed & rambled, sun came shining). They don't feel comfortable with the other three Woody wrote (no trespassing, relief office, freedom highway) - without those last three verses, the song sounds kind of sappy. With the "Canadian chorus," it sounds even worse. Say, I note that the "freedom highway" verse is missing from the database: Nobody living can ever stop me,Seeger says Woody added this as a last verse sometime before the early 1950's, when he dictated the missing verses to Arlo. Here's what Pete Seeger says in Where Have All the Flowers Gone: The other three verses are not so generally known. When Arlo Guthrie was a child, his father visited home from the hospital and had Arlo write down the verses which didn't get in the school songbooks.Seeger's article on the song goes on for three fascinating pages - it was originally published in the Village Voice and reprinted in Where Have All the Flowers Gone, which was published in 1993 by Sing Out! The book includes a photograph of the original, handwritten lyrics, dated February 23, 1940. Woody had originally titled the song "God Blessed America," and the ending of each verse was "God blessed America for me." Seeger says it was kind of an answer to Kate Smith's recording of "God Bless America," which was getting a lot of airplay at the time. Oh, and about that "no trespassing" verse - this is how it appears on the original: Was a big high wall there that tried to stop meApparently, it was Arlo who changed it to the "no trespassing" version we have in the database. Woody's version scans better, but Arlo's version is better-known. -Joe Offer- |
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14 Sep 99 - 07:05 PM (#114209) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Rick Fielding Yup, that's me Joe, I'm even carrying the plate waiting for someone to remove my head. Actually "This Land.." is a fine song. It just annoys me when folks change five words to make it Canadian and my whole f*****g country thinks it's their own. No wonder the Yanks own 9/10ths of Canada. |
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14 Sep 99 - 09:12 PM (#114244) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: MandolinPaul Excerpts from the "Is Lyric Creep a Sin?" thread: From: Joe Offer Date: 30-Aug-99 - 11:44 PM ...changing the lyrics to fit the singer is another matter - how else can the singer make the song his own? From: Rick Fielding Date: 30-Aug-99 - 11:53 PM I am probably as guilty of "lyric creep" as anyone alive, and sometimes it amazes me just how FAR they creep over the passage of time...I can put up with the flack of a trad. person telling me "I'm doin' it wrong" |
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14 Sep 99 - 09:18 PM (#114247) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Big Mick Joe, Don't forget what I consider to be the most important verse. Woody said in a number of venues that he was worried it would be lost. One bright sunny morning, In the shadow of the steeple Over by the relief office, I saw my people And they were hungry, and they were wonderin' If this land was made for you and me. The song was originally written as a protest against "God Bless America". The original title was "God Blessed America". I have a copy of the original that Woody scratched in long hand. Klein's book covers this pretty well. Big Mick |
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14 Sep 99 - 09:39 PM (#114249) Subject: This Land Is Your Land (discussion) From: Joe Offer Hi, Mick - Yeah, it does look like I forgot the "relief" office verse since I transcribed the other "forgotten' versed, but you'll notice that I did make mention of it in my fine print and that it's included in the lyrics in the database. I've been thinking of getting around to transcribing the whole thing from Woody's handwritten lyrics, but transcribing takes away some of the power from seeing it in Woody's own hand - Pete Seeger includes the handwritten lyrics in Where Have All the Flowers Gone. Paul, I've found that Messrs. Fielding and Offer and Big Mick often have a similar philosophy, and we all believe in changing lyrics to fit the situation, and we all have changed this song and have added lyrics. However, I think the issue here is that Mr. Fielding and I find the "Canadian chorus" to be "sappy" (and, when sung by singers from the U.S., "patronizing.") I'll betcha Big Mick would agree. (grin) That's our opinion, and we're entitled to attempt to foist it on others...... -Joe Offer- |
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14 Sep 99 - 10:35 PM (#114268) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Big Mick Obi-Wan Offer is exactly correct on several scores. I do in fact, agree with he and Brother Fielding on the issue of "folk processing" of lyrics. And I agree completely with their take on Canadianizing these lyrics, especially by Yanks. That great country has such a rich musical tradition of its own that it hardly needs to bastardize any song from the United States (take note that I didn't say American) to establish it's identity. Mick |
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14 Sep 99 - 10:51 PM (#114273) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Joe Offer ...but Big Mick uses apostrophes and nominative pronouns where Obi-Wan Offer wouldn't. Methinks Obi-Wan Offer may have had an overdose of Catholic education. Tends to make one anal-retentive.... -Joe Offer- |
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14 Sep 99 - 11:03 PM (#114277) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca I didn't have a "Catholic" education, whatever that really means. I try not to do much with apostrophes, and contractions myself. I figure it is always less confusing. Speaking of these apostrophes, WHY do most USA transcribed songs, put apostrophes in places where I don't ever remember people leaving out the ending, ie "-in'" instead of "-ing". Is this only done by the US singers, or is it that is what is sung? |
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14 Sep 99 - 11:14 PM (#114283) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Big Mick Sweet Mother of God..............having Father JoeBro around is like having the good sisters looking over my shoulder. You don't have a ''''''''''''''''''''''''ruler hidden under your vestments, do you Joe???? LOL I just sing the damn songs, don't ask me to get the *&%^$%^&*&^%$@# grammar and punctuation right. HAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHA Mick |
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14 Sep 99 - 11:51 PM (#114298) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Mark Cohen Back to the original question...in 1964 my family went north from Philadelphia for a vacation, and among other places we visited the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. I don't remember a whole lot of that visit, except for a life-size sculpture of the Beatles made out of butter, but I do recall going to a concert and hearing the words: This land is your land, this land is my land From Nova Scotia to Vancouver Island From the Yukon forests to the Hudson Bay waters This land was made for you and me I don't recall any of the verses. Perhaps somebody else was there and knows who was performing. I do recall that the fair was known to the locals as The Ex. Is it still happening, I wonder? Eh? |
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15 Sep 99 - 11:27 AM (#114419) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Paul S Joe, How can changing a few geographical names make a song "sappy"? Being Canadian, wouldn't it be kind of silly for me to sing the original lyrics? I can respect your right to "foist" your opinion, but this seems to be an opinion just for opinion's sake. Kind of like the opinions of a lot of columnists and critics: they figure it's easier to sound intelligent by showing the flaws (real or imagined, than by praise. |
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15 Sep 99 - 12:03 PM (#114425) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Jerry Friedman George, a great many people in the U.S. say "-in" instead of "-ing". So many that "-ing" is almost a sign of doing what Mrs. Thistlebottom told you, which then makes "-in" a sign of the popular, unacademic, and folkloric. So a lot of USers would be uncomfortable singin' (or signin') folk music any other way. |
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15 Sep 99 - 12:10 PM (#114428) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Rick Fielding Big Mick, are you suggesting that Joe has a ruler in his pocket, or that he's just glad to see you? (appologies to Mae West) Wow! I'm so happy that this "little thread" has engendered a bit of controversy. First of all, yes I've been changing words and lines in songs for many years. I've always found it a bit dumb when place names are "zipped"(Sing-Out's term) into songs. Since I've sung and written political songs and satires for picket lines etc., I've done that too. I just don't think the resulting songs deserve much more than immediate casual interest. A case in point. There is a Canadian singer and writer named "Stompin" Tom Conners who has always been hugely popular in rural areas (and now among college students). He ostensibly wrote "songs" about every place he travelled to, but most of them are really bad in my opinion. The songs seem to me to exist for the sole purpose of getting the town's name repeated a dozen times. It works. He's popular with a certain segment all across the country, but when I hear him called "Canada's Woody Guthrie", or the equal of Stan Rogers, I cringe. I've never heard an American sing the Canadian words, but this is one Canadian who tries whenever possible to sing the original version. It's about America, not Canada! I have many fine songs about Canada I can do, so why mess with Woody, just to have a handy sing-along? Rick |
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15 Sep 99 - 12:12 PM (#114430) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Jerry Friedman again Incidentally, the "sun came shining" verse, which I like, is not in the DT either. A couple years ago, when Mudcatters were discussing this song, I polled my physics class at Espanola Valley High School here in New Mexico. Not one had heard the Communist verses. However, everyone had learned the song in elementary school--except for the one Indian girl in the class, who had gone to elementary school at the Pueblo. I guess the irony would have been a little too pointed. |
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15 Sep 99 - 12:49 PM (#114442) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Paul S Rick The whole folk process is about interpretation. Beyond the places mentioned in the chorus, the lyrics could be referring to any country. When I sing this song, it's about Canada. I'm not saying there aren't a lot of good Canadian songs, I just happen to like this one. What bothers me is the arrogance of people telling me that the way I sing the song (and a lot of other people sing it) "bastardizes" it. ...and by the way, I couldn't agree more about Stompin' Tom. |
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15 Sep 99 - 01:00 PM (#114443) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Marion You want a Canadian version of This Land that isn't sappy? Here's the way we sang it when we were little kids:
This land is my land Charming, eh? And about Stomping Tom, I know there's truth in what you say, but still, it's so fun to chant "Joe Mufferaw" and hear all the names of places in the Ottawa Valley. Marion |
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15 Sep 99 - 01:08 PM (#114446) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Bert I did hear someone try to Anglicize it once. Thankfully the only line I can remember is ...From Stoke Poges to Canvey Island... Bert. |
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15 Sep 99 - 02:50 PM (#114476) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Joe Offer Well, Paul, I suppose you have a point, but there's something about changing that chorus that just doesn't feel right to me. Singing only the first three verses, with either the US or the Canada chorus, makes the song into a fairly harmless travelogue - nice enough, but not what Woody intended. I think it's important to preserve the anti-elitist message of this song. To do that, you have to sing ALL the verses. I guess I have to admit, however, that it's only recently that I've been able to remember to sing this song without Peter, Paul & Mary's ornamentation on the melody. And I haven't been as successful dropping the PP&M melody from "If I Had a Hammer" and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone." -Joe Offer- |
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15 Sep 99 - 04:20 PM (#114504) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Rick Fielding To Jerry: The Communist VERSES? Lordy I must have missed something. What on earth ARE they? Paul: Believe me I'm not arrogant. I also don't like folks telling other folks that there's a "correct" way to sing a song. My point (although probably over-stated) was that TO ME, the Guthrie song was weakened by the "Canadianizing". The fun that others get singing it that way (or the undeniable pleasure that Canucks who wouldn't know Woody Guthrie from Woody Harrelson get when listening) is what the folk process is all about. Marion: I agree with you about Big Joe Mufferaw. It's one of his best. Rick |
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15 Sep 99 - 10:29 PM (#114574) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Big Mick Paul S. First let me apologize for offending you. I had no intention of doing so. I was not speaking personally about anyone when I made the comment. Most Canadians I know would have interpreted my statement as being in solidarity with folks who resent the idea that Canada is the United States northern territories. I find the country to have a wonderful character, and identity of its own. I have great respect for its people, traditions and music. On the issue of you saying I am arrogant for telling you how you should sing a song,........well, I guess I would have to tell you that Father Offer and his ruler are at hand and he needs to use it on your knuckles for not paying attention to what you read. I never told you what you should or should not sing. What I said was, and I quote,"That great country has such a rich musical tradition of its own that it hardly needs to bastardize any song from the United States (take note that I didn't say American) to establish it's identity." So sing the song any bloody way you choose. I certainly would. But I am entitled to an opinion, it was stated without rancor, and it reflects my feeling. All the best, Big Mick |
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15 Sep 99 - 10:56 PM (#114588) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: BobLusk The Communist verses - or at least what CUNY students used to sing at Washington Square {Park in the 1960's With all due apologies to the origional and other versions This land is their land, it is not our land From the Wall street office to the cadalac car land From the plush apartment to the holywood star land This land is not for you and me So take your slogan and kindly stow it If this is our land you'd never know it Let's get together and overthrow it This land is not for you and me I'm sure there's more, but this is all I can remember right now. Bob |
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16 Sep 99 - 12:14 AM (#114607) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Art Thieme Bob Lusk, Your verses go with this one. I think they all came from THE BOSSES SONGBOOK from that great era. Word was that it was written by Dave Van Ronk at the time, but he never got credit for that in the book I don't think. Could be he didn't want the credit. On the cover were the words: Songs To Stifle The Flames Of Discontent. Also was a drawing of a drooling and ravenous wolf sitting on the backs of the crushed workers.
As I went walking that endless breadline,
This land is their land--it is not our land, Once I heard a kid in a Chicago schoolyard sing it this way:
... The above was a parody of both "This Land Is Your Land" and an R.C. (Royal Crown Cola commercial of the seventies. Pete Seeger once sent me an article he'd written that included these verses:
As I was walking that Hudson River,
As I was walking that ribbon of highway
I've roamed and rambled and followed the beer cans,
The sun came shining but the hazes hid it,
These schools are your schools--these schools are my schools,
This river is your river--this river is my river,
As I went walking the oilfield coastline,
I come a long way here--I got a long way to go yet,
This land is you land, but it once was my land, Art Thieme |
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16 Sep 99 - 06:08 AM (#114643) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Canberra Chris I'd love to join this thread relating an Oz version, but I'm not sure that Adaminaby, Binalong, Carrickalinga, Dead Horse Gap, Eggs and Bacon Bay, Furracabad, Goombungee, Halekulani, Indooroopilly, Jembaicumbene, Koolyanobbing, Lilli Pilli, Murgheboluc, Nar Nar Goon, O B Flat, Pannawonica, Queanbeyan, Rottnest Island, Smiggin Holes, Tumbarumba, Umbakumba, Varroville, Wagga Wagga, Yackandandah or Zeehan would quite fit the metre. Chris |
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16 Sep 99 - 10:24 AM (#114680) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Art Thieme Chris, If it exists, I'd love to see it!!!! Art |
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16 Sep 99 - 10:33 AM (#114681) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Big Mick Ain't it the truth, Art. I have been sitting here trying to imagine the lyrics since I saw those wonderful names. Chris, if you have or can come up with it, please share it. Mick |
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16 Sep 99 - 10:40 AM (#114683) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Rick Fielding "This land is my land, 'Tho our dollar's worthless, Quebec separation, makes us mirthless, We all wear sweaters, to beat the weather, This land was made for you and me."
"Our money's coloured, we don't own Uzis |
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16 Sep 99 - 11:59 AM (#114704) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Jerry Friedman Rick, you asked about the Communist verses that I meant. I think we agree that the "no trespassing" verse is overtly Communist. I also had in mind the "relief office" verse as an expression of Guthrie's Communism--note the anti-religious "shadow of the steeple". The verse also suggests that the answer to hunger is a "land made for you and me", that is, it relates common ownership to economics, not just scenery. However, you could probably see that verse as simply an expression of compassion. |
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16 Sep 99 - 02:46 PM (#114743) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Peter T. This land is your land, Though it was my land From the aisles of Wal-Mart to the Pepsi Challenge, From Towers Records to Starbucks Coffee -- This land was MADE IN U.S.A.!!" I too have always hated, hated, hated that Canadianized song. It came about in the first flush of government funded Canadiana in the 1960's, and should have been the first flush, period. yours, Peter T.
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16 Sep 99 - 03:38 PM (#114757) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Steve Latimer Some of my fellow Canadians are treading on pretty thin ice. I was going to nominate "The Good Old Hockey Game" as our new national anthem, can I count on your support? I being considerably younger than Mr. Fielding was part of the "first flush of government funded Canadiana in the 1960's." I like this song. It certainly lends itself to the folk process as evidenced by the number of non original but very good verses posted above (I even kinda liked Ricks). I do agree that more could be done in this country to let people know that it is adapted from the Woody song. Geez,next you'll be Dissin' Ontari,ari,ari,o. |
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16 Sep 99 - 04:01 PM (#114763) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Paul S Steve, Isn't that a commercial? Or what about another favourite Canadian original: ...I want to be a part of it. Red Deer Red Deeeeer! |
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16 Sep 99 - 04:21 PM (#114768) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Joe Offer Hey, Steve - "Good Old Hockey Game"? Is that a real song? Can you post the lyrics? Can't say I've had much contact with hockey since I moved to California 25 years ago, but I sure spent a lot of time on skates when I was growning up in Detroit and Wisconsin. -Joe Offer- |
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16 Sep 99 - 07:33 PM (#114809) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: raredance Going back to near the top of the thread, I dug out my copy of The Travellers "This Land" LP recorded back around '67 for the Canadian centennial. Given the album title, you can probably guess what the first song is. They credit Woody Guthrie on the album jacket, so it may be hard to blame them directly for people thinking it was a traditional Canadian folk song. On the other hand how many people (other than those that show up here) pay much attention to song credits on recordings. Back to the song they sing the rousing "Bonavista" chorus (which in today's setting 'Buena Vista' is probably more associated with Disney World than Canada). They also sing the Guthrie "As I went walking..." and "Sun come shining..." verses. In the middle there is a verse in French. I don't know French, so can some bi-lingual Canadian say if it is a truly new verse of a French translation of an English verse? I thought I heard a word that sounded like "Vancouver" in it which raises the suspicion that the new French verse is merely a translation of the Canadianized chorus. I also am curious as to what part of the Canadian version Oscar Brand may have contributed. That had to have been an exciting moment of group creativity: Travellers: "Should it be 'arctic wasteland' or Inuit homeland? We have to have something to go from north to south." OB: "I don't think 'Inuit' is well-known enough. That word won't be popular for at least another 10 years, every body still thinks of Eskimos. And 'wasteland' is too negative. How about 'arctic circle'? T: "Good one Oscar. We'll use that. But I think we're gonna reject your Great Lakes 'shoreline' in favor of 'waters'. Hope your not too put off." OB: "Gosh no. Hey, any of you know French? We could do a translation of the chorus or something." While this may not be an exact transcription of what happened, it probably causes Rick's eyes to tear up as he wistfully wished he had been there. rich r |
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16 Sep 99 - 10:49 PM (#114833) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Rick Fielding Ha Ha Ha, hey Steve, print out the lyrics to "the Good Old Hockey Game", I dare ya! By the way, although this is probably revealing more than even I would on Mudcat...I SANG "Ontariariario" on that commercial 25 years ago! There, I've admitted it, I feel better now! Rick |
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17 Sep 99 - 10:24 AM (#114904) Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: HOCKEY SONG (Stompin' Tom Connors) From: Steve Latimer Joe, "The Good Old Hockey Game" is actually the chorus of "The Hockey Song" crafted by Stompin' Tom Connors. One of the reasons that Stompin' Tom's popularity is what it is, is that snippets of this song are often played during stoppages of play at Toronto Maple Leaf Games. THE HOCKEY SONG (Stompin' Tom Connors) E B72nd Period Where players dance with skates that flash the home team trails behind But they grab the puck & go bursting up & they're down across the line They storm the crease like bumblebees they travel like a burning flame We see them slide the puck inside it's a one-one hockey game. Chorus 3rd Period, Last game of the playoffs too! Oh take me where those hockey players face off down the rink And the Stanley cup is all filled up for the champs who win the drink Now the final flick of a hockey stick and one gigantic scream The puck is in the home team wins the good old hockey game Chorus Chorus Chorus Heads up... He shoots he scores!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Although Stompin' Tom takes some abuse on this thread, he has been around long enough to become a part of Canadiana. As evidenced by the above lyrics, he is by no means Canada's Woody Guthrie, but I think that he would be the first to admit it. His songs tend to be about Canada and Canadians, which is refreshing in a country where jingoism is often thought of as uncool. Sure, I wish they were better songs, but they are fun and that's all that they were ever meant to be. Check out Sudbury Saturday Night, Bud the Spud, etc. at this site. www.onlinesupport.pe.ca/~kobrien/stompin.html And Rick, I double dare ya to post the lyrics to Ontariariario. I would have left that skeleton in the closet. You 'Catters who haven't heard this one have no idea what this does to Rick's credibility. Paul S, being a damn easterner I've never heard "Red Deer", but it couldn't be anywhere near as bad as what Toronto TV viewers were bombarded with about twenty years ago. All Torontonians probably reacted the same way to Buffalo's 'We're Talkin' Proud' campaign with a resounding "Why?" |
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17 Sep 99 - 01:12 PM (#114967) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Rick Fielding You're a gutsy guy Steve. Back in the bad old days when I did gigs, gigs and more gigs, sometimes something truly horrific would come up. Since I no longer have a therapist (Duckboots took him) I tell the Mudcat instead.(it's cheaper) I got a call to do a commercial extolling the Ontario Govt. health plan (OHIP) and was asked to record a truly awful song (written in "Brand New Folksong" style) called "Ontariariario". There would be a voice over telling the civilians how wonderful it was to live in Ontario, where you didn't have to be rich to survive an illness. The lyrics went: Give us a place to stand, and a place to grow, And call this land Ontario, A place to stand! A place to grow! Ontariariario! The only "Canadian Song" that I disliked more was Bobby Gimby's "Canadaaa!", sung by a chorus of annoying small children. Had the otherwise impeccably-tasted Peter T. not reminded me of that song, I might never have thought of it again. I'm not sure but Peter may have told me that he joined that chorus as a seven year old in order to recruit junior Green Party members. Rick (fibbing slightly) |
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17 Sep 99 - 01:31 PM (#114975) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Peter T. Omigod, Rick -- I don't know how impeccably I taste, but if you had revealed to me that you perpetrated "A Place To Stand", I would have raised you one Bobby Gimby and seen your Centennial mug -- You did't by any chance have anything to do with the Eddie Shack song, did you? A vast chasm of Maple drivel opens up before us.... yours, Peter T. |
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17 Sep 99 - 01:49 PM (#114988) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: dick greenhaus Hey Rick- Just out of curiosity-- Considering the large number of Canadian songs that are similar rewrites of U.S. songs, why did this particular one bend you out of shape? |
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17 Sep 99 - 02:14 PM (#114999) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Steve Latimer I forgot about Canadaaa. Another truly horrible song, perhaps the worst of all. I'm starting to see why Stompin' Tom is so popular in our country. I now realize that if it weren't for the DiFranco Family we would have produced no great music as a nation.
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17 Sep 99 - 02:40 PM (#115018) Subject: Lyr Add: THIS LAND (Canadian version) From: Jon Bartlett No-one's mentioned the Canadian history version, which starts
"First came the Norsemen, or Scandinavians,
This land that's your land, this land that's my land |
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17 Sep 99 - 02:41 PM (#115020) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Marion Hey, I was one of those annoying small children! I remember singing "Caa-Naa-Daaaa" in grade school choir. Hated it then, too. Another gem was "Look at me! I'm a Canadian, joined to all Canadians, hand in hand! Look at me! I'm a Canadian, joined to all Canadians across the land. I'm not afraid to let you see, that I'm a Canadian, look at me! LOOK AT ME!" The tune suggested real desperation. It was awful. Then in French class we had one with the chorus, "Bonjour my friend, How are you mon ami? Ca va tres bien, thank you! Je vous aime beaucoup; I hope you like me too!" Each chorus was about a province and was half English and half French. However, we kids liked this song fine because it contained the lines "Come into my wigwam; I'll show you my tom-tom." Steve: don't you like Stan (not to mention Garnett) Rogers? All Canadians: what songs do make you feel a twinge of patriotism? I would nominate "Land of the Silver Birch", "Un Canadien Errant", "Canadian Railroad Trilogy", "Northwest Passage", and "Farewell to Nova Scotia." Marion PS And my favourite satirical anthem would have to be the Arrogant Worms' "Canada's Really Big."
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17 Sep 99 - 03:34 PM (#115035) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Steve Latimer Jon,I never heard that one, but I like it. Marion, my tongue is usually firmly in cheek, must be frozen there. I don't remember the two songs that you are referring to, they also sound truly awful. I do like Stan and Garnett. Songs that make me feel patriotism? Barrett's Privateers, I like the idea of cruising the seas for American Gold (regardless of the outcome), Canadian Railroad Trilogy, absolutely. Neil's Ambulance Blues, although I was too young to experience 'The old folkie days' of Yorkville, I enjoy hearing parts of my hometown being sung about. Joni's Raised on Robbery. I'm sure there are more, should we start another thread?
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17 Sep 99 - 03:49 PM (#115041) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Peter T. No, let us remember the humus out of which flowers grow. Horrible songs -- also horrible books to go with them, they were all "Circle Round the Sun" or names like that. Perpetrated by the school system. My favourite Canadian song is "I Could Drink A Case of You" by Joni M. ("on the back of a cartoon coaster, in the blue TV screen light, I drew a map of Canada, with your face sketched on it twice...") (closely followed by "River": "I wish I had a river, I could skate away on"). yours, Peter T. |
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17 Sep 99 - 07:23 PM (#115116) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Pete Peterson Back about halfway through this thread-- the version of "This Land" from the Bosses Songbook. Roy G. Berkeley claimed credit for writing this-- I sung it in his presence back in 1967 or so & he told me that he had written it. Like the Almanac Singers, though, they spread the credit around-- or as Tom Lehrer put it, "and who deserves the credit? and who deserves the blame?" I always think of Canada as a place where there is more provincial and local identity than country identity and cite as examples some of the Cape Breton songs (esp that one that starts out We are an island, a rock in the sea. . .) and so on. |
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17 Sep 99 - 11:50 PM (#115196) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Rick Fielding Dick, since you asked, I don't like pseudo-patriotism wrapped up in a flag. It tends to make kids figure it's all right to go out and get killed because some ambitious and corrupt politician or church leader thinks negotiation is not as sexy as war. There's oodles of "Canadianized" traditional music, but "This Land" has an anthemic feel to it, and when I hear audiences proudly sing the "new" words, I just wish they'd try to dig a little deeper into their own musical heritage. Rick |
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18 Sep 99 - 08:19 AM (#115262) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: MandolinPaul Well now that I have given everybody a small shit-kicking, maybe I should explain why I'm not bothered by the adapted version of This Land. In my opinion, lyrics have always just been something for the vocal instrument to say, and to hell with deep meaning. I don't look to music to right wrongs, soothe souls, or provide therapy; although it seems to do all of that in many cases. I just want some entertainment. Some of my favourite songs in the world have no meaning whatsoever, and all of the songs I write have absolutely no meaning. It's kind of like the joy from reading a trashy detective novel. |
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18 Sep 99 - 09:52 AM (#115274) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Jack Hickman - Kingston, ON In a previous post, someone mentioned the Arrogant Worms, a group which got its start here in Kingston. Wonderful satirists, but in my mind their two most priceless offerings are the "Saskatchewan River Pirate" and "Jesus' Brother Bob." Their CD's are worth buying just for the sheer fun of it. And how come we have had no input from the inimitable Tim Jacques on this thread? Jack Hickman |
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18 Sep 99 - 06:59 PM (#115374) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Marion, ANy number of Cape Breton songs bring out the patriotism in me. But then, I'd rather join the CBLA! 8-) Rise Again!, The Island, Bluenose, several of the songs from Vince Morash and some of Ian Tyson's songs all spark that sort of "proud to be" part of me. BTW, I actually liked that Bobby Gimby(sp?) Canada. |
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18 Sep 99 - 07:00 PM (#115376) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Oh, yeah, I can't remember the title, but George Hamilton IV sang a wonderful song about Canada which might qualify. |
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18 Sep 99 - 09:07 PM (#115409) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Rick Fielding George, it may have been "Canadian Pacific" by Vancouver songwriter Ray Griff. |
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18 Sep 99 - 09:49 PM (#115421) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Art Thieme My only contact with the Canadian health care system was back in the 80s. I was in Winnipeg and booked to do a concert at the University of Manitoba. Problem was, I got pretty sick. I was staying with my friends Cathy Fink and Duck Donald. They were pretty sure I'd never be in good enough shape to do the show, but we went to a doctor and Cathy talked me into his office. As an alien, they almost wouldn't let me in. The doctor asked for my symptoms. I told him I was nauseous, light looked much brighter than normal to me, I had a fever of 103 degrees farenheit. Also ached all over & had a bad headache. After I'd finished rattling off all that I was feeling, he asked me, "How long have you had this fear of light?" I pretty much flipped out and protested loudly that I had no fear of light at all!!! I was sure he was gonna toss me in a psych ward for some reason. Well, he gave me ONE PILL. It was about the size of a saccharine. I took it and slept for 4 hours straight and Cathy & Duck practiced the songs for what they thought would be their concert that night. They were that positive I'd not make it. When I awoke I was feeling strange---but generally O.K. I did the gig all by myself. Had a good time. The audience was great. To this day I've no idea what that pill was. But that doc sure got me healthy quick. Art |
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18 Sep 99 - 11:14 PM (#115436) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: sophocleese Rick, You forgot some of the words from that immortal Ontariariariariasriariario song.
Give us a place to stand and a place to grow As someone who doesn't stand up for national anthems its tricky to think of songs that inspire feelings of patriotism. There are songs I like about places in Canada. I am afraid that I fail the grade in some things as a Canadian as I have only skated about 5 times in my life and I don't watch hockey. So no hockey song will make me proud to be Canadian. However I will fight, figuratively speaking, for health care. Then again I surprise myself when I claim somebody who makes it famous on the world stage as a Canadian. Ah the national canadian pastime pulling myself up by the roots to find out how I'm doing. I do like the Bob and Doug MacKenzie version of the 12 Days of Christmas.
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19 Sep 99 - 12:27 PM (#115515) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Rick Fielding Sophocles, I don't know who you are, but I think I like you. In the commercial I did, while I sung the verses, there was a clip of two older guys in a fishing boat talking about how lucky they were to live in Ontario. Now that I know how are docs got Art Back on stage, I can see why. Art, They've got some powerful medicine out there in Winnipeg. Sadly it's my least favourite city in the Galaxy, so I usually take my own remedies with me when heading out there. Nice to remember Duck Donald. Rick |
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19 Sep 99 - 01:25 PM (#115526) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Rick, I think you're right. However I can't find the lyrics to Canadian Pacific to confirm. If I recall rightly, it goes through a number of towns across Canada heading towards the other coast. Hmmm. Reminds me, there was that one of Ian Tyson's? where the guy got himself stranded after playing cards on his way back to his girl.
This is certainly a lot of fun recalling these old songs from my youth. |
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19 Sep 99 - 01:34 PM (#115527) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Dale Rose Ian Tyson / Summer Wages / Never hit 17 when you play against the dealer (Is that the one?) |
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20 Sep 99 - 12:27 AM (#115643) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca I'll look it up. It probably is the one. Thanks. |
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20 Sep 99 - 12:32 AM (#115644) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca I just looked up the words. Nope. The one where he travels around, and the girl sends him money to go home to BC, and he stops some place, and then gambled the ticket away along the trip. |
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20 Sep 99 - 02:34 AM (#115657) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Dale Rose Got it. Steel Rail Blues lyrics here |
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20 Sep 99 - 06:20 AM (#115674) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Móran Tàling, Dale! Much thanks |
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20 Sep 99 - 11:16 AM (#115731) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Peter T. "Clear the track, here comes Shack, he knocks 'em down and he gives 'em a whack." A great Canadian ballad whose origins and destination are lost in the great Zamboni of time. yours, Peter T. |
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20 Sep 99 - 06:55 PM (#115941) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Rick Fielding Of course no one (especially Peter T) will ever forget "Honky, Honky, the Christmas Goose" sung by the Maple Leafs' goalie Johnny Bower. Yup we've got some classics. Rick |
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21 Sep 99 - 09:58 AM (#116102) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Peter T. And I worked so hard at losing that brain cell forever....drat. yours, Peter T. |
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21 Sep 99 - 06:18 PM (#116239) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: joebass1@home.com Rick ole buddy, To make sure you've got all the information straight why dont you check with Jerry Gray. Back in the McCarthy era Pete Seeger was the fellow who suggested that The Travellers rewrite the lyrics and sing it in Canada, since The Weavers, and Woody were sort of persona non grata in the US. Meanwhile it still is the largest selling sheet music in Canada. All proceeds going (supposedly) to the Woody Guthrie Foundation. Interesting that it generated so much communication. At my age I'm not too concerned whether folks remember The Travellers or not, as long as they still hire them occasionally. We're great at Union conventions. Best, Joe Hampson (an American who sings the Canadian lyrics) |
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21 Sep 99 - 10:04 PM (#116293) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Rick Fielding Wow, thats a close as were gonna get as far as "straight from the horse's mouth" Hi Joe. Welcome to Mudcat, where we can be curmudgeons on a daily basis if we like. The Travellers were responsible for half of my repertoire by the time I was twenty. Although I often heard them compared (only) to the Weavers by critics, they had a unique sound and seemed to be infinitely more spontaneously funny in live performance. My guess is they've probably recorded more than 20 albums and did one of union songs that is a classic, and from which I learned a song called "Yahee Miners", that I still sing on a regular basis. I first saw them at a tiny club in Montreal called the "Finjan" and in a way was sorry that they only played big venues by the time I reached Toronto. In that intimate setting, they were electric. Like many other vocal and instrumental folk bands through the 70s and 80s, they were often plagued by "Rock and Roll" soundmen in larger venues, and the nice harmonies didn't show as well as they could have. Joe(bass) is one of the funniest guys I've met in the music biz, and I wish my fellow Mudcatters could get a chance to hear one of his stories. It would be great to hear Jerry's account of how the "Canadian words" came about, (and if Oscar Brand really DID have a hand in them) but Travellers still sing a fine "Canadian" song (that Oscar DID write) called "Something To Sing About" that captures the spirit of Canada (only in my opinion folks) better than "This Land..." Rick |
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22 Sep 99 - 11:24 AM (#116439) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Steve Latimer Rick, I know that I should recognize "Something to Sing About", but I'm not quite getting it. How does it go? BTW, the Rev. Gary CD came in. It's great. Has Hesitation Blues, Cocaine Blues, Candyman, She's Funny That Way, Cincinatti Flow Rag among others. What a player, story teller and had a great voice. A really neat twist is that the liner notes include both music and tab for three of four of the pieces. Of course Susan has "borrowed" the CD from me and is working on the Rev. Gary style. Thanks for pointing me in that direction. Steve
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14 Jun 00 - 04:40 PM (#242474) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: catspaw49 A recent thread request on this....and as I sat readin', I thought, "Geez, we oughta' refresh this sucker!" Yeah George, I do speak without the 'g' most times and use lotsa' 'postrophes. Spaw |
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14 Jun 00 - 08:14 PM (#242586) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: McGrath of Harlow Looking at the words, leaving the chorus out out of it, I can't see anything particularly United Statesish about the song.
It's isn't really specially about the United States. It's about how the rich and the powerful have tried to steal the country he's singing about from the poor and the weak - but it still belongs to all of us, whatever the title deeds and the law says.
Which means he could have been singing about pretty well any country in the world. And any time I've sung it, that's what I've been singing about, even though I might sing it with American places in the chorus. (That's partly because you'd have to rewrite it a lot for where I live. You couldn't get away with just a changed chorus. We don't have "diamond deserts" for a start - but of course the Canadians do, snowfields. Though I've never heard the Canada version.)
I tend to think Woody Guthrie would have been only too happy to have versions of the song for all kinds of countries. But I see using American place names in this song as an act of solidarity with those Americans that stands up against those things that might make me think I was feeling anti-American. Except it's not being anti American at all, unless Woody Guthrie was anti-American. (And of course there were plenty said he was.)
Here's a chorus anyway for an English version if we needed one:
This land is your land, this land is my land |
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15 Jun 00 - 05:13 AM (#242739) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: sian, west wales Be interesting to know how many other nations have adopted and adapted "This Land". There's a Welsh version that is known by, I suppose, the majority of Welsh speakers in Wales ... I know at least one who didn't have a clue that it wasn't Welsh born and bred (although credited on recordings to WG). Still tend to see that as a compliment. Funny that Something to Sing About has finally been mentioned. Personally, I think it borders on the naff, though definitely not in the same league as Ca-na-da or Ontariariariariariaarisoej . (Oh forget it.) Wasn't that Oscar Brand? And made famous by the original words which had us claiming to have walked on the sands of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland? Presumably the lyricist failed Grade 9 Geography? sian in west wales |
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15 Jun 00 - 09:36 AM (#242788) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Lucius All pride and patriotism aside, I'm wondering what Woody Guthrie must be thinking. I remember his "all or none" attitude towards religion, and I'd extrapolate that his solution may be to sing of "from California to the Maritime Islands, from the frozen tundra to the Gulf stream waters." He was an inclusionist. Lucius |
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15 Jun 00 - 10:49 AM (#242816) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: Jacob B I saw only one mention in this thread to what the poster called the "Canadian History" version of This Land. I believe that version should actually be called the Supercanadian version. As I understand it, it was written by someone who resented the cultural imperialism implicit in the fact that someone had written a Canadian version of This Land. He wrote a version with completely new words, about the history of other countries being imperialistic towards Canada. I'll post the lyrics in a Lyrics Add thread later today. And, since I saw a mention above to the song Something To Sing About: I only know this song as the theme music to the radio show Inside From The Outside, but I'd be interested in seeing the complete lyrics, and in knowing who wrote it. Anyone who can find a rhyme for Saskatchewan which doesn't seem forced deserves a lot of credit. Jacob |
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28 Jul 00 - 05:30 PM (#266874) Subject: Lyr Add: ISLAND ROADS From: Marion Refreshing this again, since Rick's "Ontarioioio" song was mentioned in the "Positive Ontario Music" thread. Also, for anyone who hates the Canadianized "This Land", I would just like to remind you to count your blessings. Look at what I recently came across:
ISLAND ROADS Marion |
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22 Jun 11 - 08:38 PM (#3174917) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: This Land (Canadian version) From: GUEST,Nuff Sed The version which was made popular by the group, "The Brothers in Law" is being constantly quoted incorrectly. The lyrics for the verse..."While French and English were busy fighting" was, in fact, "While French and English were busy "Vying"..... "Nuff Sed" |