Lyr Req/Add: Song for Canada (Ian & Sylvia)

Subject: Ian/Sylvia song?
From: Tigger the Tiger
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 08:54 AM

There was a song about the problems with the two population groups in Canada,French and English. This was a long very beautiful song I cannot find. There was a chorus that I believe had words related about 2 rivers flowing to the sea. Any ideas?

Subject: RE: Ian/Sylvia song?
From: GUEST,999--is that it?
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 09:34 AM

IAN & SYLVIA

SONG FOR CANADA

Ian & Sylvia Lyrics

Em D / Em Am D / G E / Am D7 G

How come we can't talk to each other any more?
Why can't you see I'm changing too?
We've got by far too long to end it feeling wronged
And I still share too much with you

Just one great river always flowing to the sea
One single river rolling in eternity
Two nations in the land that lies along its shore
But just one river rolling free.

How come you shut me out as if I wasn't there
What's this new bitterness you've found?
However wronged you were, however strong it hurt
It wasn't me that held you down.

Why can't you understand I'm glad you're standing proud
I know you made it on your own
But in this pride you've earned, I thought you might have learned
That you don't have to stand alone

Lonely northern rivers come together till you see
One single river rolling in eternity
Two nations in the land that lies along its shore
But just one river, you and me

Subject: RE: Ian/Sylvia song?
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 09:36 AM

It's Song for Canada

Just one great river always flowing to the sea
One single river rolling in eternity
Two nations in the land that lies along its shore
But just one river rolling free.

My Uncle Pete lived in Chatham and went to the bar every Friday night with Sylvia's Dad.

Subject: RE: Ian/Sylvia song? - Song for Canada
From: GUEST,Larry Saidman
Date: 19 Jan 12 - 02:36 AM

Late CBC journalist Peter Gzowski wrote it. (lyrics anyway)

Subject: RE: Ian/Sylvia song? - Song for Canada
From: Tigger the Tiger
Date: 19 Jan 12 - 08:39 AM

Great. Thanks so much for the help.

Subject: RE: Ian/Sylvia song? - Song for Canada
From: MissouriMud
Date: 19 Jan 12 - 01:03 PM

The chords shown above are for the B part/chorus - "Just One great River .." (which may be repeated after the "How come you shut me out" verse)and "Lonely Northen Rivers .."

The verse chords are just like the last part of that, repeated with an optional D between 2nd and 3rd lines -
G E / Am D7 G (D); G E / Am D7 G

I'm not sure about the first D in the chorus - I sort of remember it as a 4th- but its been long time since I played it and I think I did it in a different key anyway - Am and C probably

Subject: RE: Ian/Sylvia song? - Song for Canada
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 19 Jan 12 - 03:50 PM

The Chad Mitchell Trio also recorded it, though they took it as a song about the US and Canada, rather than about two groups within Canada.

Subject: RE: Ian/Sylvia song? - Song for Canada
From: Tigger the Tiger
Date: 19 Jan 12 - 04:31 PM

I just assumed in the sixties that this was written about the separatist problem in Canada;I guess I ran into some extremists back then. Does anyone know what Ian intended?

Subject: RE: Ian/Sylvia song? - Song for Canada
From: GUEST,Tinker from Chicago
Date: 19 Jan 12 - 05:08 PM

Gerry, why do you say that? When the CMT recorded it, it was sung by Mike Kobluk, a Canadian. What makes you say he wasn't thinking about Canada?

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: SONG FOR CANADA (Tyson/Gzowski)
From: SuperDave
Date: 04 Nov 18 - 01:02 PM

From my old sheet music:
Song for Canada (© 1965) was written by "folksinger Ian Tyson and journalist Peter Gzowski [who] teamed up to produce this song as an appeal from English Canadians to French Canadians. It is an effort to bridge the gap between our two peoples; to say that we have too much in common to go our separate ways."

The lyrics and chords:
G                              E7
How come we can't talk to each other any more?
Am            D7               G   Am7 D7
Why can't you see I'm changing too?
G                            E7
We've got by far too long to end it feeling wrong,
Am                              D7
And I still share too much with you.

Em                         D
Just one great river always flowing to the sea,
Em                      Am D7
One single river rolling in eternity.
G                            E7
Two nations in the land that lies along each shore
Am          D7            G    Am7 G
But just one river rolling free.

How come you shut me out as if I wasn't there?
What's this new bitterness you've found?
However wronged you were, however strong it hurt,
It wasn't me that held you down.

Why can't you understand? I'm glad you're standing proud;
I know you made it on your own.
But in this pride you earned, I thought you might have learned
That you don't have to stand alone.

Lonely northern rivers come together till you see
One single river rolling in eternity.
Two nations in the land that lies along each shore,
But just one river, you and me.

Note that the chorus says "along EACH shore", not "along ITS shore" as quoted above by Guest 999.

Subject: RE: Ian/Sylvia song? - Song for Canada
From: SuperDave
Date: 08 Nov 18 - 12:35 PM

...and looking at the lyrics again, this could just as easily be an anthem to Canada-US relationships in 2018...

Subject: RE: Ian/Sylvia song? - Song for Canada
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 08 Nov 18 - 05:16 PM

Several posts upthread, I wrote, "The Chad Mitchell Trio also recorded it, though they took it as a song about the US and Canada, rather than about two groups within Canada."

I don't know why I ascribed that view to the Trio. There's nothing to support 2012-me in the liner notes to the album, nor do they say any such thing by way of introduction to the song on the recording. I even got their name wrong, as they were The Mitchell Trio by then.

But, yes, it could work as a song about the US and Canada....