Origins: Something to Sing About (Oscar Brand)

Subject: ADD: Something to Sing About (Oscar Brand)-Canada
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 May 16 - 09:23 PM

OK, so I broke down and bought Oscar Brand's Something to Sing About Songbook. I guess, then, that this is the definitive transcription.

SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT (Canadian Version)
(Oscar Brand)

I have walked cross the sand on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland,*
Lazed on the ridge of the Mirimichi.
Seen the waves tear and roar at the stone coast of Labrador,
Watched them roll back to the great northern sea.

CHORUS
From the Vancouver Island to the Alberta Highland,
Cross the prairie, the Lakes to Ontario's towers.
From the sound of Mount Royal's chimes out to the Maritimes,
Something To Sing About, this land of ours.

I have welcomed the dawn from the fields of Saskatchewan,
Followed the sun to the Vancouver shore.
Watched it climb shiny new up the snow peaks of Caribou,
Up to the clouds where the wild Rockies soar.
CHORUS

I have heard the wild wind sing the places that I have been,
Bay Bull and Red Deer and Strait of Belle Isle.
Names like Grand-Mére and Silverthorne, Moose Jaw and Marrowbone,
Trails of the pioneer, named with a smile.
CHORUS

I have wandered my way to the wild wood of Hudson Bay,
Treated my toes to Quebec's morning dew.
Where the sweet summer breeze kissed the leaves of the maple trees,
Sharing this song that I'm singing to you.
CHORUS

Yes, there's something to sing about, tune up a string about,
Call out in chorus or quietly hum,
Of a land that's still young with a ballad that's still unsung,
Telling the promise of great things to come.
CHORUS

TRO © Copyright 1963, 1964 (renewed) Hollis Music, Inc., New York, NY


This is almost exactly the same as the lyrics posted by Bob Landry in 1997, way up above toward the beginning of this thread....but I figured we had the Canadian version fairly correct.

*Since the Grand Banks are completely under water, Brand later changed this line to:

"I've walked many a mile on the shores of Prince Edward Isle"

Subject: ADD: Something to Sing About (Oscar Brand)-US
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 May 16 - 09:23 PM

And here's the version I bought the book for. This is Brand's U.S. version of the song, from his Something to Sing About Songbook.

SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT (US Version)
(Oscar Brand)

I have wandered my way through the wonders of New York Bay,
North to Niag?ra to hear the falls roar,
Seen the waves tear in vain at the rock-covered coast of Maine,
Watched them roll back from the New England shore.

CHORUS
From the fair Hawaiian Islands to the Rocky Mountain Highlands,
'Cross the prairies, the plains to the mighty eastern towers,
From Alaska to the great Southwest, north to New England?s crest,
Something to sing about, this land of ours.

I have heard the wild winds sing of places where I have been,
Backbone and Temperance, Whiskey and Sin,
Names like Wild Rice and Badger Jaws, Set Down and Santa Claus,
Trails of the pioneers named with a grin.
CHORUS

I have welcomed the dawn to the highland of Oregon,
Seen the moon light up the soft southern dew,
Where the sweet morning breeze kissed the leaves of the citrus trees,
Whispering the song that I?m sharing with you.
CHORUS

Yes, there?s plenty to sing about, tune up a string about,
Glories we?ve known and the promise to be,
And when there?s something we think is wrong, we don?t just string along,
We raise our voices in disharmony.
CHORUS

TRO - © Copyright 1963 (renewed), 1964 (renewed), 1988 Hollis Music, lic., New York, NY

Beats the hell out of the jingoistic version that appears in Rise Up Singing - I wonder if Brand wrote that one, too.

Subject: RE: Origins: Something to Sing About (Oscar Brand)
From: PHJim
Date: 21 May 16 - 08:22 PM

Joe, as it was pointed out by a few people above, Oscar changed the first line of his Canadian version to "I've walked many a mile on the shores of Prince Edwards Isle". I'm sure that he'd rather have us sing his amended lyrics.

When Ed McCurdy played at one of our local festivals in Cobourg, Ontario, he handed out his amended lyrics to "Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream" where he'd changed
"I dreamed there was a mighty room
And the room was filled with men,"
to
"I dreamed there was a mighty room
Filled with women and men,"

He asked that if we were to sing his song would we please use the amended lyrics. Probably Oscar would feel the same way.

Subject: RE: Origins: Something to Sing About (Oscar Brand)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 May 16 - 08:47 PM

Hi, PHJim - I've added a note to the lyrics I posted above. I'm supposing you really meant it to be "I've walked many a mile on the shores of Prince Edward Isle."

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Origins: Something to Sing About (Oscar Brand)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Aug 16 - 03:40 PM

Refresh.

I'm still trying to find the source of the somewhat jingoistic (Euro-centric?) lyrics that appear in the Rise Up Singing Songbook. Can anybody help?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Origins: Something to Sing About (Oscar Brand)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Aug 17 - 02:33 AM

Interesting (?) parody by Smith & Smith:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez4jHcHFHxc

Still trying to find the source of the militaristic lyrics to this song that are in Rise Up Singing.

Subject: RE: Origins: Something to Sing About (Oscar Brand)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Aug 18 - 05:04 AM

I'm still trying to find the source of the jingoistic U.S. version of this song that appears in the Rise Up Singing Songbook.
Anybody know where it's from? The U.S. version that Oscar Brand recorded, isn't jingoistic/militaristic at all.

-Joe-