Lyr/Chords Req: Canadian 'anthem'

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Lyr/Chords Req: Canadian 'anthem'

03 Sep 01 - 09:33 PM (#541159)
Subject: Canadian 'anthem' and other songs
From: GUEST,Merripan

I was recently at a re-enactment (this last weekend), and a young Canadian with his guitar was there. He sang two WONDERFUL songs, one I had only heard once, and the other I had never heard before. Unfortunately, neither of us had pen nor paper, and had both been a bit to friendly with the local imbibing. I was wondering if anyone here would be able to provide me with the lyrics and tune to them...

One was what he stated was an "unofficial" Canadian anthem, which was very amusing, and had to do with the fact that they are the 2nd largest country in the world (Russia is 1st, but they keep dividing... etc).

The other was regarding Log Riders and how they learned to be so careful with the ladies...

Both are prizes that I'd like to have in my songbook.

Oh... and if anyone should have a song about pirates who claim to "have sailed the seven seas, which is funny because, we don't have a boat", I'd like the lyrics and chords to that as well.

Thanks so much.

~Merripan

03 Sep 01 - 09:43 PM (#541166)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Canadian 'anthem'
From: Sorcha

Oh, man. Do you have any lyrics at all? Even snippets? Rick, Willie, etc, where are you???

03 Sep 01 - 09:50 PM (#541171)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Canadian 'anthem'
From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca

Well, the second one is easy. That's The Log Driver's Waltz by Wade Hemsley. See here

Log Driver's Waltz

Log Driver's Waltz

On the other one, I'd need more information. I don't think I've heard of it before.

03 Sep 01 - 10:03 PM (#541182)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Canadian 'anthem'
From: pastorpest

The first song is "Canada Is Really Big" and is by the Arrogant Worms who satirize everything in song. Finding the lyrics might take a while.

03 Sep 01 - 10:26 PM (#541196)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Canadian 'anthem'
From: pastorpest

I found the lyric. The Arrogant Worms who wrote the song open their Canadian concerts with this song. After insulting "O Canada" they(the are a trio) march around out of step but with tight harmony and sing this marvelous nonsence.

CANADA'S REALLY BIG from the Arrogant worms "Live Bait" album

When I look around me, I can't believe what I see
It seems as if this country has lost its will to live
The economy is lousy, we barely have an army
but we can still stand proudly cuz Canada's really big.

We're the second largest country on the planet earth
and if Russia keeps on shrinking then soon we'll be the first
(As long as we keep Quebec)

The USA has tanks and Switzerland has banks
They can keep them thanks, they just don't amount
Cuz when you get down to it you find out what the truth is
It isn't what you do with it its the size that counts

Most people will tell you that France is pretty large
But you can put fourteen Frances into this land of ours
(It'd take a lot of work, it'd take a lot of work)

We're larger than Malaysia almost as big as Asia
We're bigger than Australia and it's a continent
So big we seldom bother to go see one another
Though we often go to other countries for vacations

Our mountains are very pointy, our prairies are not
The rest is kind of bumpy, but man do we have a lot
(we've got a lot of land, we've got a lot of land)

So stand us and be proud and sing out very loud
We stand out from the crowd cuz Canada's really big.

03 Sep 01 - 10:32 PM (#541197)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Canadian 'anthem'
From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca

The REAL Unofficial Anthem of Canada is Maple Leaf Forever.

The Maple Leaf Forever
Melody - Alexander Muir

In Days of yore, from Britain's shore,
Wolfe, the dauntless hero came,
And planted firm Britannia's flag,
On Canada's fair domain.
Here may it wave, our boast, our pride,
And joined in love together,
The thistle, shamrock, rose entwine,
The Maple Leaf forever!

Chorus
The Maple Leaf, our emblem dear,
The Maple Leaf forever!
God save our King, and Heaven bless,
The Maple Leaf forever!

At Queenston Heights and Lundy's Lane,
Our brave fathers, side by side,
For freedom, homes, and loved ones dear,
Firmly stood and nobly died;
And those dear rights which they maintained,
We swear to yield them never!
Our watchword evermore shall be,
The Maple Leaf forever!

Our fair Dominion now extends
From Cape Race to Nootka Sound;
May peace forever be our lot,
And plenteous store abound:
And may those ties of love be ours
Which discord cannot sever,
And flourish green o'er freedom's home
The Maple Leaf forever!

On merry England's far-famed land,
May kind Heaven sweetly smile;
God bless Old Scotland evermore,
And Ireland's Emer'ld Isle!
Then swell the song, both loud and long,
Till rocks and forest quiver,
God save our King, and Heaven bless
The Maple Leaf forever!

Robert Watt, Chief Herald of Canada, re-wrote the lyrics to Canada's unofficial anthem, "The Maple Leaf Forever", originally penned in 1867 by Toronto schoolteacher Alexander Muir :

In days of yore, from every shore
men and women dauntless came,
to build a home where maples flame
in Canada's fair domain.
And with First Peoples, here they stayed,
and joined in love forever,
the emblems of the world entwine,
the Maple Leaf forever."

It's also found in the Dt as

Maple Leaf Forever

BTW, O Canada really was an unofficial anthem until the 1980s, when it was finally proclaimed our national anthem officially!

03 Sep 01 - 10:33 PM (#541198)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Canadian 'anthem'
From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca

'Pest, thanks for that Arrogant Worms song.

03 Sep 01 - 10:43 PM (#541202)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Canadian 'anthem'
From: raredance

Not fair George, I went to the trouble of transcribing the whole thing, and I was listening as fast as I could. Then I looked up and you had already entered it

rich r

03 Sep 01 - 11:05 PM (#541221)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Canadian 'anthem'
From: GUEST,willie-o

the pirate song is also by the arrogant worms. It wasn't the pirates that didn't have a boat, it was Mountie Bob who was on their tail...he followed on the shore cause he didnt' have a boat.

But cutbacks were a-comin
The Mountie lost his job
So now he's sailin with us and
we calls him Salty Bob!

And PLEASE, Log Driver's Waltz is by Wade HemsWORTH.

Search and ye shall find, but you won't find much by looking for Wade Hemsley. Hemsworth though is the author of the official anthem of Northern Ontario, The Blackfly Song.

And the most Canada-wide anthemic of his songs, IMHO, is "The Wild Goose".

The wild goose, the wild goose,
High over the north shore
And I'm goin' home.

W-O

03 Sep 01 - 11:28 PM (#541239)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Canadian 'anthem'
From: CarolC

The Last Saskatchewan Pirate

I used to be a farmer, and I made a living fine,
I had a little stretch of land along the city line
But time went by and though I tried, the money wasn't there
And bankers came and took my land and told me "fair is fair"
I looked for every kind of job, the answer always no
"Hire you now?" they'd always laugh, "we just let twenty go!"
The government, the promised me a measly little sum
But I've got too much pride to end up just another bum.
Then I thought, who gives a damn if all the jobs are gone?
I'm gonna be a PIRATE on the river Saskatchewan!!!
(Arrr! Arrr! Arrr! Arrr! Arrr!!)

Cause it's a heave-ho, hi-ho, comin' down the plains
Stealin' wheat and barley and all the other grains
It's a ho-hey, hi-hey farmers bar yer doors
When ya see the Jolly Roger on Regina's mighty shores

Well, you'd think the local farmers would know that I'm at large
But just the other day I found an unprotected barge
I snuck up right behind them and they were none the wiser,
I rammed their ship and sank it and I stole their fertilizer!
A bridge outside of Moosejaw spans a mighty river
Farmers cross in so much fear their stomachs are a-quiver
Cause they know that TRACTOR JACK is hiding in the bay
I'll jump the bridge and knock them cold and sail off with their hay!

Well, Mountie Bob he chased me, he was always at my throat
He'd follow on the shoreline cause he didn't own a boat
But cutbacks were a-coming and the Mountie lost his jo
And now he's sailing with us, and we call him Salty Bob!
A swingin' sword, a skull and bones and pleasant company
I never pay my income tax and screw the GST (SCREW IT!!)
Prince Albert down to Saskatoon I'm the terror of the seas
If you wanna reach the co-op, boy, you gotta get by me!

Well, Pirate life's appealing but you just don't find it here,
I've heard that in Alberta there's a band of buccaneers
They roam the Athabaska and sail to Fort McKay
And you're gonna loose your stetson if you have to pass their way!
Well, winter is a-comin' and a chill is in the breeze
My Pirate days are over once the river starts to freeze
I'll be back in springtime but now I have to go
I hear there's lots of plundering down in New Mexico!

04 Sep 01 - 12:32 AM (#541268)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Canadian 'anthem'
From: GUEST,Merripan

Thanks so much for all the help. I got two of the three. I have the Pirates of the Saskatchewan already.

I am still unsure about the third that I heard, and I'm kicking myself for not keeping a pen handy. Perhaps, if I am lucky, I will hear it again and have some extra note paper with me.

~Merripan

04 Sep 01 - 10:11 AM (#541513)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Canadian 'anthem'
From: GUEST,Merripan

The snippet from the third song is as follows:

"We claim to have sailed the seven seas, which is funny because... we don't have a boat" and "You're welcome to come and join us... if you give us a boat"

I know that's not a lot to go on... But if perchanse anyone does know the song I'm looking for, it would be really nice to get the song.

Thanks.

Merripan

04 Sep 01 - 11:03 AM (#541555)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Canadian 'anthem'
From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca

Willie-O, you're right. I wasn't looking it up, and just pulled it out of my head.

Rich. Sorry. You did the same thing to me recently though! 8-))))))) Oh well! Better luck next time. BTW, I cheat a lot of the time, Rich. I look on the web to find it first. THEN if I can't, I go looking for the CD or tape. Works much nicer.

04 Sep 01 - 01:49 PM (#541674)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Canadian 'anthem'
From: Steve Latimer

I just received the Hugh's Room update and noticed that the Arrogant Worms (who I had never heard of prior to reading this thread) are playing there on Sept. 28th.

check out www.hughsroom.com

05 Sep 01 - 10:59 AM (#542477)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Canadian 'anthem'
From: black walnut

The Arogant Worms are great! They put on such an energetic, visually hilarious live show....

~b.w.

05 Sep 01 - 11:05 AM (#542486)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Canadian 'anthem'
From: black walnut

I can spell Arrogant. Watch me.

~b.w.