Sunday was the 39th anniversary of Quebec’s Moving Day, which Wikipedia tells me is the day when “when many fixed-lease apartment rental terms expire”. Unfortunately, since I couldn’t find any songs about moving in Quebec, here’s a few about that other event that occurred that Sunday: Canada Day.
Joel Plaskett – ‘True Patriot Love’
This song is classic Joel Plaskett: you get pulled in by the catchy tune, but stay for the lyrics. And like all great songsmiths, Plaskett can’t make up his mind on which side of the line he stands on. He sings “And we raise the white flag/So they can paint it red and blue” before yelling “True patriot love and lalalalala”. And also like all Joel Plaskett tunes, ‘True Patriot Love’ is perfect to sing along to.
Classified – ‘Oh, Canada’
I apologize for how obvious this pick is, but I really couldn’t resist. Picture the ‘I am Canadian’ guy from the Molson commercial meets a great beat. For example, Classified spits “I could do this all day it’s a part of my routine / but supper’s almost done and tonight poutine” with the same smooth seriousness running through all his tracks. It’s also the only song I know that references Kids in the Hall, Yahtzee and health care.
Maybe Smith – ‘You Would Never Survive the Winters in this Province’
Every Canadian can relate to this great Maybe Smith line “You can feel the blood in your veins / Looking for a warmer place”. This is the kind of song where vocals are everything; it makes the song flow and stop at exactly the right moments. Be warned though, this will be stuck in your head for a week minimum.
Ohbijou – ‘Niagara’
Choosing this song is my attempt to disassociate Niagara Falls from gaudy casinos and shabby motels, and back to simple romance and beauty. Ohbijou’s Casey Mecija tries to do something similar, choosing the Falls as a backdrop for her gorgeous love song. Listening to this song makes you feel like you’re falling with the water of the Niagara River, close enough to, as Mecija sings, ‘feel the water rushing’.
Harlan Pepper – ‘Great Lakes’
If you’ve ever had difficulty in remembering the Great Lakes, you need this song. Alternatively, this would make for a fantastic karaoke song. As Pepper puts it ‘A woman asked if I like cake / I said no ma’am, just love great lakes’. A relaxed country tune backs Pepper’s lyrics, jumping up when necessary.
Caribou – ‘Dundas, Ontario’
I’ve never been to Dundas (just northwest of Hamilton for any geography lovers), but can catch a glimpse of Caribou’s version of his home town through this song. It feels like an exercise in nostalgia. You can almost sense what’s going on in his head as he strolls through his past. Each change in beat is a change of memory; each pause is his attempt to hold on. In some way, Caribou has created the soundtrack for everybody’s hometown, not just his own.
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