- Auprès
de ma blonde
- Alouette
- À
la claire fontaine
. . . . . and quite a few others.
Songs from Newfoundland include
...
- I's
The B'y
- We'll
Rant and We'll Roar
and Labrador would claim ...
- Jack
Was Every Inch A Sailor
The Maritimes, particularly Nova
Scotia, would own ...
- Farewell
To Nova Scotia
- The
Squid Jiggin' Ground
A song sung where canals were
built along the seaway ...
- Donkey
Riding (A
donkey is an engine used to pull ships along the canal.)
Here are a few from
Ontari-ari-ari-o ...
- The
Log Driver's Waltz
- Land
of The Silver Birch
- The
Huron Carol
Doug
Hi, Alastair :)
You have undoubtedly concluded
(as I have long ago) that there is a strong fervour for "all
things Scottish" amongst the living Canadian descendants of
those survivors from the various forms of the
clearances in
the Highlands. I was not surprised on September 6th, 2003,
to find the former Pipe Major of the Toronto Police Pipe
Band helping to organize the parade for the Long's Point
Scottish/Irish Festival in Estes, Colorado. Naturally, I am
prejudiced since he was wearing the Dress Ross Tartan worn
by Pipe Major Thomas Ross when the TPPB was formed in 1912.
Most of us, who now call Canada home, have learned to
participate in a country filled with those who have been
subjected to "Clearances" and "Ethnic Cleansings" around the
world. Our national icons are still a "work in progress",
our culture has a very "unique quality" in North America,
and our preference for "peacekeeping over support
of unilateral peacemaking" has earned respect around the
world (beginning with Lester Bowles Pearson, I might add).
[Our overt display of patriotism and nationalism is very
much subdued in comparison with many other countries, and
all credit is due to the diplomatic character of Lester
Bowles Pearson.] However, we Canadians are properly proud
of the artistic accomplishments of our fellow citizens.
The
pictures of
Canada's most famous racing boat is featured on the
Canadian dime.
The song was written and published by David A. Martins in
1963, and the words
and music may be
found at the same site.
- The
Bluenose
This song was made famous by
the Wakami Wailers, the last of
the white pine
loggers, at Wakami Lake Provincial Park in Northern
Ontario.
- The
Lumber Camp Song
Here's another one from
Northern Ontario which should be on everyone's list. The
discordant background to the melody is a tribute to the
annoying buzz of the insect.
- The Black Fly Song
I found a wee snippit sung by
children from a school in the Abitibi Canyon.
The Canadian Girl Guide Song
Book is a good source for some lyrics, but you might have to
find the music elsewhere.
- Something
to Sing About
- They
Call it Canada
Other patriotic songs relate
to Canada's Celebration of Confederation in 1967. The
Centennial Song was composed by Bobby Gimby, and you may
click on either the English or the French version here ...
- Ca-na-da
- A
Place To Stand (Ontari-ari-ari-o) was
also written in 1967. Words are here ...
I was mildly surprised to see
that the college song
of my Alma Mater merited inclusion with some heritage lists
of Canadian Music.
Songwriter Gene MacLellan was
born in Val D'Or, PQ, but lived most of his life in
Summerside, PEI. A few of his songs were made famous by Anne
Murray of Springhill, NS.
- Snowbird
- Put
Your Hand in the Hand
At the risk of being
repetitious, you'll note that many songs about Canada and by
Canadians are listed at this website ...
Only one of the songs in the
list did not involve a Canadian composer, and that was Canadian
Sunsetwith words by Norman Gimbel of Brooklyn
NY and music by Eddie Heywood of Atlanta GA.
However, here is one song
which was written near Hamilton ON ...
- When
You and I Were Young, Maggie
Two songs, written by
Canadian Bob Nolan of Edmunston NB, may be a surprise to
quite a few people because they became theme songs
for well-known American singers.
- Tumbling
Tumbleweed (1934)
- Cool
Water (1936)
The words to both songs may be
found with other cowboy songs at ...
The "music" for Tumbling
Tumbleweed may
be found at ...
and the "music" for Cool
Water may be
found at ...
Singer and writer Ian Tyson
was born in British Columbia, but wrote this song in
Longview, AB ...
- Four
Strong Winds
Gordon Lightfoot of
Orillia, Ontario, wrote this song and made it famous ...
- The
Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald
The lyrics are here ...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In case you need more titles,
here are some more. Some songs have copyright laws still in
effect.
It would take a lifetime to
explore each of the threads which I have provided in this
final instalment alone. {CHUCKLE]
Cheers,
