canadian geographical references in songs

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i think i'll go out to alberta
weather's good there in the fall
- 4 strong winds

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 29 November 2004 04:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Moose Jaw, Broadview, Moosomin too
Runnin' back to Saskatoon
Red Deer, Terrace, Hanna, Medicine Hat
Sing another prairie tune

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 29 November 2004 04:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Toronto Tontos Vegas Babies...Transit
Arctic Market Frantic Spanish...Onions

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 29 November 2004 04:25 (twenty-one years ago)

tillsonburg, tillsonburg
my bck still aches when i hear that word

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 29 November 2004 04:28 (twenty-one years ago)

The entire A-OK album by Flin Flon (itself a Canadian geographical reference)

― donut christ (donut), Monday, 29 November 2004 04:28 (twenty-one years ago)

There is a town in north ontario...

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 29 November 2004 04:29 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.gonegonegone.com/Chilliwack/Gallery/images/Chilliwack.jpg

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Monday, 29 November 2004 04:39 (twenty-one years ago)

"it was in Bobcaygeon I saw the constellations
reveal themselves one star at a time"

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Monday, 29 November 2004 04:58 (twenty-one years ago)

The entire A-OK album by Flin Flon (itself a Canadian geographical reference)

See also the Boo Boo LP - the song titles are named after places in Newfoundland.

See also "Newfoundland" by Olympic Death Squad, as well as "Hey Hey Halifax," "North West Territory" and "Nova Scotia" by Unrest, and the Canada's Green Highways LP by Mark Robinson.

― Kent Burt (lingereffect), Monday, 29 November 2004 05:20 (twenty-one years ago)

"You're So Vain" and "Everywhere I'm Not" both reference Nova Scotia. The Mamas & the Papas' version of "Dancing in the Streets" goes them one further by dropping "Hafilax [mispron. "Halifax"], Nova Scotia" into the itinerary at the end.

And then there's B.J. Snowden's immortal "Canada," for those into outsider music ...

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Monday, 29 November 2004 05:26 (twenty-one years ago)

hanson bros. "victoria"

Gordon Heart to James Bay
Yuppies flock to this place
Victoria, what a waste
From Oak Bay to the Gorge
All the geeks at the Forge
Victoria, what a bore

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Monday, 29 November 2004 05:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Nomeansno also did a song called "Victoria"... (but that was just the cover.. and since they live in Victoria and all... yup.)

― donut christ (donut), Monday, 29 November 2004 05:45 (twenty-one years ago)

"If I was a straight-acting guy in Moose Jaw..."

― Huk-L, Monday, 29 November 2004 06:11 (twenty-one years ago)

"it was in Bobcaygeon I saw the constellations
reveal themselves one star at a time"

the one and the only T-Hip song i can stand, but rather like

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Monday, 29 November 2004 07:06 (twenty-one years ago)

A Case Of You by Joni Mitchell

On the back of a cotton coaster
In the blue t.v. screen light
I drew a map of canada
Oh canada
With your face sketched on it twice.

― wtin, Monday, 29 November 2004 13:02 (twenty-one years ago)

"new orleans is sinking and i don't wanna swim"

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 29 November 2004 13:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Nomeansno also did a song called "Victoria"... (but that was just the cover.. and since they live in Victoria and all... yup.)

ain't we talkin' about the same song? it's a kinks cover with different lyrics?

― el sabor de dense this early in the moaning (yournullfame), Monday, 29 November 2004 13:06 (twenty-one years ago)

The entire 'Marquee and The Moon' is a reference to bars in Halifax. Sadly I here The Marquee & Hell are closing :(, also The NS makes reference to a hospital of sorts.

Thrush Hermit - 'The Day We Hit The Coast'
I'm so tempted to say 'Echo Beach' but it's far away in time.
I need coffee for this.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 29 November 2004 13:14 (twenty-one years ago)

The Rheostatics - 'We Went West', 'Horses' (Went up to Red Deer to Stay), 'Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald' (somehow Thunder Bay get's worked in) and though it's more about the man, 'Ballad of Wendel Clark' mentions his hometown in s a s k.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 29 November 2004 13:19 (twenty-one years ago)

-Hampton Grease Band, "Halifax"
-Max Webster, "Sarniatown Reggae" (Sarnia, Ontario, which is assuredly nowhere near Jamaica)
-Joni Mitchell, "Raised on Robbery": "He was sitting in the lounge of the Empire Hotel" [Regina]
-Too goddam many Stompin' Tom Connors songs to mention

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Monday, 29 November 2004 14:04 (twenty-one years ago)

When I told you what you wanted to know
You said, "take me to ontario"
When I showed you what you wanted to see
You said, "the flower that you planted in me has gone dry," yeah
Big birds flying overhead, who gives a shit?
Big birds flying overhead, who gives a shit?
When I showed you what I wanted to build
And all the enemies would never be killed
There’ll be a saint living under the stairs
So we’ll be free of material cares
Black paint on the walls in summer, it’s cool, yeah, it’s cool
Black paint on the walls in summer, it’s cool, yeah, it’s cool
I wanna go, I wanna go -- to ontario
I wanna go, I wanna go -- to ontario
When I told you what I wanted to know
You said "take me to ontario"
When I asked you, "why ontario? "
You said, "it sounds good on the radio" -- go!

I wanna go, I wanna go -- to ontario
I wanna go, I wanna go -- to ontario
Black birds flying overhead, waiting for somebody to die
Black birds flying overhead, waiting for somebody to die
-- "Ontario," The Posies

Also has the benefit of being a poke in the eye to Neil Young's "Helpless," itself a Canada reference.

― Phil Dennison (Phil D.), Monday, 29 November 2004 14:13 (twenty-one years ago)

The tag on Martha & The Muffins' "You Sold The Cottage" pays tribute to Ontario-based summer destinations, incl. The Key at Bala, Honey Harbour, and (my fave) Buttermilk Falls. Anyone got the complete listing? My copy's been missing for years.

Max Webster's "Research At Beach Resorts" has the memorable lines:
"we're in Newport for research, to get abreast of things, to get a breast of things, take your tourist toys to the concert
we just researched Wasaga Beach, bonfire pits at midnight, hangover rhymes at sunrise six"

― doug watson (solid air), Monday, 29 November 2004 14:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't ask me to wine and dine ya, I'm from Brooklyn, you're from Regina!

F-U too Beastie Boys

― Huk-L, Monday, 29 November 2004 15:23 (twenty-one years ago)

They could've picked a much worse rhyme there, really.

― Apparently now known as (o )( o) (Thermo Thinwall), Monday, 29 November 2004 15:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Thought that would be a reference to Queens.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 29 November 2004 15:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Though it's MCA who delivers the dis, Mike D spent about a month in the Queen City, in the Jewel of the Prairie Crown, in, ummm, 1999 or possibly 2000, when his wife (are they still together?) Tamra Davis shot the forgettable Skipped Parts starring Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Jason Leigh in and around Regina.

― Huk-L, Monday, 29 November 2004 15:52 (twenty-one years ago)

And I'm broken man on a Halifax PEEEEEEEEEEEER, the last of Barrett's Privateers. And that town of Sherbrooke, which I don't think was founded yet.

Could be Huk, that will be my trivia piece of the month if its true.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 29 November 2004 15:54 (twenty-one years ago)

It's true. The D's rented a house and became regulars at the local organic food restaurant, and have sometimes hired said restaurant's head cook to go on tour with them.

― Huk-L, Monday, 29 November 2004 15:58 (twenty-one years ago)

That makes Regina ten times cooler.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 29 November 2004 16:23 (twenty-one years ago)

So now where about Sudbury level?

― Huk-L, Monday, 29 November 2004 16:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Aim high, currently your closer to Cabano.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 29 November 2004 16:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Quite a bit of Joel Plaskett's stuff as well as other Thrush Hermit songs from Clayton Park besides "The Day We Hit The Coast".
The last or second last song from Neil Young's "On The Beach".
More non-Canadian artists would be interesting...
(In that Petey Pablo song "Hellacopter" or whatever he's naming all these places in North Carolina and one of them is Halifax and I always think it's funny.)

― La Monte (La Monte), Monday, 29 November 2004 18:30 (twenty-one years ago)

As a kid, I thought that Barry McGuire's "eve of destruction" had a line that said "think of all the hate there is in regina", but really he was saying "Red China."
Which reminds me of when a young relative (like 5) was visiting my family and he wanted to know where the pandas were. Awwwwwww.

― Huk-L, Monday, 29 November 2004 18:42 (twenty-one years ago)

"Vancouver may be just my kind of town," Flying Burrito Bros., "My Uncle"

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Monday, 29 November 2004 19:08 (twenty-one years ago)

In the blue canadian rockies
Spring is silent through the trees
And the golden poppies are blooming
’round the banks of lake louise

Blue Canadian Rockies by the Byrds

I used to think the line in Razzamataz by Pulp was "now you're going with some kid who looks like some sort of bad Canadian", which I thought was hilarious. Years later I learned it was "comedian" which isn't as good.

― everything, Monday, 29 November 2004 20:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Mojave 3, "In Love With A View"
Canadian winters
At home with your sisters
The romance was hard to ignore

― Huk-L, Monday, 29 November 2004 20:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Hidden Cameras - Missassagua Goddam.
The Constatines - Posion (references Scarborough)

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 29 November 2004 20:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Hey little Donna, still wanna?
You said to ring you up when I was in Toronto
- The Kings "This Beat Goes On"

― john'n'chicago, Monday, 29 November 2004 21:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Motorhead, "America": "Up to Canada/Crystal meth"

Not specifically mentioned, but Lemmy's referring to Windsor, Ontario, located one mile south of Detroit, where Canada Customs charged him with possession in '75.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Monday, 29 November 2004 21:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Kardinal Offishal's "Bakardi Slang" is essentially one big Toronto hip-hop reference.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Monday, 29 November 2004 22:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Meastro Fresh Wes had a few about Kennedy station didn't he?

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 29 November 2004 22:35 (twenty-one years ago)

I was under the impression that the Posies "Ontario" is actually about a town in California - but what they hey, no reason we can't appropriate it.

Low's "Canada" references the whole country at once, if that counts.

― Kim (Kim), Monday, 29 November 2004 23:14 (twenty-one years ago)

According to Jon Spencer, the Blues Explosion "is number one in Vancouver."

― Vic Funk, Monday, 29 November 2004 23:24 (twenty-one years ago)

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