Friday, October 07, 2005

Music by that mouse next to the elephant


The late Canadian Premier Pierre Trudeau once described Canada's position in relation to the United States as akin to a mouse next to an elephant. As the mice prepare to celebrate their Thanksgiving Day (it's the second Monday in October), Route 1 readers offer their thanks by answering the FRIDAY QUESTION: What is your favourite song by a Canadian musical artist?
Jill H. -- I love the Barenaked Ladies' "Gordon" CD. Each song brings back happy memories!
Inger H. -- At the moment, my favorite is the Weakerthans' "One Great City!" from their album "Reconstruction Site;" a simple little song that includes the catchy refrain... "I hate Winnipeg."
Clint A. -- "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot. After two-and-a-half days of 40 mph winds with gusts over 50 mph and over 4 inches of torrential rains with 12 to 16-foot waves on Lake Superior, this is what sticks in my mind. I cannot imagine being out on the lake in conditions worse than that.
Mike D. -- "Lookin' Out for Number One" by Honeymoon Suite was a great adrenaline-pumping, guitar-crunching rock 'n' roll ride by the 80s hair band.
Roseanne H. -- Any song by Anne Murray.
Kerstin H. -- "Summer of 69" by Bryan Adams. It's a got a great beat.
Ellen B. -- Bryan Adams' "Cuts Like a Knife."
Lisa Y. -- Mine is "Summer of 69" by Bryan Adams, because I can't remember any other Canadian artist.
Scout S. -- "Underwhelmed" by Sloan.
Eileen M. -- "If I Had a Million Dollars" by the Barenaked Ladies, because it's a pretty good tune and more importantly, I wish I had a million dollars.
Rick T. -- "Movin' On" by The Singing Ranger, Hank Snow.
Ken B. -- "Temple of Syrinx" by Rush.
Diane H. -- "If I had "$1 Million Dollars" by the Barenaked Ladies. It gets way overplayed, I know, but I still sing along when I hear it and it's very hard to be in a bad mood when you listen to the Barenaked Ladies, who are neither ladies nor barenaked.

Erik H. -- Reportedly, bassist Chris Murphy found himself in a messy relationship, caught between Calgary-born singer/songwriter Leslie Feist and Andrew Whiteman of indie stalwarts Broken Social Scene. The result? "The Other Man" by Sloan. This song never fails to capivate me. "Now I'm the other man, no one's rooting for me/If I'm the other man, nature will abhor me." Sigh... I wish you could switch on the radio in the United States and hear Sloan.