I understand the government is contemplating changing the lyrics to the Canadian national anthem to make it more gender neutral. Well, I can understand that. I’m actually not really sure what that line “true patriot love in all thy son’s command” really means anyhow. But if we’re going to open the pandora’s box around changing the anthem, I’d like to propose we go for a bigger change.
There is a Canadian tune that stops me in my tracks every time I hear it. It transports me across this land and drops me in the woods. It’s spring, a new season, a fresh start. The snow is still on the ground in the woods but I can smell spring in the air. Instead of messing about with the lyrics of our current anthem, I suggest we adopt a new tune altogether. The sap is flowing. There’s not much time. Let’s make Maple Sugar by the late great Ward Allen the new Canadian national anthem.
Here it is….
27th Street 
The Unofficial Revised Cananthem
O Canada! Our Home and cherished land!
True patriot love in all us thou command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
we stand on guard for thee.
Nous gardons notre terre glorieuse et libre!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee;
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
I’ve never heard this tune before. It’s pretty great!
It’s one of my fave tunes ever. There are also a couple versions called Maple Sugar Time that have lyrics and singing. You can find them on YouTube. Those versions are great too, and one features Ward Allen on fiddle, but I like the original Ward Allen version best. There are some people in America who believe Maple Sugar is an Appalachian folk tune, but don’t let them fool you. Maple Sugar is as Canadian as butter tarts.
I’m looking at a bottle of “Tastefully Canadian” just given to us by a friend from Ottawa. Maple leaf shaped bottle.
‘gender neutral’?????
Oh for fucks sake.
Can someone please get a life.
Candy : I love you dearly babe but in a world that seems to be blowing itself to hell…I rephrase…In a world that humanity is blowing to hell who, frankly, gives a fuck about ‘gender neutral’?
Take our ‘National Anthem’. ‘God Save The Queen’ becomes ‘God Save The King’ when Queenie (who I quite like actually) shuffles off.
Gender neutral?????
ARRRRRRRRGH!!!!!!!
….that being said Candy. You have a very very good heart x
I don’t know…I think there are more important things for the government to focus on right now. I’m a little ticked that this is getting so much attention.
Long overdue. Actually…I thought the lyrics were officially changed two decades ago. I never sing “sons” always hearts instead.
Long overdue indeed….Maple Sugar should have been made our national anthem in the first place.
I agree..but more importantly…does Mr. Anchovy wear a fringed shirt when he’s out busking?
A fringed shirt is an excellent accoutrement. When I was busking, it was usually in the summer and it was hot. I typically wore a t shirt and shorts and I varied hats between a little straw pork-pie number, a black straw cowboy hat and a few others for variety.