As I grew up I somehow or other absorbed the lyrics to many Stompin Tom tunes. I don’t know where I heard them. They never played his music on the radio. The songs were just always there. You just had to reach out and grab one. Tom’s gone now but Bud the Spud will always be speeding down the 401 with another big load of the best potatoes ever been growed. The man in the moon will always be a Newfie. Up in Sudbury, the girls will always be out to bingo, the boys gettin stinko. Ketchup will always love potatoes. Big Joe Mufferaw will forever be paddling up the Ottawa all the way to Mattawa in just one day.

He was unique, prolific, corny, passionate about Canadians he met everywhere. He wrote catchy, fun songs about life in Canada. He wrote songs you hear once or twice and they stick with you, stick with you for years. He managed a successful career completely outside of the style of the day, any day, outside of fad and fashion. For those of you who don’t live here or are maybe too young to have been exposed to Stompin’ Tom, here’s a taste.

Gumboot Clogeroo

Bud the Spud from the bright red mud

Moon Man Newfie

And of course, Sudbury Saturday NIght