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Does your city have an "anthem"?
Does your city have an "anthem", a patriotic (in some cases) song that residents find relatable?
Probably Winnipeg's anthem, "One Great City" by the Weakerthans: Late afternoon, another day is nearly done. A darker gray is breaking through a lighter one. A thousand sharpened elbows in the underground. That hollow hurried sound of feet on polished floor, and in the Dollar Store the clerk is closing up, and counting Loonies, trying not to say, "I hate Winnipeg." The driver checks the mirror, seven minutes late. The crowded riders' restlessness enunciates that the Guess Who suck, the Jets were lousy anyway. The same route every day. And in the turning lane, someone's stalled again. He's talking to himself, and hears the price of gas repeat his phrase: "I hate Winnipeg." And up above us all, leaning into sky, our Golden Business Boy will watch the North End die, and sing "I love this town," then let his arcing wrecking ball proclaim, "I hate Winnipeg." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLlsjEP7L-k |
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Vancouver:
Kelowna: Calgary: Edmonton: Still deciding what is the worst I can find for Edmonton. Stuck deciding between Jo Thrillz and some other no names. |
^ The Vancouver one is like something written for an amateur song contest in the 70s or 80s, not so good for an anthem today.
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The St. John's Waltz, originally by Ron Hynes, is the official one. A performance from his funeral:
... All the sailors got a story Some are true, some are false But they're always wrecked and they're up on the deck Dancin' the St. John's Waltz Oh we've had our share of history We've seen nations come and go We've seen battles rage over land and stage Five hundred years and more For glory or for freedom For country or for King ... All the nine to fives survive the day With a sigh and a dose of salts And they're parkin' their cars and packin' the bars Dancin' the St. John's Waltz ... So leave the wayward free to wander Leave the restless free to roam If it's rocks in the bay or it's old cliche You'll find your way back home So don't question or inquire What's been gained, what's been lost In a world of romance don't miss out on the chance To be Dancin' the St. John's Waltz |
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Couldn't resist:
This was mooted for London a few years ago, before being widely derided (especially since London was mired in a terrible recession at the time) |
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Winnipeggers are renowned for their love/hate relationship with the city, but this song mainly captures the latter half of that dynamic... to my mind it reflects the late 90s malaise that permeated this place. |
Gatineau doesn't have one and Ottawa's already been done.
This is probably the best-known one for Montreal. It's a "radio" song so it's not obscure at all. Written in 1976 by Robert Charlebois, who is the guy sitting at the piano. This video features Montrealers (native and by adoption) who've made it big in show business around the world, in duplexes from various foreign locales. It's got subtitles albeit in French. The song is an ode to winter, cold, snow holding an old stone city in its grip. And the "pull back" that he feels in spite of it all. Among our celebrities in there are several that most SSPers will recognize. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_8zatZ1zuA |
here is one for Quebec (City or Province/Nation):
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Not really for a city, but a community nonetheless. This is the anthem of Franco-Ontariens:
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