Young Canada Singers: "Canada"

April 22, 1967 (2 weeks)

I was born in 1977 so, naturally, I came along far too late to appreciate Canada's centennial. Nevertheless, its legacy has carried on, not the least of which may be found in the numerous malls, monuments and parks spread throughout the country with the name 'Confederation'. I grew up just a stone's throw from Calgary's Confederation Park. Not coincidentally, it opened in 1967.

'67 was a year of change. Canada's two main political lions of the age, Conservative John Diefenbaker and Liberal Lester B. Pearson, both resigned, making them the last two Canadian prime ministers to be born in the nineteenth century (no wonder the incoming forty-eight year old Pierre Trudeau was seen as a fresh, young upstart). The venerable six-team NHL was about to come to an end - and with it, the demise of the Toronto Maple Leafs as a dominant franchise. The big event of the year was Expo '67 in Montreal which was praised as the finest world's fair to date and one that arguably set the standard for such expositions as a point of pride among host nations and cities. (The city that was then still the world's second largest Francophone metro would be granted a Major League Baseball expansion team two years later and, what with Kansas City already declaring dibs on 'Royals', 'Expos' was the logical choice, even if it makes next to no sense as a sports team name)

I grew up knowing about more or less all of these facts but the theme song for Canada's birthday bash was something no one ever bothered to inform me about. It never seemed to crop up on oldies radio, not even on the CBC's Finkleman's 45's, and has rarely been included on compilations (aside from a pair released at around the same time). It's as if "Canada" is the one thing people would like you to forget about that most memorable of all years.

It would be easy to dismiss it as a cheesy bit of pointless patriotism — which, to be sure, it is — but I'd like to take some time to apologize for it and/or find something of worth first. Sure, the Young Canada Singers sound like they might as well have been chanting endless praise to Chairman Mao in the midst of the Cultural Revolution (which was underway by this point) but I buy these kids. They sound coached but not to an insulting degree. Songwriter — and (ahem) "Pied Piper of Canada" — Bobby Gimby might have given some consideration to lyrics that children might have actually sang and/or spoken themselves. That said, he had already proven to be a master of nationalist propaganda songs with "Malaysia Forever" and "Canada" is an improvement on that bit of banal dross.

The other positive thing to say is that the opening isn't awful. The first ten seconds bounce along quite agreeably in fact. It has a nice swing beat that wouldn't have been out of place from one of the better entrants on a Eurovision Song Contest of the age. Then, it begins to unravel with the choir. There, I've done my best describing everything I don't hate about it. Yet, I will say I was expecting a great deal worse. It isn't quite "Purple People Eater"/"Paper Roses"/Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" levels of badness which I suppose is something of a win!

And, if nothing else, at least it ended a near year-and-a-half long drought of Canadians failing to top their national singles chart. But could pop and rock follow suit? They'd be coming along soon but there'd still be a bit more of a wait.

Score: 2