We Need a Song

Driving in my car this morning listening to CBC Radio One, I found myself singing along to a catchy tune about wanting to go home to Alberta. Just yesterday I was singing along to David Bromberg's version of "Kansas City". There are songs about New York, Memphis, St. Louis, Chicago... There are tons of songs about Alberta. There are songs about the Maritimes. Don't even get me started on European cities. Good Lord, Neil Young even wrote a song about Omeemee, population five! (That's the town in "There is a town in north Ontario...")

The only song I know about Toronto is the wonderful but not-so-complimentary "I Don't Want to Go to Toronto" by Radio Free Vestibule. (In the background some people are chanting, "I don't want to go to Toronto/I don't want to go." In the foreground a man who sounds like a paranoid schizophrenic is saying things like "All of the food in Toronto is made of edible oil products. They don't have bagels in Toronto. They have donuts... It's illegal to possess brightly coloured balloons in Toronto... All of the children in Toronto must wear suits. Even the girls." It's very funny.) Although I guess there are a bunch of songs set in Toronto, which is just as good, like "Spadina Bus."

What we need is a song about Waterloo. Why is it we don't get a song? We have a distinct culture, even if it's eclectic. We are a nice enough place to stir up a little emotional attachment. We have musicians. Maybe we should have a contest to write songs about Waterloo. They don't have to be sentimental... they could be funny. They could be sad. They could tangentially mention the town while focussing on somebody's cheating heart. All is possible.

Or maybe what we need is a movie set here... Or a big blockbuster romantic novel that makes it to Oprah's book club list... (does Oprah still have a book club list)?

Just another thought in my latest preoccupation with Waterloo, Ontario:
Acquiring a Stadium for Waterloo's New NHL Team
A Poser: Where to Build the Stadium
Naming Waterloo's New NHL Team
Waterloo: A City Whose Time Has Come

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