All Hell For a Basement
North asked me for a hand last week putting together a music curriculum for his English Second Language students. He needed songs with a Canadian theme. Being a music nazi, he wanted to put his own stamp on it, but didn't mind some input. I suggested some of the obvious choices like Canadian Railroad Trilogy and Fifty-Mission Cap . Canadian Railroad Trilogy because it is, in my mind, the quintessential Canadian History song and Fifty-Mission Cap because it makes fun of the Leafs. North thought CRT was too long and that FMC wasn't as good as Fireworks for a Hip song. I'm still not sure he was right but it's his class. I also suggested Alberta Bound and, for a similar theme, Big Sugar's All Hell for a Basement, about Newfoundlanders heading west.North was in Taiwan when the song came out so I looked it up for him. I also found some background on the song and some very good Canadian trivia. It turns out the phrase 'All hell for a basement' was a quote from none other than Rudyard Kipling who said it in reference to Medicine Hat, Alberta and the gas reserves beneath the region. The full quote: "This part of the country seems to have all hell for a basement, and the only trap door appears to be in Medicine Hat. And don’t you ever think of changing the name of your town. It’s all your own and the only hat of its kind on earth."
That, right there, is some good trivia. Not to mention a great song.
Pace out.
posted by Vitamin S @ 9:17 p.m.
6 Comments:
No Stompin' Tom?
Wheat Kings
Northwest Passage
I should have included 'anything by Stompin' Tom.' Fred Eaglesmith and Corb Lund could have multiples as well. Numerous Hip songs were considered and Wheat Kings is definitely a good one. Northwest Passage was actually in the existing curriculum as was Four Strong Winds, I's the By, and something by Joni Mitchell I can't recall.
Good for conversation either way.
Any Lightfoot?
probaly Big yellow taxi for it's enviromental message
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