On the Canadian Top 50 Tracks.
November 16, 2007
I didn't know this until recently, but there is a Canadian Songwriter's Hall of Fame. It's purpose is "to honour, celebrate, and educate Canadians about the outstanding accomplishments of Canadian popular music songwriters and those who have contributed significantly to their legacy."
I'm not sure what the distinction is between "outstanding accomplishments" and those who made contributions to "their legacy". How could you make a contribution to a "legacy" unless you were a great songwriter who would be worthy, therefore, of inclusion, for your "outstanding accomplishments"? More words=more important. More better.
Unless... don't tell me they are going to honor promoters and agents and producers? Oh no... they probably are. That would be more than a shame: it would be ridiculous. There is already a music hall of fame for the hucksters and the promoters: leave the songwriters alone.
But then...
This year's entries: "Sugar Sugar", recorded by the Archies in 1969, and "Far Away Places" (recorded by the immortal Ray Conniff and his orchestra), and "Clap Your Hands"-- all "outstanding accomplishments"?
Yes, these stunning lyrics are now immortalized in the Canadian Songwriter's Hall of Fame:
Sugar Sugar
Honey Honey
You are my candy girl
And you got me wanting you.
I'm not making those words up. "You got me wanting you". The raw authenticity of that unrestrained emotion must have impressed the judges or Board of Directors or whoever it is gets to stand in front of a group of solemn reporters and music executives and explain why "Sugar Sugar" deserves to be immortalized in this awesome way. My question is this: how did they manage to get into the Hall of Fame ahead of Gino Vanelli and Corey Hart?
Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman are in. So is Gordon Lightfoot, and Leonard Cohen. Does that mean all of their songs are in? I see "Sugar Sugar" listed but not "Suzanne". "Four Strong Winds" and "Universal Soldier" but not "You Were on My Mind" or Buffy Sainte Marie. No Poppy Family yet even though Susan Jacks had the loveliest midriff of any singer-songwriter blonde singer chick ever, of that era.
Okay, so there is a list of the songs which, I presume, earned the song-writer entry into these hallowed corridors.
And now--- Paul Anka. I think it is fair to say that the Canadian Songwriter Hall of Fame and Paul Anka were made for each other.
And I would like to start a movement. I would like to organize a petition drive to keep Neil Young out of the Canadian Songwriter's Hall of Fame.
Furthermore, I think we need to form a musical commando squad to parachute into the Canadian Songwriter's Hall of Fame and excise Leonard Cohen and Gordon Lightfoot before they find out that someone has decided that their life's work is at least as good as "What a Friend we Have in Jesus" and "Aint Nobody Here but Us Chickens".