Saturday, March 10, 2007

Q: The true soundtrack for the citizenship ceremony

Exactly two days ago my efforts to become a Canadian citizen culminated in a 90 minute citizenship ceremony, wherein I and about 75 other hopefuls were following the bizarre proceedings to receive the coveted card, handshake and picture with mountie. We all raised our right hand, and we rose and followed the judge's abominable French to affirm allegiance to "rain elizabeth duh", we had fun guessing each other's land of origin (how is it that you always know the Russians?), we sang O Canada (of course), and with patience we suffered through slow and open-armed speeches given for an either inane or firmly ESL-only audience. But most of all we suffered through a 20-minute maxi-version of Kenny G's guitar-plucking brother's version of Call of the Loon while we all receive our heartfelt handshake and photo-op. For crying out loud!
No, the entire time I was thinking of a multitude of more fitting soundtracks to this auspicious moment, and some Chicago soul with Bull and the Matadors hummin' Judge, you sho is funky ... paired with Big Sugar's rendition of O Canada and finished with The Animals' We've gotta get out of this place constituted the top of my rapidly assembling mental list. Oh, yes. The judge wasn't bad, but she sho wasn't funky, and a little ditty to lively up the place already would have made a difference. Welcome to the true North, funky and free. So here we go ...

A: Bull and the Matadors - The Funky Judge (1968) [Buy] (more on Funky 16 Corners)
A: Big Sugar - O Canada (from Brothers and sisters, are you ready?, 2001) [Buy]