Big Joe Mufferaw (song)
Encyclopedia
"Big Joe Mufferaw" is a single by Canadian country music artist Stompin' Tom Connors
Stompin' Tom Connors
Charles Thomas "Stompin' Tom" Connors, OC is one of Canada's most prolific and well-known country and folk singers.He lives in Wellington County, Ontario.- Early life :...

 written about French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...

 folk hero Big Joe Mufferaw
Big Joe Mufferaw
Big Joe Mufferaw was a French Canadian folk hero from the Ottawa Valley, perhaps best known today as the hero of a song by Stompin' Tom Connors. Like Paul Bunyan, he made his living chopping down trees. The name is also sometimes spelled Muffero, Muffera, and Montferrand...

. The song describes the following tall tales
Tall Tales
Tall Tales may refer to:* Tall Tales , 2004* Tall Tales , by American band The Hot Club of Cowtown* "Tall Tales" , an episode of the television series Supernatural-See also:...

, with many references to the Ottawa Valley:
  • Joe "paddled in to Mattawa
    Mattawa, Ontario
    Mattawa is a town in northeastern Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Mattawa and Ottawa Rivers in Nipissing District. Mattawa means "Meeting of the Waters" in Ojibwa...

     all the way from Ottawa
    Ottawa
    Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

     in just one day".
  • Joe had a "pet frog who was bigger than a horse, and barked like a dog."
  • Mississippi Lake was formed as a result of sweat dripping off his face, as the citizens of Carleton Place
    Carleton Place, Ontario
    Carleton Place is a town in the eastern portion of Eastern Ontario, Canada, in Lanark County, about west of downtown Ottawa. It is located at the crossroads of Highway 15 and Highway 7, halfway between the towns of Perth, Almonte, Smiths Falls, and the nation's capital, Ottawa...

     can attest to.
  • Joe portage
    Portage
    Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...

    d from Gatineau to Kemptville
    Kemptville, Ontario
    Kemptville is a community located in the Municipality of North Grenville in Southern Ontario, Canada in the northernmost part of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville...

    , to see his girlfriend, and "he was back and forth so many times to see that gal, the path he wore became the Rideau Canal
    Rideau Canal
    The Rideau Canal , also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario. The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States and is still in use today, with most of its...

    ."
  • He "put out a forest fire halfway between Renfrew
    Renfrew, Ontario
    Renfrew, Ontario, Canada, is a town on the Bonnechere River in Renfrew County. Located one hour west of Ottawa in Eastern Ontario, Renfrew is the third largest town in the county after Petawawa and Pembroke. The town is a small transportation hub connecting Ontario Highway 60 and Highway 132 with...

     and old Arnprior
    Arnprior, Ontario
    Arnprior is a town in Renfrew County, in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada. It is located at the mouth of the Madawaska River, as it enters the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley...

    . He was 50 miles away, down around Smiths Falls
    Smiths Falls, Ontario
    Smiths Falls is a town in Eastern Ontario, Canada. It is in the census division for Lanark County, but is considered a separated town and does not participate in county government...

    , when he drowned out the fire with five spitballs."
  • He "jumped in the Calabogie Lake real fast and swam both ways to catch a cross eyed bass, but he threw it to the ground and said "I can't eat that," so he covered it up with Mount St. Pat."
  • After drinking a bucket of gin
    Gin
    Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...

    , Joe "beat the living tar out of 29 men and high above the ceiling of the Pembroke
    Pembroke, Ontario
    Pembroke is a city in the province of Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley...

     pub, there's 29 boot marks, and they're signed 'with love.'" This is a reference to the Pembroke Hotel, a favourite of Stompin' Tom.

Chart performance

"Big Joe Mufferaw" debuted at number 43 on the RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...

Country Tracks chart on March 14, 1970. It peaked at number 1 on May 23, 1970.
Chart (1970) Peak
position
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 1
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