Something to Sing About
Encyclopedia
"Something to Sing About" is a patriotic song written by folk singer Oscar Brand
that sings the praises of the many different regions of Canada
. It was used as a theme for CBC
, CTV
and Expo 67
, and there was once a movement for it to replace O Canada
as the Canadian national anthem
.
Brand has for some years used an Americanized lyric of "Something to Sing About" as a theme song for his Folksong Festival radio program on WNYC
in New York City.
It has been recorded, among others, by The Raftsmen
and the Canadian folk and children's singer Michael Mitchell
Oscar Brand
Oscar Brand is a folk singer, songwriter, and author. In his career, spanning over 60 years, he has composed at least 300 songs and released nearly 100 albums, among them Canadian and American patriotic songs...
that sings the praises of the many different regions of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was used as a theme for CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
and Expo 67
Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, as it was commonly known, was the general exhibition, Category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It is considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century, with the...
, and there was once a movement for it to replace O Canada
O Canada
It has been noted that the opening theme of "O Canada" bears a strong resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" , from the opera Die Zauberflöte , composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavallée's melody was inspired by Mozart's tune...
as the Canadian national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
.
Brand has for some years used an Americanized lyric of "Something to Sing About" as a theme song for his Folksong Festival radio program on WNYC
WNYC
WNYC is a set of call letters shared by a pair of co-owned, non-profit, public radio stations located in New York City.WNYC broadcasts on the AM band at 820 kHz, and WNYC-FM is at 93.9 MHz. Both stations are members of National Public Radio and carry distinct, but similar news/talk programs...
in New York City.
It has been recorded, among others, by The Raftsmen
The Raftsmen
The Raftsmen was a Canadian folk music group active through the early and mid 1960s. Initially formed by Louis Leroux, Martin Overland and Marvin Burke, the group played a variety of instruments, including guitar, banjo and percussion. Along with The Travellers, the group was one of the most...
and the Canadian folk and children's singer Michael Mitchell
Michael mitchell (singer)
Michael Mitchell was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1954. He is commonly known as a singer and a performer for kids. With pre-recorded musical accompaniment, Michael performs solo. He performs about 250 shows in different schools all throughout Canada. Michael Mitchell tours about 200 days a year. The...