I'm late to the party, but I figured that, given the fact that my blogroll conforms to Can Con (and Kon Kan) standards, I should weigh in on the gender-neutral lyrical changes to the Canadian National Anthem, which I'm pretty sure is Fantasy by Aldo Nova:
The lyrical changes, which have upset conservative talking heads, really shouldn't be controversial, as they are minor, and convey a better sense of Canadian society.
The line: See the girls with the dresses so tight give you love, if the price is right has been changed to See the peeps with the dresses so tight give you love, if the price is right. As Tengrain chronicles in his Fashion Week posts, dresses aren't limited to the girly type persons.
The second verse of the song required the most revision:
Outta sight, buy your kicks from the man in the white
Feels all right, powder pleasure in your nose tonight
See the men paint their faces and cry
Like some girls, it makes you wonder why
City life, sure its cool, but it cuts like a knife, it's your life
Again, the changes are a better reflection of Canadian culture:
Outta sight, buy your kicks from the person in white
Feels all right, powder pleasure in your nose tonight
See the mimes paint their faces and cry
Like some kids, it makes you wonder why
City life, sure its cool, but it cuts like a knife, it's your life
The Canadian martial-arts community is a diverse one, and you are just as likely to get kicked by a woman in a white gi as by a man, and don't even think about going mano-a-mano with a senior citizen or a member of the First Nations.
The bit about the mimes is a call-out to the French contributions to the Canadian art scene. Finally, the original assertion that only girls make you wonder way was insufficient to explain the Canadian spirit of inquiry.
All told, the new gender-neutral language in the Canadian national anthem is a welcome change, and it is to be expected that Aldo Nova will be changing his name to Aldx Novx to better reflect his greatest contribution to the Canadian songbook.
Oh, and a belated happy National Flag of Canada Day to my Canadian readers. Fess up, Flag Day is celebrated in February because that's the month in which the Canadian flag instills fear in any and all rival nations.
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speaking of inclusive language and the canadian national anthem, i (whose paternal unit was born and raised in nova scotia) note that the french verse could use more broadening - at the link you cite it is translated as
"O Canada! Land of our ancestors. / Your brow is covered with glorious flower garlands. / Because your arm knows how to wield a sword / And knows how to carry a cross / Your history is an epic / Of brilliants exploits / And your valour is steeped in faith / Protect our homes and our rights / Protect our homes and our rights."
historically speaking, the reference to the cross and faith refers to the catholic religion brought from france by the settlers of quebec
how can this be made more faith- and non-faith inclusive? i suggest a process of dialogue is needed to identify a 21st-century alternative
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