There's so many things about my childhood in Toronto that
bring back many vivid and cherished memories....
One of the more prominent ones are those of winter...snow...ice...
Maybe it's because we don't have those kind of winters here on the coast.
Last Christmas when we went to visit my daughter and her husband I ventured
up to the local park a few days after it had been snowing.
And there they were...hockey players!
Just a bunch of guys in sweaters and skates goofing around on the ice...the sound of
skates, the slap of a puck on the stick.
But what memories it brought back to me of those evenings when you
had to be forced to come home for dinner..."just another half an hour...please!"
You would be so bundled up that even if you fell playing 'Crack the whip'
it didn't matter because you had so many layers on...
And so today my song is a tribute to those long ago winter afternoons.
I've included the lyrics to this song because they are...in a word...
Brilliant.
I'm not sure whatever happened to Jane Siberry but
she wrote some really fine songs at one time.
A warning that there a few 'f' words in one line but its
sort of a reference to a big riot in the '50s in Montreal when they
benched Maurice "Rocket" Richard of the Montreal Canadiens and
apparently the swear words reference
what he said to a fan or a referee after being handed down the penalty.
winter time on the frozen river
Sunday afternoon
they're playing hockey on the river
Rosie...
he'll have that scar on his chin forever
someday his girlfriend will say "hey, where...?"
he might look out the window... or not
you skate as fast as you can
'til you hit the snowbank (that's how you stop)
and you got your sweater from the catalogue
Sunday afternoon
they're playing hockey on the river
Rosie...
he'll have that scar on his chin forever
someday his girlfriend will say "hey, where...?"
he might look out the window... or not
you skate as fast as you can
'til you hit the snowbank (that's how you stop)
and you got your sweater from the catalogue
you use your rubber boots for goal posts
ah, and walkin' home
don't let those Sunday afternoons
get away get away get away get away
break away break away...
this stick was signed by Jean Belliveau
so don't fucking tell me where to fucking go...
oh Sunday afternoon
someone's dog just took the puck
he's buried it it's in the snowbank ....your turn
they rioted in the streets of Montreal
when they benched Rocket Richard it's true
don't let those Sunday afternoons
get away get away get away get away
break away break away break away break away
the sun is fading on the frozen river
the wind is dying down
someone else just got called for dinner
Rosie!
hmm...Sunday afternoon
Have a great weekend all! and if you're anywhere where it's
cold enough....have a skate for me!
