Meet John Roby — a writer, musician, composer, and Canadian citizen who says he is sick and tired of Stephen Harper, his big Conservative family, and the political turmoil that the Prime Minister’s leadership has produced. In the wake of Ottawa’s recent wave of political scandals (Bev Oda, Bruce Carson, and Conservative contempt of Parliament, just to name a few), Roby felt himself compelled into action. “In the March [2011] edition of The Walrus I read Erna Paris’s provocative essay, ‘The New Solitudes,’ on Harper and the erosion of democracy in this country during his tenure,” Roby reports. “It made me, usually the most complacent of political souls, want to exchange my usual cocktail for a Molotov and run to the barricades.”
And so he wrote a bodacious little ditty about his feelings (which, it must be noted, neither The Walrus nor The Walrus Blog specifically endorse — we are merely messengers here). Earnest, gutsy, with a Joe Cocker-ish growl and a melody in the vein of Randy Newman’s best tunes, “The Harper Song (Steve, It’s Time to Leave)” was born. We present it here as one voter’s heartfelt take on Canada’s fourth federal election in the past seven years.
“The Harper Song (Steve, It’s Time to Leave)”
Words and music by John RobySteve, Steve, itʼs time to leave
Itʼs time to close the Harper show
Your one-man band has got to go
Time to take a long long walk in the snow
Steve, itʼs time to leaveIn the good old days we had democracy
But now itʼs Steve-autocracy
With a daily dose of hypocrisy
Spewing from the PMO
Thereʼs Odaʼs yes or no about a not
And whereʼs the bill for all those jails you’ve bought
It’s called contempt and like it or not
You’ve really got to goSteve, Steve, itʼs time to leave
Itʼs time for this charade to end
Youʼre running out of rules to bend
You wonʼt get by with a little help from your friends
Steve, itʼs time to leaveRemember all that campaign spin?
Transparency would soon begin
Your in and out spending went out and in
Where the sun donʼt shine
Another slice of Harper sleaze
A little thing called detainees
You close down the House whenever you please
And you claim to have a spineSteve, Steve, itʼs time to leave
Time to go screw something else
Time to put your crown on the shelf
Time to go and prorogue yourself
Steve, itʼs time to leave
Grania: This federal govenment is dismantling the democratic fabric of Canada day by day and I shudder to think of what will be destroyed before we can get rid of them!
jess: This article is credible when Chante performed Burton Cummings “I’m Scared”
best seo forums: Thanks for sharing such an brilliant post. I make sure to visit this post regularly. keep sharing more and more..
Seenloitering: The “gender analysis” in this article is upside down. Marie Calloway is a threat to the status quo because she threatens the myth that women are morally superior, above...
Legong: I know I am replying to this pathetic, racist statement a little late and the whole ignorant rant probably doesn’t even deserve a reply. Wanhenglo, if we were all to generalise about...
Legong: I know I am replying to this pathetic, racist statement a little late and the whole ignorant rant probably doesn’t even deserve a reply. Wanhenglo, if we were all to generalise about...
Sky Goodden: This is startling, refreshing, overdue, and damn good. Thank you, Shary.
Mark: It’s not just in Canada, it seems all over artists don’t get the local recogtnition they should. I was in Malaga where Picasso was born and it is much different, but then he is...
Guest: I didn’t want babies or a period any more. I KNEW without a doubt I did not want children so I had been asking for a hysterectomy since I was 19. I finally got it at 39. My...
Djzklj: Pretty interesting article, despite that I don’t wanna make a voyage there