Remembrance Day from Canada 2 by Paris Street
This song is based on a vacation I took 10 years ago with 2 friends. We flew from Tampa, Florida to Winnipeg, Manitoba, then took another plane to Thompson, Manitoba, then took a 14-hour train ride to Churchill. All so that we could see some polar bears.
At a Wendy's in Winnipeg, I saw a donation box by the cash register with a bunch of red, plastic poppies. I asked the cashier about them. She said they were for Remembrance Day.
Tracklist
| 1. | Remembrance Day | 3:04 |
Lyrics
She enjoyed my Churchill poems
Their imagery, meter, and tone
But - to her - the best thing was
How she factored in each and every one
The story of the northbound train
The antics that the cars contained
A fourteen hour ride
Underneath the stars and northern lights
Past the tree line, towards the place
Where the wind destroys your face
As the ice forms on the bay
Earlier in Thompson bars
Buying drinks for pool hall stars
At 55 degrees
The latitude that weakened Gordon's knees
Stumbling back to our hotel beds
As the lights danced overhead
Giving us a complete sense
Of our total insignificance
And everyone so generous
The cab drivers and Thompson drunks
Happy to lend a hand to us
Red plastic poppies on display
Pinned to a nation's chest - they say
It's for Remembrance Day
Trudging through the ice and snow
In boots too big and borrowed clothes
Too cold for my Florida bones
Past the tree line, towards the place
Where the wind destroys your face
As the ice forms on the bay
Red plastic poppies on display
Pinned to a nation's heart - they say
It's for Remembrance Day
We were bummed out on the last leg
Of our flight back to Winnipeg
So sad to see the story end
Red plastic poppies on display
Pinned to a nation's chest - they say
It's for Remembrance Day
Credits
Written and performed by Carl Polgar
If you somehow want a lengthier explanation about the story behind this song, go here: paris-street.com/2011/11/01/explaining-remembrance-day/
