Estevan needs an anthem, a rock song that will resonate with the population.
Are there any Freddy Mercurys out there among us? A Mercury for the Mercury?
We need a song that defines us ... one that will make us proud ... one that we can add to the screaming music mix played at local hockey games.
I don't care if it's hip-hop or hippity-hop, rap, country and western, rock, blues or three-part harmony. Just bring it on.
I want our new council to forge a local contest ... offer a $10,000 prize to the person or persons who can write the music and create the lyrics (that's words for youse guys who ain't musical in scope), for the Estevan anthem.
What the heck, we have a city flag, and a city logo and all kinds of vision and mission statements. How about some official music? How about something that will help make us smile and shout out ... a school cheer for our city ... Sis Boom Bang. Something audio we can take to the bank.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have five "official" songs written for them. Somebody wrote about the Moose Jaw Woman and Burton wrote about Runnin' Back to Saskatoon, and Regina had a syrupy song about it back in the 1950s and '60s that really didn't catch on, but at least they tried.
Connie Kaldor wrote about Wood River ... could she do something for Energy City? Anybody know Connie? Our contest would be open to amateurs and professionals alike. Brad Johner, Chris Henderson, Connie, Blake, Hell ... Paul Anka writes a good tune ... maybe he'd like a little coffee money. Avril, Alanis, Jann, k.d.?
OK, maybe I'm stretching reality here a bit. I have a tendency to do that when I get excited and off my meds.
We could sing the national anthem at our public events, and throw in the local anthem at halftime or between periods, or during the smoke break or at the end ... if we win.
Surely somebody's out there who can rhyme up words such as power/tower/energy/oil/ag/coal/mine/and so on and make it singable and playable with a real kick-ass chorus or refrain.
Maybe it's something our promotions and tourism kids could kick around at Table No. 4 in the local watering hole one night?
What are our Estevan Idol contestants up to? Sing an original song next summer and win big! Anybody want to sponsor a contest with enough significant cash to entice the serious song writers?
Just wondering.
On a finishing note ... I know I'm a patriotic Canadian and all that, and so, so, so much has been made of the 40th anniversary of the hockey Summit Series against the Ruskie's back in 1972, but you know, I am not one of those Canadians who can recall with any clarity as to where I was or who I was with during that final game when Henderson scored.
I know where I was and what I was doing when JFK got shot and when they landed on the moon and when Princess Di was killed, and when the New York Rangers won the final Stanley Cup game in 1994 ... but I don't know where I was in '72 and maybe it's just as well, it could be embarrassing. I was probably in Estevan ... anybody remember seeing me that day? Or was it all about Paul and you just forgot about where you saw me that day?
Doesn't really matter. What does matter is that we won, at least that's what I'm led to believe.
