Music

Blue Rodeo take aim at Stephen Harper in new protest song

by Jesse Locke

September 29, 2015

The band ask “Have you forgotten that you work for me?”

In clichéd Canadian fashion (complete with an apology), a recent piece from The Toronto Star asks “Sorry… but why don’t Canadians write songs about Stephen Harper?”

They may have missed a bomb lobbed at the PM called “Murder” from experimental pop artist Petra Glynt, but it’s hard to overlook high-profile names such as Feist, Dan Mangan, and The Sadies taking part in anti-conservative events. Now, beloved country rockers Blue Rodeo have released their own Harper takedown called “Stealin’ All My Dreams”, and this one should be impossible to ignore.

Between rousing choruses that will stick in your head more than “Harperman”, the band lists off their issues with the conservatives’ climate change denial, CBC budget cuts, poverty, election fraud, indigenous rights, and more. In an accompanying statement, singer Jim Cuddy said the following for himself and bandmate Greg Keelor:

“Blue Rodeo does not always speak with one voice. However, we feel collectively that the current administration in Canada has taken us down the wrong path. We do not seem to be the compassionate and environmentally conscious nation we once were. As respectful as we are of the variety of opinions held by our audience, ‎we felt it was time to speak up and add our voice to the conversation.”