A Love Song for Vancouver

Comments 12 by Rebecca Bollwitt

I’m looking for a love song about Vancouver. It can be punk, rock, alternative, folky and yeah, I guess I’ll even accept country. I’ve been hearing Empire State of Mind so much lately and I have come to realize that there are so many songs about how wonderful California and New York are but what about Vancouver?

I’m not comparing all of them side by side at all but you’d think there would be some representation of Vancouver Love in the music sphere. I know people like Vancouver, it’s a pretty nice place to be and you can’t beat the scenery. Even Tom Cochrane sings about “Vancouver’s lights” in Life is a Highway.


Photo credit: Sean Orr on Flickr

So here I am, looking for a fantastic song to get me pumped about my beloved city on a grey, gloomy, drenched December afternoon. Maybe in the same way I can listen to Augustana’s BostonI think I need a sunrise, I’m tired of the sunsets” and get psyched for the East Coast, who knows. I put the call out on Twitter and received quite a bit of feedback, here are a few messages:

Darren Barefoot’s post is helpful as he includes songs about Vancouver such as Gord Downie‘s Vancouver Divorce.

However, I’m looking for an all out anthem – something that I could listen to even while rain splashes my windows and think, man… it’s good to be here.

From the puddled alleys to the mulch-covered trails of the North Shore, there has to be some kind of lyrical tribute… somewhere.

Update: @BCRobyn‘s suggestion is completely awesome.

(Above) Vancouver, B.C. by The Smugglers including the shout out to TDM. I also went through Dan Mangan’s catalog over on CBC Radio 3. Lovely West Coast tunes but I’m still on the hunt…

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12 Comments  —  Comments Are Closed

  1. ApollineRFriday, December 18th, 2009 — 10:53pm PST

    There is a song that I love about Vancouver : Vancouver by French singer Véronique Sanson. You can listen to it here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biCXQzt_TNo

  2. BriannaSaturday, December 19th, 2009 — 2:08pm PST

    Its not a love song about vancouver, but I love this song and its about vancouver…
    Mathew Good – The Vancouver National Anthem

  3. Mr. Beer N. HockeySaturday, December 19th, 2009 — 3:58pm PST

    The only love song for Vancouver I can think of is Nazareth’s “Vancouver Shakedown.” Not sure if the love that gets handed out our border counts though.

  4. MariaSaturday, December 19th, 2009 — 9:07pm PST

    You should check out Said the Whale. They’re realy imspired by Vancouver, and Canada.
    Check out their page at http://radio3.cbc.ca/ (more music here)
    or http://www.myspace.com/saidthewhale

  5. Pauly CanuckSunday, December 20th, 2009 — 12:04am PST

    I don’t think I’d call it an anthem, the lyrics are actually quite depressing, but Vancouver by The Hush Now is a cool song.

    You should have a contest for local bands to compose songs about Vancouver. I know a few bands who would probably jump on that.

  6. AlexMonday, December 21st, 2009 — 9:30pm PST

    English Bay – Blue Rodeo. I always figured the narrator was staying at the Sylvia.

  7. JillWednesday, December 23rd, 2009 — 4:37pm PST

    Said the Whale’s “Black Day in December” about the Vancouver windstorm. “Howe Sounds”- I love the line, “lets go back to the coast baby, West Coast, to the ocean.”

    Other good ones are “Curse of the Currents” and “False Creek Change”. Most of them you can listen to here: http://radio3.cbc.ca/bands/Said-the-Whale

  8. RaulSaturday, December 26th, 2009 — 10:44pm PST

    Not sure if you remember when we chatted about The Hush Now, the Boston indie band that I interviewed on my blog a while ago. They do have a song about Vancouver called (not surprisingly) Vancouver 🙂

  9. WillSunday, December 27th, 2009 — 5:26am PST

    I imagine you’re looking for an upbeat, fuzzy-feeling-inducing song that reminds you of all the good Vancouver has to offer. However, there’s a great heartbreak, love-lost-ish song in Justin Rutledge’s “Sleeveless in Vancouver”

  10. Melody SSaturday, January 9th, 2010 — 7:14pm PST

    have you heard VANCOUVER by Catman Cohen?

    it’s a haunting dreamy love song about the city and think you can hear it for free at jango.com

    so beautiful it makes my heart pound!

  11. Brian DMonday, April 12th, 2010 — 6:40pm PDT

    I absolutely love Tropical Rainstorm by Doug and the Slugs. It really captures that laidback west coast lifestyle. I think it is posted on Youtube, give it a listen

  12. SergeMonday, March 26th, 2012 — 9:55pm PDT

    This is IMHO the best love song about Vancouver ever!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fu3MkvC3w0

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