True Patriot Love

Two icons pass away having changed their respective countries in completely different ways. Stompin Tom used soft power and a passion for expressing an ethereal opinion to define what it means to be a Canadian. Hugo Chavez used brute force, intimidation and hard power to change Venezuela from a neo Spanish colony to a modern western democracy.

I was in Venezuela twice.  The first time (1987) I stayed for a week in a delightful Hotel Melia Caribe in La Guaira on the coast. The people were kind and friendly, leather goods including shoes were exquisite. The second time was 1992 stopped for a day while cruising. The place had changed; people were harder, the beach needed to be protected with barb wire and machine guns. In 1999 a mudslide took out the whole area, as far as I know it has not recovered. Hugo Chavez became the elected President in the same year. His legacy is a mixed bag. What is indisputable is that he brought true democracy to Venezuela, and he reduced the poverty rate from 50% to 30%. This was accomplished by radical wealth distribution. This was detested by the USA. However, given the concentration of wealth masticating on the North American body politic, a Chavezian character is all but certain to be seen repeatedly in North America.

I never saw Stompin Tom live. I checked my I tunes today and found only Bud the Spud. He reminded a generation of Canadians of their roots: the small town characters and players doing purely Canadian things in a Canadian way. There was a simplicity and ferocity to his expression that resonated deeper and stronger than many artists that where much more popular and way more financially successful. He was another unique character the likes of which we will never see again.



the likes of him will never be seen again

the likes of him will never be seen again

when the call came to run he would rather walk

and when the butts went out he would lite up

and never cross the border

he would never cross the border

It was in Peterbough he got his name

Stoppin through plywood was his claim to fame

Four decades he played every honkytonk

Places the roof leaked in the rain

And the chairs would smash

And the glasses clash

While Tom would smile and play on

Only stopping when the cops came.