Bryan Adams has a deep affection for Canada and, shall we say, notably cooler feelings toward Donald Trump. The Ontario-born singer-songwriter has crafted not one but two Trump-targeted tracks for his upcoming album How’s It Goin’. The first, titled “51st State,” challenges Trump’s attempts to fold Canada into the United States, a move Adams chose to release on Canada Day, naturally. The second piece, unveiled yesterday, is named “Lake Ontario.”
Trump, for reasons that remain unclear, has developed a fixation with renaming bodies of water. Last year, he issued an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” Earlier this year, he followed that up with another executive order renaming Lake Ontario to the “Lake America.” More recently, he has even floated the idea of renaming the Atlantic Ocean the “American Ocean” or the “Trump Ocean,” though Google reportedly pushed back on that notion. Bryan Adams pushes back as well, through the medium of song.
“Empires and regimes, dictators and kings, they all come and go. Lake Ontario is forever,” Adams states in a statement. “This is a song for all the sane people on both shores who know that the current madness will pass, and that Lake Ontario will always be Lake Ontario.” Here’s a sample of the lyrics:
From glacial erosion – to indigenous care
From European exploration – to industrial wear and tear
The “lake of shining waters” is what the Iroquois called her
It’s a first nations name – not an executive orderBut things weren’t going his way in Iran
So like a baby tossing the toys from the pram
He may have thought it best to throw a low blow
And create a real dog and pony show
But it feels like another distraction
While the Epstein files were getting traction
One day they’ll come out and we’ll say “there you go”
And then we’ll all dive into Lake OntarioAfter centuries of trade and war
People settled down on the banks and shores
All rivalries and conflicts – had all but ceased
But it just took one dude to break that peace
Listen to “Lake Ontario” below.
How’s It Goin’ is out 11/6 via BAD.
