Rocks and Trees and Water

I’m writing from above the clouds over Canada on my way to visit my son in British Columbia.

I had looked at the theme for Song Lyric Sunday — a song that celebrates sandy beaches — and started scouring my brain and my list of Beach Boys songs.

Can I be honest here? I’m not beachy person.

The Beach Boys song I kept going back to had nothing to do with beaches — but I knew that Brian Wilson had written the Pet Sounds album largely from his sandbox — in his living room — with his piano placed in the sandbox so he could feel the sand between his toes while he wrote. For that album, he wrote the song, “God Only Knows” with Ted Asher in less than an hour. It is my all time favorite Beach Boys song.

But the song doesn’t mention sand or beaches or anything.

And I’m in an airplane flying over Canada.

After the border crossing, while driving in Canada, some people passed in their pickup truck and made awful faces at us. Honestly, it made me laugh.

I mean, yes, I’m from New York. But Lake Ontario will be Lake Ontario to me no matter what anyone says.

And Canadians are the nicest people in the world no matter what anyone says.

So I hearkened back to an Arrogant Worms song called “Rocks and Trees.”

What is sand but ground up rocks?

And what is a beach but those ground up rocks near water?

So basically Canada is one big beach, right?

Lyrics:

My country’s bigger than most
And if asked I boast
‘Cause I’m really proud
So I shout it loud
Though our numbers are few
We will welcome you

Although we don’t have history
Gold medal winning teams
Heroes or prisoners
World famous volcanoes
Still what we’ve got’s glorious

‘Cause we’ve got
Rocks and trees
And trees and rocks
And rocks and trees
And trees and rocks
And rocks and trees
And trees and rocks
And rocks and trees
And trees and rocks
And water

All right, everyone!
We’ve got
Rocks and trees
And trees and rocks
And rocks and trees
And trees and rocks
And rocks and trees
And trees and rocks
And rocks and trees
And trees and rocks
And water

In Canada, Canada, Canada, Canada, Canada, Canada,
Ca-an-a-da, Can-a-da.
Canada, Canada, Canada, Canada, Canada, Canada,
Ca-an-a-da, Canada.

---

I’m going to put this here, too. It’s a song about dependency and vulnerability and the complex relationships we have with those we love most.

Besides, God only knows where we’d be without Canada — and I don’t want to find out.