The Hockey News: Rory Boylen's Blog: THN.com Blog: The day the music died

THN.com Blog: The day the music died

'The Hockey Theme' had been Hockey Night in Canada's introduction song for 40 years. (Photo by Albert Moldvay/National Geographic/Getty Images)

Rory Boylen
2008-06-10 10:27:36

Canadian Why
(To American Pie)

A long, long time ago…
I can still remember
How the Hockey Theme used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make the home crowd chant
And, maybe, they would party for a while.

But that early June made me quiver
When that news flash was delivered.
Bad news from my inbox,
I couldn’t believe what was in that box.
I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about the legal divide,
But something kicked me in my pride
The day The Hockey Theme song died.

So bye, bye HNIC Theme song
As a kid you gave us memories
But now those kids are gone.
Me and the good ‘ole boys charged the backyard rink ice
Singin’ “da, da, da, da da”
“Da, da, da ,da ,da, DA!”

Did you hear Hewitt’s tone,
And did you ignore the telephone
When that song started to go.
And do you believe in ritual
Can a theme song become a part of your soul
And can you teach me how to score a nifty goal.

Related Links

Well I know that it’s “just a song”
But without it on Saturday, something’s wrong
It’s all gotta be a big ruse
Man, I’m starting to get the blues.

I was a little kid learnin’ to shoot the puck
With a Sher-Wood stick, just like any Canuck
But the next generation was out of luck
The day, the Hockey Theme song died.

I started pouting,
Bye, bye HNIC Theme song
As a kid you gave us memories
But now those kids are gone.
Me and the good ‘ole boys charged the backyard rink ice
Singin’ “da, da, da, da da”
“Da, da, da ,da ,da, DA!”

Rory Boylen is THN.com's web content specialist. His blog appears Thursdays.

For more great profiles, news and views from the world of hockey, Subscribe to The Hockey News magazine.

COMMENTS (12)

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Robbie Jackson Posted
(2009-04-30 06:25:32)

If the CBC really cared about saving a Canadian icon like the hockey song they would have put up the money for it. They say that they couldn't afford the asking price, yet they can afford to buy American game shows like Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy? They paid the woman who wrote the song for 40 years, all of a sudden they can't do it anymore?

Louis Posted
(2009-04-30 06:25:32)

"...and she lived happily ever after..." Hopefully this will be the last we hear about Dolores Claman.

Chris Michaels Posted
(2009-04-30 06:25:28)

Good news, we all know that the song isn't entirely dead, but it has been resurrected at TSN. (Not that a song has any bearing whatsoever on my enjoyment of hockey action.) Now, as Paul Johnson just said, if the CBC would do something about "early" retirement for Bob Cole that'd be GREAT news (I say "early" because it's actually way, way, WAY past due). Can we dump Greg Millen too, while we're at it? Please?

Paul Johnson Posted
(2009-04-30 06:25:27)

I think it is long past due for a change to that tired old theme song. Now,if they would just get rid of Bob Cole,who is also old and tired. They let go one of the best play by play announcers in Chris Cuthbert and kept Cole. Just listen and watch his play by play,he makes so many mistakes. He has had his day and it is now time to start fresh.

Peter Kohut Posted
(2009-04-30 06:25:24)

Did you happen to email this to Ken Campbell, Rory? He needs to read this. You get it....I get it.....CBC obviously doesn't. I'm American and I am crying in my Blue! I can't begin to feel how back Canuck's growing up with this fine tradition will feel once we see HNIC kick off this fall, SANS THE SONG. Dah dah dah dah dum. Dum dum dum dum dah DAH!

dave Posted
(2009-04-30 06:25:23)

CBC will be regretting this

NomissimoN97 Posted
(2009-04-30 06:25:20)

Boylen, great peace, it will be a sad day when the theme song will be gone. What would Rocky be without Eye of a Tiger, what would Cheers be without the Cheers Song.. so will HNIC be without the Hockey Song. Theme songs hold with them the symbolic nature that is embedded into our 'hockey' society. The potential death of the HNIC classic would shock real hockey fans the same way that if the Bruins, Rangers, Habs, Leafs Hawks and Wings had bought into the Americanized Rbk changes to the jerseys. Great work on tweaking a classic song to show the importance of why classics shouldn't be changed, HNIC and the Hockey Song should forever be together. I shutter to think what HNIC might move towards, a Hip Hop American Pop Culture song??? Shall I grab my puke bucket now or wait til it happens.

Chuck Seiders Posted
(2009-04-30 06:25:19)

I know it's the offseason and all but this is really stretching for something to write. Nice effort, I can tell a lot of (or perhaps only some) hard work has gone into this blog but seriously can you please, please never do it again. Thanks. Also, Paul Simon? Don McLean wrote American Pie.

Bob Posted
(2009-04-30 06:25:19)

Funny. Does nobody else have a sense of humor? I miss that song already.

Kaspar Posted
(2009-04-30 06:25:19)

So what? A euro finally captains the cup winner and HNIC abandons the song? Whats next...Don Cherry admits that Euros can be tough (Forsberg, Ovechkin, Fetisov, Sundin, Ulfie samuelsson, Konstantinov, etc...)Elliot Friedman takes a smile-pill befor interviewing someone?( ever see that guy? you'd think he was asking about wars in the middle-east for heavan's sake -take it easy its not so serious; it's just hockey)

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