Willie Dunn was a singer songwriter of mixed Mi'kmaq and Scottish/Irish descent.
Willie Dunn wrote songs exploring the life and history of First Nations communities in Canada. Perhaps best known for his short film, The Ballad of Crowfoot, Dunn recorded this song in 1973. Over the course of his career, Dunn worked in a variety of different fields: he wrote songs, produced films, and even ran for office in Canada's 1993 parliamentary election. Dunn passed away in 2013.
I pity the country I pity the state And the mind of a man Who thrives on hate. Small are the lives Of cheats and of liars Of Bigoted newspress Fascist town criers Deception annoys me Deception destroys me The Bill of rights throws me Jails they all know me Frustrated are churchmen The saving-of-soul men The Tinker the tailor The Colonial governor They pull and they paw me They're seeking to draw me Away from the roundness of the life Instrumental Break: Silly Civil Servants They thrive off my body Their trip is with power Back bacon and welfare Police they arrest me Materialists detest me Pollution it chokes me Movies they joke me Politicians exploit me City life it jades me Hudson's Bay fleeces me Hunting laws freak me Government is bumbling Revolution is rumbling To be ruled in impunity Is tradition continuity I pity the country I pity the state And the mind of a man Who thrives on hate