Charles Thomas "Stompin' Tom" Conno… Read Full Bio ↴February 9, 1936 - March 6, 2013
Charles Thomas "Stompin' Tom" Connors, OC was one of Canada's most prolific and well-known folk singers.
He was born in Saint John, New Brunswick to the teenaged Isabel Connors and her boyfriend Thomas Sullivan. He spent a short time living with his mother in a low-security women's penitentiary before he was seized by Children's Aid Society and was later adopted by a family in Skinners Pond, Prince Edward Island. At the age of 15 he left his adoptive family to hitchhike across Canada, a journey that consumed the next 13 years of his life as he traveled between various part-time jobs while writing songs on his guitar. At his last stop in Timmins, Ontario, he worked in one of the local gold mines and was offered a year-long contract to sing on stage at the Maple Leaf Hotel, which earned him the attention of a local radio station and the start of his recording career.
Connors' habit of stomping the heel of his left boot to keep rhythm earned him the nickname Stompin' Tom . Various stories have circulated about the origin of the foot stomping, but it's generally accepted that he did this to keep a strong tempo for his guitar playing — especially in the noisy bars and beer joints where he frequently performed. After numerous complaints about damaged stage floors, Tom began to carry a piece of plywood that he stomped even more vigorously than before. The "stompin' " board has since become one of his trademarks. After stomping a hole in the wood, he would pick it up and show it to the audience (accompanied by a joke about the quality of the local lumber) before calling for a new one. It was reported that when asked about his "stompin' board", Tom replied, "it's just a stage I'm going through". Connors periodically auctions off his "stompin' boards" for charity.
Typically writing about Canadian lore and history, some of Connors' better-known songs include "Bud the Spud", "Big Joe Mufferaw", "The Black Donnellys", "Reesor Crossing Tragedy", "Sudbury Saturday Night" and "The Hockey Song" (aka "The Good Old Hockey Game"); the last is frequently played over sound systems at National Hockey League games. Connors' music is rarely heard outside Canada, with the possible exception of his anthemic "The Hockey Song" which has been covered by many artists. It has been suggested that Connors refuses to allow foreign release of his material (e.g. his music is not available through the US version of Apple's iTunes store, but is in the Canadian version), although a more likely reason is that the very Canadian-specific subject matter of many of his folk songs has resulted in limited demand in foreign markets.
In 1974, Connors had a mini-series running on CBC Television in which, he met and exchanged with folks from all across Canada. The series called "Stompin Tom's Canada" was co-produced with the help of CBC and ran for 26 episodes of 30 minutes each.
As the 1970s progressed, he retired to protest the lack of support given to Canadian stories by the policies of the Federal government, particularly the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). He also boycotted the Juno Awards in protest of the qualification guidelines set by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) for possible nominees who were being consistently nominated and awarded outside of their musical genre. He strongly opposed artists who conducted most of their business in the United States being nominated for Junos in Canada. Connors, who referred to these particular artists as "turncoat Canadians", felt that in view of the fact that they had chosen to live and work in the U.S., it was only fair that they competed with Americans for Grammy Awards, and left the Juno competition to those who lived and conducted business in Canada. His protest caught national attention in 1979 when he sent back his six Junos accompanied by a letter to the board of Directors.
He remained in retirement for nearly a decade before persistent love from young roots revivalists drew him back into the studio and on to the stage. To this day, Stompin' Tom's performances remain popular, and he remains one of Canada's more prolific recording artists. His songs often pay tribute to Canadian newsmakers or personalities, and can be topical, referring to news events of the day.
An autobiography detailing his childhood years in a female prison, in an orphanage, and as an indentured farm labourer became a bestseller in 1997. It details his life "Before the Fame", and in 2000 he did his second autobiography "The Connors Tone". Recent years have seen the re-release of 25 of his record albums.
Connors was involved in a controversy in 2005 with the CBC. After years of requests from CBC for Connors to do a music special, he produced, at a reported cost of $200,000 a live concert video shot and edited on HD, and presented a copy was presented to the CBC's head of TV variety programming. He received a reply the next day telling him that a decision would be reached within a few weeks. After 10 weeks another e-mail was then sent to the newly appointed programming VP, and a prompt reply came back saying that the broadcaster was moving away from music and variety programming and that the Connors special didn't fit with its strategy, and was invited to be a guest on another program. Connors responded, "(a)s far as I'm concerned, if the CBC, our own public network, will not reconsider their refusal to air a Stompin' Tom special, they can take their wonderful offer of letting me sing a song as a guest on some other program and shove it," said Connors.
He received a Doctor of Laws degree honoris causa from St. Thomas University in 1993, which was the inspiration for his album titled Dr. Stompin' Tom Connors, eh?, released the same year. In 1996, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, and four years later was awarded an honorary LL.D. by the University of Toronto.
In CBC's 2004 Greatest Canadian list, he ranked thirteenth, the highest placing for any artist on the list, ahead of such Canadian icons as Neil Young, Celine Dion, Bobby Orr, Maurice "The Rocket" Richard, John Diefenbaker, Gordie Howe, Tim Horton, Dr. James Naismith, John Moulson and Joni Mitchell.
The Hockey Song
Stompin' Tom Connors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tension grows, the wistle blows, and the puck goes down the ice.
The goalie jumps, and the players bump, and the fans all go insane.
Someone roars, "Bobby Scores!", at the good ol' Hockey Game.
[Chorus]
OH! The good ol' Hockey game, is the best game you can name.
And the best game you can name, is the good ol' Hockey game.
Second Period.
Where players dash, with skates aflash, the home team trails behind.
But they grab the puck, and go bursting up, and they're down across the line.
They storm the crease, like bumble bees, they travel like a burning flame.
We see them slide, the puck inside, it's a 1-1 hockey game.
[Chorus]
Third Period. Last game of the playoff too!
Oh take me where, the hockey players, face off down the rink.
And the Stanley Cup, is all filled up, for the champs who win the drink.
Now the final flick, of a hockey stick, and the one gigantic scream.
"The puck is in! The home team wins!", the good ol' hockey game.
[Chorus: x3]
(It's in!)(He shoots, he scores!)(Henderson scores for Canada!)
The Hockey Song by Stompin' Tom Connors is a classic anthem celebrating Canada's favourite sport: ice hockey. In the first verse, Connors sets the scene for the excitement of a live hockey game, starting with the opening line "Hello out there, we're on the air, it's 'Hockey Night' tonight". The tension builds as the players take the ice, and the crowd goes wild as someone scores a goal. It's a joyous celebration of a game that unites Canadians from coast to coast.
In the second verse, we see the home team struggling to keep up with their opponents but then rallying to tie the game. Connors paints a vivid picture of the players storming the crease "like bumble bees" and "traveling like a burning flame". The third verse brings us to the climax of the game - the final period of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Connors captures the intensity of the moment with lines like "take me where, the hockey players, face off down the rink" and "the one gigantic scream" that follows the winning goal.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello out there, we're on the air, it's 'Hockey Night' tonight.
Greetings to all present, we are currently broadcasting 'Hockey Night' live tonight.
Tension grows, the whistle blows, and the puck goes down the ice.
As the players take their positions, excitement and anticipation build up as the ref blows the whistle and the game begins with the puck dropping on the ice.
The goalie jumps, and the players bump, and the fans all go insane.
As the game intensifies, the goalie makes a leap to defend his net while the players collide with each other, causing the fans to become crazy with excitement.
Someone roars, 'Bobby Scores!', at the good ol' Hockey Game.
Amidst the chaos and noise, someone screams 'Bobby Scores!' as a goal is made, filling the stadium with joy and celebration.
OH! The good ol' Hockey game, is the best game you can name.
Oh! The beloved Hockey game is undeniably the top game that you can think of.
And the best game you can name, is the good ol' Hockey game.
Furthermore, the good old Hockey game is the greatest game around.
Where players dash, with skates aflash, the home team trails behind.
As the players race forward with their skates shining, the visiting team moves ahead while the home team trails behind.
But they grab the puck, and go bursting up, and they're down across the line.
However, the home team takes control of the puck and rushes forward, crossing over the opposing team's line.
They storm the crease, like bumble bees, they travel like a burning flame.
They rush towards the goalie's area like bees, moving swiftly and relentlessly like a blazing fire.
We see them slide, the puck inside, it's a 1-1 hockey game.
We witness them sliding the puck across the goal line, tying the score at 1-1 and intensifying the match.
Oh take me where, the hockey players, face off down the rink.
Oh, how I wish to be where the hockey players face each other at center ice to start the match.
And the Stanley Cup, is all filled up, for the champs who win the drink.
The ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup, is overflowing with victory champagne, ready to be presented to the winning team.
Now the final flick, of a hockey stick, and the one gigantic scream.
At last, with one last flick of a hockey stick, the spectators release an enormous cheer.
'The puck is in! The home team wins!', the good ol' hockey game.
By scoring the final goal, the home team claimed the victory, much to the delight of everyone present. Truly, a good old hockey game.
[Chorus: x3]
Repeating the chorus three times to emphasize the greatness of the Hockey game.
(It's in!)
Exclaiming 'It's in!' in response to a scored goal.
(He shoots, he scores!)
A common phrase used to describe the moment a player shoots the puck and makes a goal.
(Henderson scores for Canada!)
A specific example of the thrill and excitement that comes with scoring a goal, particularly when it is for your country.
Lyrics © ANTHEM ENTERTAINMENT LP, OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@woolbeast
He will be missed. Thanks for the music, Stompin' Tom!
@118horseheroes
Oh my god... I just now realise how lucky I was. When i was in about grade four or five my school went on a field trip to a different school to see stomping tom and his band perform. They sang this song and pretty much all of his other ones, but i just now realise how little i appreciated him and never thought how lucky I was. Though, im hanging the autograph he gave me in my room. RIP Stompin Tom
@macdonmr
I like how there are no sponsor logos on the boards of the rinks back then!
@shadowie1
a sad day for Canada, we lost a true Canadian icon.
@MrDorf007
I just heard the sad news moments ago. When I think of things that are Canadian, I think maple syrup, the beaver, hockey, and Stompin' Tom Connors. He is to Canada what Johnny Cash was to the United States, Roger Daltrey to England, and Rolf Harris to Australia. Singers come...and singers go. But a few grab the hearts of a nation. I will always think of him at hockey games when they play the quintessential hockey song..."The Hockey Song". Rest In Peace...and thank you for the memories.
@yakker22
RIP! greatest song about hockey ever... wont be forgotten!!!!!!!
@WillLawlor
i think it would be amazing to see a hockey game from back in the 50's..
@ILWPOYT2
When I was in the fourth grade in 2004 The Calgary Flames made it to the Stanley Cup finals. The whole city was alive with pride. On the morning of game 7 our school principal played this song instead of the national anthem. Ever since then I've been in love with this song, and I'm still waiting for my boys to bring the cup home. No matter where life takes me I will always be a proud Canadian and a Calgary Flame
@happyhour1984
Stompin' Tom will live forever aslong as we keep this song in our hearts.
@meirchion
Preparing for a classic Hockey Night in Canada, Maple Leafs vs Canadiens after a stupid lockout!!! Greatest hockey song!