I love Rufus Wainwright, but I wasn't paying attention to the introduction. Last night, to me, he was just some guy singing the Canadian national anthem.This is getting ridiculous.
— Martyupnorth®- Unacceptable Fact Checker (@Martyupnorth_2) October 30, 2025
"True patriot love, that only US command"
Rufus Wainwright just a few minutes ago.pic.twitter.com/nrzvutKQcu
I made exclamations of pain, and I noticed the odd grammar — "True patriot love, that only us command" — and generally thought it was terrible. When it was over, Meade said, "Oh, you didn't like Rufus Wainwright?"
I was astounded. That's Rufus Wainwright. That would make some sense of the sound of his voice. I'm used to him like this, alone tinkling piano keys and whispering odd little personal insights:
I don't expect him in a big stadium projecting words of patriotism at the World Series.
The line is: "True patriot love in all of us command" — "in all of us," not "that only us."
Does this post need my "I was wrong" tag? Where was I wrong? Taste is subjective, even one's own taste, and the subjectivity is not fixed on the performance itself, but on all the other things are in one's mind when experiencing the performance. This morning, listening, I know it's Rufus. And I also know the scrappy Canadians went on to crush the over-proud Californians in Game 5.
Enough about Rufus. Let's talk about Trey Yesavage: "The unforeseen rise of Trey Yesavage, part-time student and full-time World Series hero" (NYT). Mitch Bannon writes:
Trey Yesavage hemmed and hawed, explaining why he couldn’t join the afterparty of the Blue Jays’ first AL East title in a decade. It was a month before he rewrote World Series record books and pushed Toronto to the cusp of a championship. The 22-year-old stood in his team’s emptying clubhouse with one thought on his mind.
“I have homework.”
Months earlier, long before he completed his ascent from Low A to a pennant race, Yesavage figured he’d have plenty of time to tackle four fall courses online, including a class in media criticism.
He hadn’t foreseen making legendary starts in late October, each of his eight big league starts more momentous than the last. He hadn’t predicted delivering under the bright lights he’s craved since his days in rural Pennsylvania. He hadn’t expected to calmly dominate the Dodgers in Game 5, suppressing his fire while striking out 12 in a 6-1 victory for one of the most significant starts in franchise history....
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65 comments:
Oh Canada, WE stand on guard for thee.
And you're welcome, though you don't seem to appreciate it very much.
“Our home on native land” is what stood out to me.
Dodgers are playing like some “dead skunks in the middle of the road”…
h/t Loudon (the child beater)
Amazing player. Unfortunately, barring something strange happening, we will not see him throw another pitch this season.
Rufus sings like he has partial paralysis of his tongue and mouth.
that only us command is a recently introduced tweak to the lyrics by various singers of the Canadian National Anthem afflicted with Trump Derangement Syndrome and meant to protest his supposed plan to merge Canada with the US. I believe it happened first at the Four Nations Face-off hockey tournament earlier this year and you blogged about it.
I started watching the clip before I read the post. Not only did I not know it was Rufus Wainright, I didn't even know it was a baseball game. I thought it was the Kenny Rodgers lookalike world finals.
I like hockey and realize Canadians don’t have the same relationship with their anthem as Americans do with theirs. Some artistic license with the words is granted and more license with cadence, pitch. Those hosers do need constant reminders to be respectful though. No booing, eh…
"“Our home on native land” is what stood out to me."
Another singer on another night did that. Rufus sang "our home and native land," which is correct.
Indeed, Craig Howard. Since the hyper-virtuous Canadians stole the land from the Athabaskans, who stole it from the Neanderthals, who stole it from the dinosaurs, etc., they shouldn't be so snooty about Trump stealing it from them. I'm sure we could mention them in appropriate future land acknowledgements.
Quebeçois compassion? Allons-y!
[after a horrendous rendition of the national anthem] Well that was borderline treasonous, and a disgrace to our nation and its proud and storied history. My father didn't kick the Nazis'... and the puck drops! - Rod McCaudry in Goon
I had to look up "Low A." You always hear about "Triple A," which implies double A and single A. But within single A, there's High and Low. There are a total of 4 levels in the minor leagues of professional baseball. "Low A" is the lowest level.
The English version of the Canadian Anthem was always lame compared to the glorious original French version, which was also ultimately neutered by the correctness cops.
Ô Canada!
Terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.English TranslationO Canada!
Land of our ancestors,
Your brow is wreathed with glorious garlands!
For your arm knows how to wield the sword,
It knows how to bear the cross!
Your history is an epic
Of the most brilliant feats.
And your valour, steeped in faith,
Will protect our homes and our rights.
Will protect our homes and our rights.
Avoid Goon 2. It’s a disgrace…
I alway wondered why Canadians were 'standing on God'. Wouldn't he be annoyed?
I think the news here is that Althouse has a "I was wrong" tag. Who knew?
I'm not fond of the way jeans are distressed these days. It looks like he wet his pants starting @1:40.
After what I've learned in the past couple of months, I don't even think I could watch The Goonies any more. As soon as the gee oh oh enn hits my ear, I'm out.
Back in the day, the mid-to-late 1990s, the community group I sang with used to be invited to sing the national anthem at Mariners games once or twice a season. It was always the most fun when we were playing the Bluejays, because we also got to sing the Canadian anthem. It's SO much easier to sing - although I admit that our own anthem is fun for the sopranos (you know how we are).
If you've never been caught tinkling and whispering, don't be.
And if you have, don't be caught again.
Couldn't listen past second 30 or so. If this guy is related to Loudon (and I know I could look it up) he didn't inherit even that small talent.
Canada keeps changing the words to its national anthem. It's like the old joke about the British librarian who was asked for a copy of the French constitution and responded, "We do not stock periodicals." The words are also very different in English and in French.
I give Rufus credit for putting on a suit, but he sounds weak, wobbly, warbly, and watery. Maybe that goes with the Canadian national identity. I guess if Toronto wins the series it will be a boost to Canada's self-esteem and give new ardor to their reborn nationalism.
Are they planning to give Canada back to the First Nations? They might as well.
I have no doubt that the reason why Canadian hockey players are so nasty and violent because they get pissed off having to listen to that lame ass national anthem over and over again and are humiliated to the point of psychopathy
"True patriot love, that only us command" is a mondegreen. The official wording, as of this moment, is "True patriot love in all of us command". The original line, before it was bowdlerized by the gender police, was "True patriot love in all thy sons command."
Them boys, with their biscuits, back bacon and Molson Gold!
Donald Trump would not be the man he is today if it weren’t for Canada and the money his grandfather made running a brothel in Whitehorse during the Klondike Gold Rush.
I like messing with lyrics. About 6 years ago I fiddled with the Canada anthem in doggerel honor of our late beloved labrador retriever, Zeus, who belonged to our neighbors, yes, but also “belonged” to all of us!
O Labrador!
Our home and neighbors’ dog!
True canine love
in all of us command.
Our glowing hearts
you do retrieve,
The True Friend, strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Labrador
you stand on guard for me
Zeus keep our homes
safe and burglar-free!
O Labrador, you stand on guard for me
O Labrador, you stand on guard for me
The Whitehorse brothel was upstairs over a popular saloon. They had to close it though...too much fuckin' overhead.
It is possible to sing the English words of O Canada to the tune of Schubert's An die Musik, to liven up your Liederabend. You can also sing the words of On Wisconsin to the tune of Schubert's An Sylvia.
Apparently grok, too, likes to mess with lyrics and offered up this silliness:
O Labrador!
(Now with 100% more slobber)
O Labrador!
Our home and neighbors’ rug!
True drool-machine love
In all our socks command.
Our glowing hearts
You hump with glee,
The True Derp, strong and pee!
From far and wide,
O Labrador,
You chase your tail for me.
Zeus, keep our shoes
From chew-toy destiny!
O Labrador, you stand on farts for me!
O Labrador, you stand on farts for me!
Rufus describes himself as a Libertarian, who voted for Obama. What???!!!
Heh. Meade keeping it real. ;)
Narr, I promise, he's actually a very gifted and engaging performer. Standing on a field in front of tens of thousands and singing an anthem a capella may not be his best suit.
A Labrador anthem would make sense. Labrador is part of Canada, after all. But that all makes the point that Canada isn't a real country anyway. Labrador only joined Canada in the 1940s.
You should pay more attention, eh?
He doesn't have the McGarrigle talent.
There was a typically nice song about him, in the talent department:
I jam a log into the stove and hasten to shut the door
In the room upstairs sleeps a baby boy who wasn’t there before
Bundle of Sorrow Bundle of Joy
Canada is so messed up they have to sing its national anthem in two languages. In the same rendition.
Trey Yesavage couldn't go to the party after the AL East title because he had homework?
The journalist is going for an "awww, shucks" common man narrative, but where are the follow up questions?
You make $760,000 per year, why do you want a college degree?
Your team went to the World Series. Couldn't you petition the college to drop your courses? Maybe you don't get a refund, but so what?
You have a media criticism course and the media is all over you. Take an incomplete for the course and do a project on your experience.
Journalists never ask for the answers I want.
Mattman26 said...
“Narr, I promise, he's actually a very gifted and engaging performer. Standing on a field in front of tens of thousands and singing an anthem a capella may not be his best suit.”
Are you talking about Rufus, or Zeus the Labrador?
I’m a big fan of the Canada anthem. Heard it over the years at hockey games so pretty much know the words. I enjoy the crowd at Maple Leafs games taking over the singing.
Love the Zeus version.
“I give Rufus credit for putting on a suit.”
He put on a jacket, not a suit.
baghdadbob said...
“Rufus describes himself as a Libertarian, who voted for Obama. What???!!!”
Just like Republicans for Harris.
This is why they tried to have "blind" grading in law school, proffy. You have to evaluate the performance, not be impressed with the person doing the performing and mark their work up! (sarah macguire... we see you!lol)
Great stuff, Meade!
Your team went to the World Series. Couldn't you petition the college to drop your courses? Maybe you don't get a refund, but so what?
-----------
He likely knows some professor will take pity/want to reward him by artificially upping the grade because, "nevermind the quality of the work... do you know who this student is and what he's been doing???" A+.
Just like if you are 9months preggo, or leaking/lactating, you will likely get the best grade in the class, and god knows where you can ride that too... The great midwest! Escape the east cost and profess! lol. Her daddy knew who she was all along tho...
Low A is what the Gentlemen's C used to be at Harvard.
hawkeyedjb said it already but I reiterate: The original lyrics say: True Patriot love in all thy sons command. Canadian libtards, who I have no doubt hate their country as much as American libtards hate our country, forced a change to "in all of us command". Probably around the same time they started forcing every game, public performance, or funeral service to begin with announcing whose land it really is before White Men stole it from the innocent indigenous peoples.
As far as the singer, as soon as he started my first thought was pee-yew, but my second thought was I like it. In my opinion it sounded good, every note right and on key, and the way a normie might sing it from the heart, very relatable. Listening to the clip of his song at the piano reminded me of Chet Baker.
Haven’t read all of the comments and probably already discussed, but the Canadian National Anthem O Canada was wokified a few years ago. For example, the “in all of us commend” used to be “in all our sons command.”
The first time I heard the Canadian National anthem was in the late 60s/early 70s when CBS started broadcasting hockey games on Sunday afternoons, after the NFL season ended, with the great Dan Kelly at the mike.
I was knocked out by the Canadian anthem. It was beautiful, both the words and music. I still think so.
My favorite version of the US anthem was a recording by Jerry Vale, that was played before St. Louis Cardinal baseball games in the 70s.
" the scrappy Canadians went on to crush the over-proud Californians " - ChatGPT says "On the current active roster of the Toronto Blue Jays there is 1 Canadian-born player: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., born in Montréal, Québec."
The music was used for my high school alma mater. You can say, we messed with the lyrics.
“the scrappy Canadians went on to crush the over-proud Californians…”
Bryant responded…
ChatGPT says "On the current active roster of the Toronto Blue Jays there is 1 Canadian-born player: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., born in Montréal, Québec.”
And Junior was only born in Montreal because Senior, who was born and grew up in the DR, was playing for the Expos at the time. Junior spent summers with his dad in Canada/US while growing up, but spent most of his time with his mom or uncle in the DR.
“the scrappy Canadians went on to crush the over-proud Californians…”
AI sez that there are only 4 players on the Dodgers born in California. Which is a high percentage.
Jerry Seinfeld’s observation is true: we really do just root for laundry.
Meade: having lived with several Labs, I'm pretty sure the idea of a Labrador standing on guard for you would only last until the treats came out of the burglar's pocket.
Is Wainwright that bad a singer or it just that the song is that bad?
Loudon and Rufus are both in “Avaitor”, the Leonardo DiCaprio/Martin Scorsese movie about Howard Hughes.
O Canada, our heritage, our love
Thy worth we praise all other lands above.
From sea to sea throughout their length
From Pole to borderland,
At Britain's side, whate'er betide
Unflinchingly we'll stand
With hearts we sing, "God save the King",
Guide then one Empire wide, do we implore,
And prosper Canada from shore to shore.
I'll take Mattman26's word, that Rufus can do better work.
The Harvard song used to end in “…till the stock of the Puritans die.” President Drew Gilpin Faust changed it to some meaningless drivel, thinking that she was de-Anglocentrizing it. Of course, it never occurred to her that we might be the intellectual heirs of the Puritans. Or maybe it did. CC, JSM
Shes just someone wearing harvards skin
I thought it was great. Too many anthem singers at big events are lip syncing. He sounded real.
He didn't throw in a bunch of vocal gymnastics to bring attention to himself. That's why this thread leans heavily into the lyrics. His presentation allowed the song to be heard and understood. As a performer that showed confidence in himself, and also showed respect for his material.
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