With Canada Day coming tomorrow, it would be downright unpatriotic not to choose a Canadian song for today's song of the day.
After much debate - contemporary or classic, rock or pop or folk, etc. - I settled on picking the first song by a Canadian band to top the Canadian Singles Chart and Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. at the same time.
It was an achievement that really marked the arrival of Canadian rock -becoming the most popular song in North America at the time.
The year was 1970, the band was The Guess Who and the song was American Woman. Even 44 years later, Burton Cummings' growling lyrics and Randy Bachman's distinctive guitar work are unmistakable.
This song has an intensity and power rarely matched in rock 'n roll - in fact, it doesn't sound Canadian at all. There is nothing friendly, polite or apologetic about it.
That's why it's perfect for Canada Day. We're not just a bundle of cliches and sterotypes, we're a big, diverse country full of all sorts of awesome people with all sorts of talents.
So while you're out celebrating Canada's 147th birthday, crank up American Woman (http://youtu.be/OJTd9y-l6ks) and rock out your bad Canadian self.
