10 favourite waltzes in Canadian popular music
CBC Music | CBC Music | Posted: April 29, 2020 10:00 AM | Last Updated: April 29, 2020
Not all great pop tunes are in 4/4 time
The vast majority of popular music is written in common (or 4/4) time, for the simple reason that it lends itself to a basic two-step dance, which most of us can do.
But we hold a special place in our hearts for songs in triple (3/4) or compound (6/8, 9/8 or 12/8) meter, which are made for waltzing — either vigorously ("Log-driver's Waltz," anyone?) or slowly and romantically (Neil Young's "It's a Dream" is good for this).
For World Dance Day on April 29, we've rounded up some of our favourite Canadian songs in triple or compound meter, below.
What are yours? Let us know on Twitter @CBCMusic.
'When I'm With You,' Faber Drive
B.C.'s Faber Drive released this pop-rock waltz in 2007 and it still sounds great, with vocalist Dave Faber rising to a thrilling high C on the final repeat of the chorus. — Robert Rowat
'Your Ex-lover is Dead,' Stars
An emotional waltz as much as a musical one, Stars' 2004 breakout hit details the awkward dance ex-lovers do when running into each other that ends up feeling simultaneously estranged and intimate. — Melody Lau
'Could I Have This Dance?,' Anne Murray
This beautiful country song was used in the 1980 film Urban Cowboy to accompany the first dance at Bud and Sissy's wedding (waltzed by John Travolta and Debra Winger), for which it is perfectly suited. — RR
'Earned It,' the Weeknd
Definitely the most dramatic waltz on this list, "Earned It" employs a prominent bass line, urgent strings and drums that slap every second bar to accentuate the song's seductive sway. — RR
'The Park,' Feist
Birds chirp in the background as Feist strums through heartache, reflecting on a past love that has turned her "whole to half." — ML
'Thanks for the Dance,' Leonard Cohen
The title track to Leonard Cohen's posthumous album, "Thanks for the Dance" is a soft goodbye, as Cohen's gravelly baritone counts off his life's waltz — "Thanks for all the dances/ one-two-three, one-two-three, one" — and gently twirls us into a world where he no longer exists. — Holly Gordon
'Right Next to the One,' Céline Dion
When Céline Dion arrives at the chorus of "Right Next to the Right One," a Tim Christensen cover off her 2007 album, Taking Chances, it's perhaps one of the only times the famed pop singer could be compared to country legend Hank Williams (specifically: "I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry"). — Jess Huddleston
'The Agreement,' Rose Cousins
This melodic inner monologue of side pieces around the world leaves me with just one question: is the chorus after the fourth verse the protagonist desperately seeking self-consolation? Or did she really stunt on 'em like that? — Judith Lynch
'Keep Holding On,' Avril Lavigne
From the soundtrack for the 2006 action-fantasy film Eragon, this uplifting power ballad is all about perseverance in the face of adversity: when things get tough, you may as well waltz! — RR
'Confirmation,' Justin Bieber
A recent arrival, this song in compound meter from Justin Bieber's Changes uses finger snaps to keep things gently waltzing while his voice effortlessly floats away. — RR
'Five Room Love Story,' Cowboy Junkies
This is one of those "the story is the song" kind of tunes and each one — story and song — is quite moving in its own way. In short, Lillian was loved. — JL