May 20, 2026
Doubt - Mary J. Blige
REINTRODUCING WICKED TRACK WEDNESDAY!! Every Wednesday, I'll share a song that I love, and the reason why. If you love hearing new tracks, follow On The Record to grow your music vault!!
Today, I'm featuring Doubt by Mary J. Blige. This song brought me to tears when I first heard it in 2014.
"I made it to the end, I nearly paid the cost/I lost a lot of friends, I sacrificed a lot/I'd do it all again, cause I made it to the top/I can't keep doubting myself anymore."
How often do we allow doubt to undermine our accomplishments? It's a habit I have tried to break, thanks to this wonderful song by Mary.
May 27, 2026
Northern Attitude - Noah Kahan
Time for WICKED TRACK WEDNESDAY!
With its driving guitar riff and excellent beat, Northern Attitude by Noah Kahan is one of the most beautiful songs ever.
If I get too close, And I'm not how you hoped
Forgive my northern attitude, Oh, I was raised out in the cold
If the sun don't rise 'Til the summertime
Forgive my northern attitude, Oh, I was raised on little light
Songs can be interpreted in a million ways, and it's all dependent on the listener. For me, these lines remind me how proud I am to be Canadian: our stamina, toughness and kindness, especially in a time of political turmoil with our next door neighbours. PROUD TO ROCK THAT NORTHERN ATTITUDE!
Time for Wicked Track Wednesday!!
The Painter by Neil Young is so incredibly beautiful. It makes me feel like anything is possible, thanks to this line:
"If you follow every dream, you might get lost."
While some might find it negative, I find it incredibly hopeful. Getting entangled and lost in your dreams seems so magical! That, and the the beautiful guitar melody just transport me somewhere wonderful every time I hear this song. Enjoy this live version!
June 3, 2026
The Painter - Neil Young
It's Wicked Track Wednesday!!
I Knew It, I Knew You by Taylor Swift hit me in the heart this week, reminding me of my lifelong best friends Sara Gray and Linda Elgie. We spent years of our lives together, and then years apart. These lyrics remind me of our sweet reunion. I love you girls!
I knew you through the daze of the blades of the grass in summer
Parachutes for the free fall of being younger
I memorized the sound of your bare footsteps
Running wild, it's been a long time
Life has ways of leaving those days behind
But seeing you tonight
I remembered I loved you
Came back when it mattered, I saw you
Standing there in the light of the window wearing that same smile
Man, it's been a while
But I knew it, I knew you
I knew it, I knew you
June 10, 2026
I Knew It, I Knew You - Taylor Swift
Are there songs that make you emotional, just by how they sound?
It’s A Good Life If You Don’t Weaken’ by the Tragically Hip is one of those songs for me. The haunting melody and lyrics evoke a in me a myriad of feelings, from regret and sadness to happiness and excitement, all in the span of 4 minutes and 26 seconds. Yet, I never find it hard to relive those emotions; when songs mirror my feelings, I find it incredibly comforting. I allow myself to get lost in what it means to me, happy that music has yet again provided a common thread between artist and listener, bringing people who are often worlds apart, just a little closer together.
When the color of the night
And all the smoke for one life
Gives way to shaky movements
Improvisational skills
A forest of whispering speakers
Let's swear that we will
Get with the times
In a current health to stay
Let's get friendship right
Get life day to day
In the forget yer skates dream
Full of countervailing woes
In diverse as ever scenes
Proceeding on a need to know
In a face so full of meaning
As to almost make it glow
For for a good life
We just might have to weaken
And find somewhere to go
Go somewhere we're needed
Find somewhere to grow
Go somewhere we're needed
June 17, 2026
It's A Good Life If You Don't Weaken'
The Tragically Hip
This is an incredible song I never get tired of! It has touched me in countless ways over the years, and is especially relevant today as I try to live bravely to be the person I want to become. It's not always easy, but every time this great beat blares through the boom box, I'm excited to keep trying! I hope this song helps you be brave in whatever way you need to be!
You can be amazing
You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug
You can be the outcast
Or be the backlash of somebody's lack of love
Or you can start speaking up
But I wonder what would happen if you
Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave
June 24, 2026
Brave - Sara Bareilles
Happy Canada Day! On this day, it's only fitting that I share my favourite song from one of the country's best artists! This song came into my life nearly 30 years ago when my dad bought the Ragged Ass Road album. He eventually grew tired of the tape, and passed it on to me and my siblings. We listened to it for hours, singing "I Wish You Well" on the way to school in small-town Saskatchewan. A beautiful rock song about the pain of a broken relationship and learning, in time, to find forgiveness, I have applied its powerful message to my life many times.
And in another year
The pain will disappear and I
Will look back on this life
As if it were a scene
In a film somebody made for you and me
I wish you well
July 1, 2026
I Wish You Well - Tom Cochrane
The picture here is a column I wrote when I was 19 for the college student newspaper, talking about the impact of Alanis' music in my life. Two decades later, her music is still teaching me. Enjoy the column and the video!
July 8, 2026
You Learn - Alanis Morissette
Ed Sheeran has become one of my favourite artists. His voice, his excellent musicianship, and ability to write bangers like this one always keep me listening for more. This song always puts me in a good mood, ready to party (even if it is just me singing and dancing badly around the house) The music video is so creative and worth watching as well!
July 15, 2026
Sapphire - Ed Sheeran
This one's for all the country music fans out there! Every time I hear this song, I sob uncontrollably (I'm not kidding! 😭) A beautiful song from the perspective of a multi-generational family and the legacy they leave behind, the emotional storytelling reminds me of the old-time country I heard from my parents growing up. Not a country fan? That's OK. If you enjoy music filled with meaning and heart, you will be surprised at just how great this song really is.
July 22, 2026
McArthur - Tim McGraw & Friends
This is a beautiful song about the power of family, sung in Delores O'Riordan's unmistakable Irish accent. It has come to mean more to me recently as I have discovered more about my ancestry through family history books on both of my parents sides; I was also privileged to receive dishes belonging to my grandmother and great grandmother. The books and dishes are pictured here, along with pictures of me and my family at past and present.
July 29, 2026
An Ode To My Family - The Cranberries
I discovered this song a few months ago and it really spoke to me:
Maybe I'm changing
Maybe I need more
Maybe I want things
I didn't before
The pages are turning
You know that I'm learning
I can let my hair down
'Cause you keep my head off the ground
Singing, oh, your love is lifting me up
To a higher education
Its message about desiring change and embracing it was very powerful and very true to my feelings. I always appreciate a song that can speak to my emotions AND make me dance!