Rocker Bryan Adams released a protest song against President Donald Trump for Canada Day, titled “51st State,” a reference to Trump’s previous calls to annex the northern neighbor.
Released to YouTube and other platforms, the single from Adams explored themes of Canadian pride while rejecting calls to become America’s 51st state.
“Let me give it to you straight/ When you’re talking about my home/ You better show some respect/ Cuz up here we take care of our own/ So let me give you some advice mister/ You might have too much on your plate/ Go’n load us up with tariffs/ But we’ll never be the 51st State,” the lyrics state.
“For the working man it’s easier together/ We’re way better hand in hand/ But the 49th parallel has become a line drawn in the sand,” it adds.
Adams joined a line of fellow Canadian celebrities who have protested Trump’s call to annex Canada, such as Mike Myers wearing a “Never 51” jersey in a TV ad alongside Canadian prime minister Mark Carney. He also wore a “Canada is Not for Sale” T-shirt on Saturday Night Live. Speaking with the New York Times, Myers said that he had no intention of wearing it on the show until Trump called for Canada become the 51st state and Elon Musk said it was “not a real country.”
“What happened came from my ankles and from my brain and from my heart, and it was not about me — it was about my country,” he said. “I wanted to send a message home to say that I’m with you, you know.”
Myers said Canadians have a lot of “hurt feelings.”
“What’s happened has really hurt our feelings,” he said. “We love America. We love you guys. We don’t understand what this madness is.”