You should know our CPP is out of reach 👏👏

And no government can touch a single piece 👏👏

But we know the UCP,

Won’t keep off an APP,

And they’ll use the funds for anything they please! 👏

So……………….. (spoken)

If you like your CPP then clap your hands 👏 👏

If you like your CPP then clap your hands 👏 👏

If you want the UCP

To scrap their APP

‘Cause you like your CPP then clap your hands 👏 👏

Tune:  We Shall Not Be Moved

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MywZyOZRsY

We are not, we’re not giving up

We are not EVER giving up

We know we’re in this struggle for the long haul

We’re not giving up

Even during Covid, we’re not giving up

Although we’re growing older, we’re not giving up

We know we’re in this struggle for the long haul

We’re not giving up

Though we feel like crying, we’re not giving up

We’ll stand up to lying, we’re not giving up

We know we’re in this struggle for the long haul

We’re not giving up

We are not, we’re not giving up!

We are not EVER giving up

We know we’re in this struggle for the long haul

We’re not giving up

We fight the Almighty Dollar, we’re not giving up

For public good, we’ll holler, we’re not giving up

We know we’re in this struggle for the long haul

We’re not giving up

We are not, we’re not giving up

We are not EVER giving up

We know we’re in this struggle for the long haul

We’re not giving up

Original song by Mississippi John Hurt, reworked by The Calgary Raging Grannies spring, 2020

If you want the right to choose, honk your horn

If you want the right to choose, honk your horn

If you want the right to choose it

And you do not want to lose it

If you want the right to choose, honk your horn.

Sometimes we just chanted this, sometimes we dressed it up with a bit of melody

Calgary Raging Grannies, October 3, 2020 at rally against abortion organized by Life Chain

Save us from Life Chain, please

We wish their noise would cease

For this we sing.

They think abortion’s wrong

Our right to choose, too strong

In their religious throng

The man is king.

If they prevail, we fear

Our rights will disappear

That’s a bad thing.

As for these bods we own

They’re ours and ours alone

Your rules we can’t condone

That’s not our thing.

Save us from Life Chain, please

My voice, my body heeds

For this we sing.

As for these bods we own

They’re ours and ours alone

Save us from Life Chain clones

For this we sing.

Calgary Raging Grannies, 2020 – based on “Save Us from Kavanaugh” by Peggy Rosenthall, Rochester Raging Grannies

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KR_IukhFXE&t=49s

Tune:  If You’re Happy and You Know It

(Start off slowly)

If you want the right to choose, join with us

If you want the right to choose, join with us

When we hear the word abortion

It so often shows distortion

Grannies know we sometimes need to make a fuss.

In the past when men controlled these female bods

And made decisions for us – kind of gods

Took away our right to choose

There were hangers and abuse

We fought so hard for women-centred laws.

With abortion, it’s the women’s voice we trust   

She knows her choices best…. this is a must  

Although it may bring consternation

To religions or a nation

Our bodies simply must belong to us.

We abhor those gory photos now in use

The pregnant person has the right to choose  

You may like it or may lump it

Even Parliaments can’t trump it

A human right – and one we dare not lose.

(rousing last verse)

If you want the right to choose it, clap your hands

If you DO not want to lose it, clap your hands

If you trust in women’s choices….  

(slowly) Over patriarchal voices

Time to fight again and clap your hands!

Calgary Raging Grannies – September 2020

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW9g8jI2XuM

We love democracy,  we need democracy

We will dissent when our morals say

We have our voices  and we will use them

Please don’t take democracy away

And we object to your squelching protest

We love discussion, we love debate

And we will value  different opinions

We abhor a heavy-handed state

In our democracy, it’s OUR democracy

There is no room for Bill One’s flaws

We love our Charter… and Bill One scares us

We abhor this heavy handed law

So in Alberta, we have to fight for

The right to gather and disagree

When those elected… will not protect it…

We will fight for our democracy. 

Written by the Calgary Raging Grannies, revised in July 2020 in response to the UCP passing a vaguely worded bill banning protest in public and private spaces.  It was first written in April 1999 in response to government pronouncements that the Opposition serves no purpose, and teachers may lose their right to strike.  It was first revised in March 2015 for a rally against Bill C-51, Harper’s secret police bill. 

We’re Grannies and we’re really raging.

Alberta’s the land of the rich

Then tell us why we’re cutting service

Kicking vuln’rable folks to the ditch.

Let’s show our support for the people

Who need more help than you might.

Let’s stand against cuts to their programs

Tell Tories: back off from this fight.

Bring back, bring back, bring back that funding to me, to me

Bring back, bring back, we need that funding you see.

Our province claims an advantage

For people who live and work here

But on whose back is this budget balanced?

Will disabled folk take up the rear?

We’re Grannies and we’re really raging

We call upon those of you here

To rise up, tell those you’ve elected

To take care of those we hold most dear.

Bring back, bring back, bring back that funding to me, to me

Bring back, bring back, we need that funding you see.

Granny Diana, Calgary Raging Grannies, May 2013

Hang down your head, Jason Kenney

Hang down your head in shame

Divide and conquer serves you

Deception is your game

Hang down your head, Jason Kenney

Hang down your head in shame

Encourage separation

You try to fan the flame

Hang down your head, Jason Kenney

Hang down your head in shame

Fear all around us

You are the one to blame.

Author: The Calgary and Lethbridge Raging Grannies

Carfentanil’s an opioid

That makes an elephant drunk

One hundred times more toxic than

The morphine-mental funk

We have to find the reason why

Street drugs are laced with JUNK

Who profits from this crime?

CHORUS

Sing for health and social justice

March for health and social justice

Work for health and social justice

Harm Reduction is humane!

Street opioids are everywhere

Our young folks they do kill

We’re tired of people dying from

Contaminated pills

Who profits from addictions and

Prescribing too much too….

Harm reduction’s just humane!

CHORUS

Sing for health and social justice

March for health and social justice

Work for health and social justice

Harm reduction is humane!

Safety sites are vital tools

Let’s give our heads a shake

It’s better that we’re  SAVING  lives

Than moral stigmas make

We need political gumption 

To confront this ugly state

Harm reduction’s just humane!

CHORUS

Sing for health and social justice

March for health and social justice

Work for health and social justice

Harm reduction IS humane!                               

Granny Lynn, Calgary Raging Grannies, 2019

G-S-As
Here to stay…

Alberta youth will show the way

POL-i-ticians, give your head a shake

Youth their own decisions make.

Don’t be dense, don’t be cruel

We cannot have teachers rule

Not about this, such a private thing

Safety’s what the YOUTH can bring.

Here’s to Youth!

Grans so proud!

Alberta youth are OUT and LOUD

POL-i-ticians, give your head a shake

Youth know best, for heaven’s sake!

Granny Lynn, Calgary Raging Grannies, 2019