It’s Thanksgiving weekend in Canada — a time for family, fun, fall foliage and food.
While you’re waiting for the turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, here are five songs that will get you in the mood to give thanks. Or, at least, to distract you from thinking about the mess you have to clean up after dinner.
Josh Groban - "Thankful"
In a song co-written by Canada’s David Foster, Groban reminds us that “there's so much to be thankful for” and urges us to “look beyond ourselves.”
He sings: “It’s up to us, to be the change / And even though this world needs so much more / There’s so much to be thankful for.”
Martina McBride - "Blessed"
This song will inspire you to look around and be grateful for the people in your life. Yes, even that uncle who wears his pants above his belly button.
McBride sings: “I have been blessed / With so much more than I deserve / To be here with the ones / That love me / To love them so much it hurts.”
Mary Chapin Carpenter - "Thanksgiving Song"
Quite simply, it’s a song all about getting the family together for a feast.
“Gathered ‘round this table,” Carpenter sings, “From far and near we travel home / Blessed that we are able.”
Loudon Wainwright III - "Thanksgiving"
Wainwright — father of Montreal-raised artists Rufus and Martha — serves up a decidedly dysfunctional take on the family Thanksgiving dinner experience.
He sings: “Lord every year we gather here / To eat around this table / Give us the strength to stomach as much / As fast as we are able.” (Amen to that.)
Kris Kristofferson - "Thank You for a Life"
Whether the country music icon is singing to his wife or a (slightly) higher power, this song is a perfect way to show gratitude for someone in your life.
“Thank you for a life that I'd call happy,” sings Kristofferson. “Overlooking all that we've been through / When it comes to loving I've been lucky / Everything I am I owe to you." (Careful not to get tears in your gravy.)