Bryan Adams takes aim at Trump with protest song 51st State

Bryan Adams takes aim at Trump with protest song 51st State

'Go’n load us up with tariffs, but we’ll never be the 51st state,' rock star sings

Canadian rock star Bryan Adams dropped a protest song on Canada Day.

And while the powerful rock anthem never mentions Donald Trump by name — it’s abundantly clear who the message is for.

"Let me give you some advice, mister — you might have too much on your plate," rasps Adams in the chorus of the rough-and-tumble track. "Go’n load us up with tariffs, but we’ll never be the 51st state."

Released on streaming platforms, the two-minute, 16-second song 51st State is as punchy as it is pointed, appearing to respond to the U.S. president’s unrelenting jabs about annexing Canada.

But the song also reminds the U.S. president of the two countries’ long, shared history as allies and friends.

"Maybe you’ve forgotten, maybe you just don’t care, but we’ve always stood beside you for that liberty we share," Adams sings.

The 66-year-old rock veteran — best known love ballads such as (Everything I Do) I Do It For You and party anthems like The Summer of '69 — strikes a more defiant tone on the patriotic track.

"You can push us to the brink; But where the open road divides; You'll find a wall of maple; With us on the other side," sings Adams, before continuing:

"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."

The track is described in a news release as a "tongue-in-cheek response to the ridiculous narrative around Canada being better off becoming anything other than Canadian” and appears to be striking a chord with listeners, who have already racked up more than 230,000 views on YouTube.

"I wanted to write something about Canada because Canada is home," Adams said in a statement on his website. "There is more that binds us than divides us. This is a tribute to the pride and spirit of my fellow Canadians — the rest is just noise."

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Adams, who was born in Kingston, Ont., and raised primarily in Ottawa, has never shied away from speaking his mind. He has been calling for an end to Canadian content rules ever since his 1991 hit (Everything I Do) I Do it for You was deemed by regulators to be not Canadian enough because he collaborated with non-Canadians. As recently as last year, he called the system “archaic” and “really stupid,” arguing it only serves to prop up mediocre homegrown music.

The song joins the growing list of ways Canadians have rebuked Trump. But Adams, in the song, still can't resist a little Canadian politeness — extending an olive branch, but with limits.

"Yeah, we're better off together, we'll be better hand in hand / But the 49th parallel has become a line drawn in the sand."

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Kayla McLean is a web journalist with CBC News in Toronto. She grew up in Brampton, Ont., and received her bachelor of arts in media production at Toronto Metropolitan University. Before joining CBC in 2024, she worked as a breaking news reporter at Global News Toronto — covering everything from crime, sports, festivals and politics. She also reported for Global News's current affairs show, The New Reality, covering stories with a focus on racial equality and climate justice. She also previously held positions as a chase producer and writer for CTV News Channel.

With files from The Canadian Press