Local Musician Goes Viral With Golf Parody Song

What was supposed to be a fun video shared around friends and family has become viral with almost 80,000 Youtube views in less than a week for musician Chad Driscoll since its release on Sunday.

The song, “Ontario, Let Me Go (Play Some Golf)” is a parody of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads”.

The viral video is about typical golfer experiences and how they cannot golf under the unexpected shutdown extension. Ontario had prohibited golf and other outdoor recreational activities under the new restrictions on April 16.

Driscoll has received massive support and positive reviews from viewers and golf courses extending as far as Ottawa.

“A lot of golf courses have been reaching out and thanking me for the song and stuff which is kind of funny,” he said.

Driscoll released his first album, Unreliable Instincts back in 2011. Photo Courtesy of Chad Driscoll.

The lyrics and recording took roughly an hour. Using John Denver for a parody was a decision that organically happened and was recognizable by all ages according to Driscoll.

He wrote the song as a way to relate his golf experiences with others and express his grief for the sudden decision of not being able to play.

“Talk to any golfer, they’re really frustrated and it’s something that we can all resonate with,” said Driscoll. “I’ve been golfing since I was a kid. It’s been a big part of my life.”

Driscoll attended St. Peter’s Secondary School in Peterborough. Photo Courtesy of Chad Driscoll.

People are looking for things to do during the pandemic and restricting something that is safe can get mentally taxing according to Driscoll.

“It was such a great way to get out of the house,” he said. “It felt normal out there. You didn’t have a mask on and you were six feet away from each other. When they closed, I was really bummed.”

Driscoll’s first live singing performance was when he was 10 in 1991. He participated in the” Nintendo Search for the Stars” singing contest placing second at Lansdowne Place.

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Selwyn Family Parodies Canadian Artist With Pandemic Song

“Life in a Pandemic (Don’t It Stink?)” is a parody of Alanis Morissette’s hit song, “Ironic”.

Marking the one-year anniversary of the pandemic where the whole country went into lockdown and quarantine, one Selwyn family paid tribute to the milestone parodying Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic”.

“Life in a Pandemic (Don’t it Stink?)” was created by the Kelly family featuring singer and acting student, Ashton Kelly. The video was a challenge, taking three days to film and a week and a half to produce it according to Ashton’s mother Deborah Kelly.

“Our goal was to spend some time together as a family having some creative fun during these dark times, and maybe lifting some spirits along the way,” said Deborah. “My daughter is a singer and an acting student so this is right up her alley.”

“Life in a Pandemic (Don’t it Stink?)” has already gained over 3,000 views in its first two days since being uploaded to Youtube. Screenshot.

The video copies Morisette’s, shot-for-shot with pop culture references and recognizable local spots. The Go Express Marts gas station across from the Lakefield Animal Welfare Society and the Peterborough Lift Lock canal are some localized shots taken for the parody.

“This isn’t meant to diminish the struggle many (are) facing over the state of our world,” said Ashton in a Facebook post. “This is only to spread some laughs and lightheartedness to enjoy with your family!”

The mother-daughter duo wrote the lyrics with Mark Russell, Deborah’s partner, filmed and (mostly) edited the video.

They chose “Ironic” since it was recognizable, iconic and Morrisette was Canadian.

“We really wanted to keep it lighthearted and fun to spread some cheer during these challenging times,” said Deborah.

This was the second parody video the family had created. The first copied Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” titled, “Something to Do-ah (The Isolation Song)” was released in early April last year.

The family posted a blooper reel for the filming of their first video, “Something to Do-ah (The Isolation Song)”. It was posted 10 days after the prior video was uploaded. Screenshot.

The song was shot as an original since Cohen’s version did not have an official music video and has almost 28,000 views on YouTube. The parody makes its own pop culture references such as the toilet paper shortage and the hit Netflix show, “Tiger King”.

The first video’s success inspired the family to create the second parody as they were proud and surprised at the song’s success according to Deborah.

“We had such a positive response and such a blast creating it that we decided to do another one this year,” she said.

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