Released October 1997 Length 3:09 Writer(s) Alan Doyle
Séan McCann | Genre Folk rock Label WMC Producer(s) Danny Greenspoon | |
"Ordinary Day" is a song recorded by Newfoundland folk band Great Big Sea. It was released in October 1997 as the second single from their third album Play. It peaked at No. 3 on the Canadian RPM adult contemporary chart and at No. 30 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles.
Allan Doyle (of the Newfoundland music group, Great Big Sea) told a story during the 2016 JUNO awards "Songwriter Circle" that he had read a story about a girl in Vancouver who was busking on the street and she got robbed and beaten up "pretty good" but she went back to the same place and started playing again. That story was part of the inspiration for their song "Ordinary Day".
In this song, Alan and his writing partner, Séan McCann, use the name as "Janie". They were too shy to use her real name which is...Jann Arden.
"Janie sings on the corner, what keeps her from dying? Let them say what they want, she won't stop trying She might stumble, if they push her 'round She might fall, but she'll never lie down"
Controversy over political use
In 2000, the Canadian Alliance used the song at political rallies to support Stockwell Day, without getting permission; Great Big Sea formally asked that this be stopped.