New Brunswick — Educators in the province voted unanimously during a New Brunswick Teachers’ Association annual meeting to switch out “O Canada” for a song called “Save Dat Money” by rapper and comedian Lil Dicky.
This fall high school students, instead of standing at attention every morning to listen to our boring and antiquated national anthem, will for the first time enjoy a catchy tune over their schools’ intercoms.
The song, which esteems frugality over excessive spending, sends the right message to teens, according to NBTA president Dawn Harris. “There’s more sound economic advice crammed into that one rap than in the entire New Brunswick high school curriculum,” said Harris. “I heard a student playing it on their phone last month when I dropped in for a chat with the principal at FHS. I asked the student what it was, he showed me the video and I was hooked.”
Teachers — at least the ones who’ve heard the song — are all on board with the change.
“‘I ain’t parkin’ at it unless the meter green, homie; Hair cut several months in between, homie!'” quoted Leo Hayes High School science teacher Ryan Martin. “Granted, the grammar leaves a lot to be desired, but at the very least the students will absorb some valuable financial lessons that will serve them well later in life, especially if they stay in New Brunswick. This song encourages young people to book flights months in advance, to use single-ply toilet paper when possible, to wear the same jeans every day, to steal someone else’s Netflix login. It’s solid.”
Martin then turned around and strutted down the hall, still quoting Lil Dicky: “‘I ain’t never hit a bar with a cover; Low thread count hard with the covers! My AC never doin’ nothin’ — blow fans; Walgreens card shoppin’ all the off brands.'”
New Brunswick high schools are known for glazing over the hard economic facts of life such as budgeting for taxes, paying rent, applying for employment insurance, or surviving on the few part-time or minimum-wage jobs available in the have-not province. Instead, educators focus on more positive subjects such as painting, badminton, and using those pointless graphing calculators.
Oromocto High School teacher Deb Brighton said she’s just relieved she won’t have to teach any of the practical skills that she herself didn’t learn in the education system, such as resumé-writing or interviewing. “Let Lil Dicky do it,” she said, bobbing her head to the beat. “The kids will find out soon enough what it’s like to be broke — they’re in for a lifetime of it.”