You’ve read about Toronto’s Mayor Ford, now listen to the opera

Yes it's me, I'm still the Ford you knew, still just the same old chap who'd not smoke crack with you.

Hail from Etobicoke, not in that video. 

I still yearn to coach the kids at Don Bosco.

Those are the opening lines of the opera created by the CBC program Day 6. "Opera's a great forum for Ford," said Brent Bambury, host of Day 6. 

"I like this Aria because there's nothing about it that's dishonest. It's true that Ford denied and then admitted [to smoking crack,] but still saying he won't resign.  

"A bunch of police documents were dropped last week — almost 500 pages of them — and it was Ford under surveillance. But it's also interviews with some of Ford's previous staff.

"One staff member reported getting drunken phone calls from Ford in the middle of the night from his father's gravesite. Ford's father was a politician, a member of the provincial parliament, and obviously extremely influential in Ford's life. So that call from the graveyard in the middle of the night — that would be the central aria, the third act of one of Verdi's operas. It's one of the most operatic scenes imaginable."

Ford is a conservative politican and Bambury said people have compared him to a member of the Tea Party. "But I don't see Ted Cruz going around miming drunk driving, as Ford did yesterday at the council meeting," said Bambury. "So it's a little step beyond that. We've gone from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood to Martin Scorcese."  

Ford has remained defiant, saying he will remain in office until he's up for re-election in the fall. 

"In 2010, we essentially elected a two year old. And after he's been in office for three years, he has not evolved into a five year old. In a year's time, he will have pulled off this amazing feat of still being two years old," said Bambury.

"So the people who voted for him in 2010, they may return and vote for him again. I doubt it very much. And the other thing is that he hasn't really answered a lot of questions about some of the most egregious behavior that's been alleged. During a campaign, he really will have to answer those questions. 

"He doesn't come across as he pretends to be. In fact, it's unclear who that person really is. You can look at the documents that came out that show him under police surveillance. You get a very different picture than the regular, beer-drinking, hockey-attending Canadian everyman. It's much darker and more sinister."

Here are the rest of the opera's lyrics and a link to the video.

Pillar of that quiet society, the vast majority who'd see on bended knee, 

Those lazy, soft elites, who rule on Bay Street, they who all believe the media conspiracy! 

Wait! You've heard Chief Bill Blair, it's absurd, it's just that paper's way to make a fool of me.

They detest the stand I take for you. 

I'm the man you chose to see things through.

Ah no, they can't, they won't remove me from here.

I'm mayor Rob Ford, your champion,

Never smoked crack, (ahem) wait, I've smoked crack. I'm just in a drunken stupor. 

Sorry my bad, I've done wrong. Just vote me in again, this too shall pass, I love my job, God bless.

All hail our fearless leader. Ford Nation lives, (somehow) it lives!

He protects us taxpayers.

Now it's time to move on.

We'll vote him in again, we pray he reigns another thousand years.

There's something wrong.

There's nothing wrong.

I won't resign."