Top Toronto Maple Leafs Pop Culture Moments of All-Time

Raised on Robbery by Joni Mitchell

Canadian folk rock legend Joni Mitchell featured a prominent Toronto Maple Leafs reference on her song “Raised on Robbery” from her album hugely successful 1974 album, Court and Spark.

“Raised on Robbery” is a raucous rock and roll number that details a routine barroom meeting between a man who is betting on the Toronto Maple Leafs and a lady in “lacy sleeves” who is out for a good time while stuck in a room full of folks watching a hockey game involving the Leafs (we can assume that it’s Saturday night and Hockey Night in Canada is on the air).

The meeting happens at a place called the Empire Hotel which has been rumored to refer to existing Empire Hotels in either Huntsville or North Bay.

The reference to the Maple Leafs is brief but noteworthy given Mitchell’s status as an internationally-known recording artist. Few listeners outside Canada would have picked up on the Leafs mention, however.

Featured on the song playing electric guitar is the leader of the Band, Robbie Robertson of Toronto, who himself sported a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey on the back cover of the final album released by the Band, Islands, in 1977.

Raised on Robbery today is a staple of oldies’ radio and can occasionally be heard on Toronto AM radio stations due to its status as a minor hit for Mitchell and a venerable piece of Canadian pop music content.