Musician turned down $20K offer for The Simpsons to use iconic Newfoundland song

He's a Newfoundlander born and bred, and Bruce Moss will protect his hit song until he dies. So when The Simpsons made him a sweet cash offer to use The Islander a few months back, he balked at it.

Bruce Moss says the show is 'morally bankrupt'

CBC News · Posted: Apr 30, 2019 5:56 AM EDT | Last Updated: April 30, 2019

Bruce Moss had a hit with his 1982 album The Islander, and followed up in 2017 with the album On the Road to Seventy. (Bruce Moss)

He's a Newfoundlander born and bred, and Bruce Moss will protect his hit song until he dies.

So when The Simpsons made him a sweet cash offer to use The Islander a few months back, he balked at it.

He said the song would have been part of Sunday night's episode on Canada that took a dig at Newfoundlanders many considered offside.

"I have no qualms about it," Moss told The St. John's Morning Show. "I'm not sorry I didn't license it. And after what I've been told about this episode, I'm really happy I didn't."

The episode featured a scene with the words "stupid Newfie," followed by character Ralph Wiggum bashing a stuffed seal pup with a club.

Here's the full context of last night's Simpsons episode making fun of Newfoundlanders, does it change anything that they were pointing out that Canadians don't always treat Newfoundlanders well? (Video from CityTV) <a href="https://t.co/4uljG1rXVl">pic.twitter.com/4uljG1rXVl</a>
—@PeterCBC

Moss said he was initially interested in the $20,000 US offer when he was told an American client wanted to license his song, but when it was "mentioned it was The Simpsons, that's when the conversation basically ended."

The Islander has become a de facto anthem for Newfoundland since it was first recorded in 1982, with its famous refrain, "I'm a Newfoundlander born and bred and I'll be one till I die."

It's been covered many times and is a crowd pleaser at traditional music concerts, hockey games and more.

No amount of money would entice me to take part in such an offensive production.- Bruce Moss

Moss has spent most of the last 30 years as a plumber in New Brunswick, and never again released anything close to the popularity of The Islander.

Still, he wasn't willing to take a paycheque if it meant insulting his home province.

"No amount of money would entice me to take part in such an offensive production to our culture and our people," he said after watching the segment Tuesday morning.