Where There's Smoke

Ahead By A Century (Our Life): Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip

There are people, places, and things that are uniquely Canadian. That only Canadians really understand. And every country has those. But some of those things are more easily understood than others – because we can relate them to something we do understand. Follow the unknown with something more familiar. For example, a Canadian looks at how high school football is like a religion in Texas, or how passionate people in Dortmund are about BVB, and they can sort of understand it. Because although it is unique to those places in the world, Canadians can relate it to how they are about, say, hockey.

Now, there are some things about Canada that are almost impossible to understand unless you spent a significant portion of your life living there. And one of those things, maybe the most unique, is what a band called The Tragically Hip means to Canadians. Trying to explain The Hip to somebody who hasn’t grown up with them is like trying to explain the love for your child to someone who is not a parent, or the feeling of a first kiss to someone who’s never had one.

How do we explain this… In Canada, The Tragically Hip are not just a rock band, they are woven into the National Identity. And Gord Downie, their lead singer, is not just a front man, he has been called Canada’s unofficial Poet Laureate. In a recent New York Times article Simon Vozick-Levinson wrote, “The place of honor that Mr. Downie occupies in Canada’s national imagination has no parallel in the United States. Imagine Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Michael Stipe combined into one sensitive, oblique poet-philosopher, and you’re getting close.“ The thing is, we’re not sure that is getting close.

Over 31 years, The Tragically Hip have released 13 studio albums, one live album, one EP, and 58 singles. As incredible a run as that is, statistics do not tell the story of the band. The story of The Tragically Hip is in the relationship it has with millions of Canadians. And this relationship was not forged by a marketing team or even through social media. As reporter Vinay Menon wrote in The Toronto Star, “It happened at bonfires and skating rinks, at campsites and campuses. It happened during first loves and final exams, birthdays and weddings and breakups. It happened with old friends and new beginnings.”

In this week’s episode, Brett is going to do his very best to introduce you, reacquaint you, and help you fall in love (all over again) with a Canadian national treasure. While he’s doing that, you may just find yourself realizing that you have something to say, and it’s time to stand up and use your voice however you can.

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

The lyrics to 12 Tragically Hip songs are weaved into the spoken content of this episode. [Hint: 11 spoken by Brett, 1 spoken by our guest Josh.] This was originally a contest for WTS listeners. If you want to know the songs and lyrics contained in the episode, scroll down for the reveal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Songs & Lyrics quoted:

  1. COURAGE: Follow the unknown with something more familiar
  2. CORDELIA: spittin from a bridge, just to see how far down it really is
  3. I’LL BELIEVE IN YOU: How do I explain this, I mean how do I put it into words?
  4. SO HARD DONE BY: it’s so deep, it’s meaningless
  5. A BEAUTIFUL THING: it’d be a beautiful thing to see that beautiful thing, continuing
  6. NOW FOR PLAN A: The fleeting nature of life on display
  7. BORN IN THE WATER: How could you do it? How could you even try?
  8. GRACE, TOO: the appearance of conquest*, meets the appearance of force / GRACE, TOO: armed with will and determination. And grace, too
  9. AHEAD BY A CENTURY: no dress rehearsal. This is our life
  10. ABOUT THIS MAP: We’ve come too far, to be feeling like this. / ABOUT THIS MAP: There’s got to be more than just to despair.
  11. AT THE HUNDREDTH MERIDIAN: at the 100th meridian where the great plains begin
  12. FULLY AND COMPLETELY: Fully, and completely

* Error in this lyric. The actual lyric is “the appearance of conflict”

 

Not a guest, but the reason for the show:

 

 

Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip
TheHip.com
The Tragically Hip – often referred to simply as The Hip – have staked out their own vital place at the heart of the Canadian music scene by evoking a strong emotional connection between their music and their fans. The critically acclaimed five-piece, including Rob Baker, Gordon Downie, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois and Gord Sinclair, grew up in Kingston, Ontario. Together they have achieved mass popularity with more than six million albums sold in Canada alone. The band has garnered dozens of JUNO Award nominations and 14 wins.