Exactly. But not just this song but 60 other Hip songs. Their simplicity at times is transcending. The lyrics, and how they get delivered, is simply very special.
You are about to start a real journey. Just wait til you hear "36 Years Old", "Bobcaygeon" and "Ahead by a Century." When Gordon Downie died of cancer, the Prime Minister of our country called a press conference, and with tears in his eyes, announced the loss of "our buddy Gord, who loved this country with everything he had." I can tell you that every First Nations person in Canada mourned his passing, and the Assembly of First Nations had already awarded him an eagle feather and the Lakota name Wicapi Omani, "man who walks among the stars."
Gord was a poet in the literal sense...he always told a story with his songs and usually referred to a significant time in Canada's history... like the story of David Millgard who was falsely convicted of a murder when he was just 16 yrs old and spent 23 years in prison the song...wheat kings....so many more to choose from as well...they were Canadas band and the final concert drew 11 MILLION viewers across Canada....I was there in sprnger square that night...not a dry eye anywhere you looked....RIP Gordo...
This is a great reaction to one of my favourite bands, I live in Kingston On, The Hips hometown, I loved hearing you’re gonna listen to this 158 times! The Hip are pure Canadiana and it reflects in their music, please react to more. A few recommendations “Locked in the Trunk of a Car”, “New Orleans is Sinking”, “Wheat Kings” so many more.
I watched this just after the 5th anniversary of Gord's death....I'll bet you still feel the passion with this song now, if not even more that you've grown older....or as the Floyd said "one day closer to death".....Loved watching a real reaction for a change!
the thing that I've always loved about the hip, from day one, is that they are amazing, while not being the greatest anything. it's not eddie van halen on guitar, no jeff beck or neil pert on drums, it's not chris cornell singing. it is however, a band that sounds like they have been playing together for hundreds of years and each know their part so well it's just automatic now. Gord's poetic lyrics layered over the music, with the amazing counter parts and harmonies. it's just about perfect.
I lost my best buddy the same day as we all lost Gord. Hearing his songs have always been hard. But hearing other people, hear them for the first time. Makes me smile.
OMG if you all don't know The Tragically Hip, wow do you have a journey in front of you. This song is off their 8th LP. Start with their first LP Up to Here and just let each and every following LP roll over you. I think their height is in their 3rd, 4th and 5th LPs. Enjoy. And BTW, great authentic reaction.
I'd start with the self titled EP. There's something about I'm A Werewolf Baby and Cemetery Sideroad that give that weird bar band feel, then you get songs like Highway Girl, Evelyn and Last American Exit that show the future greatness of the Hip.
The "Forget your skates" dream is something culturally Canadian that is rarely seen outside of the Great White North, with the exception of possibly Minnesota and Michigan where hockey is life. It's a collective psychological dream where you arrive at the rink for the big game and realize that you didnt bring your skates. For Americans, the closest equivalent dreams are the ones where you go to school in your underwear/naked or you go to school and forget your locker combination. These are manifestations of common teenage fears that never really leave us.
Honest, I have been a hip fan since the early 90s, the singer Gord i call my musical father, and when this album released in the early 2000s, I too had your exact reaction to this song and remains my favourite from the hip, us Canadian kids all have had "forget your skates dream" :)
