Lately, all you read about on blogs, in the newspaper, Facebook etc, is The Tragically Hip. Everyone and their uncle have been posting about the Hip & what the band means to them. So I figure, it's my turn.
When I first heard about Gord Downie's prognosis, I was heartbroken. Here is a man, that I have envied - not just as a singer but as a poet, a writer, a story-teller... To think that he was done telling stories was devastating. He hasn't told all his stories // our stories // Canada's story // yet, not even close. And he's officially out of time.
I tried desperately to get tickets to any of the shows in Ontario. Yes, I've probably seen him a dozen times, but I'm greedy. I wanted to be there in person. Instead, I watched as CBC aired the concert unedited and commercial free. I welled up when he took a few breaks, shed a few tears when he dropped the mic and wiped his own tears. And cried when he closed with Ahead by a Century (What.. I can cry.. I'm not a monster)
It's hard to put into words what the Hip means to me. I can't say exactly except that they - or their music - has been a part of my life since I can remember. Their songs, take you back to a time or place. Bring up a memory, good, bad or long forgotten. You hear that song, and your transported back to that bar, campfire, house party etc. Gord had a way of telling a story, Canada's history, and made people sing along. Sure, American's never really 'got it' but that's what made them so much more Ours.
The first album I got was "Fully Completely". I remember being young, maybe 13 and hearing Courage on the radio. I don't know why I was drawn to it... The lyrics? The chords? The harmony? But I had to have that album. I remember waiting by the radio, so that I could record it on cassette tape. I don't remember if I purchased the CD, or if I got it for Christmas.. but it was on a continuous loop for months.
From then on, I was a Hip fan. I had all the albums (minus this new one) all though I lost them in the war. Incidentally, The Hip was kinda what got the BigGuy and I talking.. We were both crazy Hip fans. I used to joke that 'Boots And Hearts' was our song.. (if you knew the two of us, you'd know we never agreed on anything). When we first started dating, he'd sing Hip at karaoke ( 'Some kinda Showgirl thing.. ') to try to get my attention. We went to more than a few Hip concerts together.. I quoted a line or two from 'Fully Completely' to him when we broke up. Like I said - good & bad..
I had a friend in college, who was big into electronic music, had his own album. He and I used to talk about music a lot, he had a lot of old school influences that I understood because of my father. He used to tease me about being a Hip fan.. single platform music he called it. Years later, I had a friend who used to sing "Ahead by a Century' for me at karaoke. He knew it was my song, and would always sing it to cheer me up. I'd chair dance (this was before my accident - before I decided I'd dance where ever the eff I wanted) Both of those gentleman have passed on, and I miss them both dearly.
When I hear certain songs, I remember them. I remember being in Student Commons, watching Phili J perform, and I remember Jamie, smiling slyly at me just before his name was called. I remember the BigGuy (Because it wasn't all bad) I remember my childhood, road trips, motorcycle rides, friends I have, I had, and I've lost. I remembered all the stories I have, that coincide with a Hip tune. All the stories Canada has, that we may not have known or paid attention to, if Gord had not called our attention to them.
One concert I went to, at the Phoenix in Toronto, we were right up at the stage. At one point during a song, Gord looked down, and locked eyes with me. I smiled, and he smiled back. A shy grin, like he was amazed I was watching him, that all these people were there to listen to him sing, hoping he would ramble on about Killer Whales or Double Suicides. He was captivating to watch on stage. His passion is invigorating. Even during his last concert in Kingston, you could see the exhaustion, the strain cancer had put on his body. But - the passion, the drive, the sincere love for the music and his fans.. Cancer couldn't touch that.
So when Gord said "Thanks for listening, period. Have a nice life" I sat down on my sofa and cried with the rest of Canadians in Kingston, Bobcaygeon and across the country. And I wondered..
Who is going to tell our story now?
When I first heard about Gord Downie's prognosis, I was heartbroken. Here is a man, that I have envied - not just as a singer but as a poet, a writer, a story-teller... To think that he was done telling stories was devastating. He hasn't told all his stories // our stories // Canada's story // yet, not even close. And he's officially out of time.
I tried desperately to get tickets to any of the shows in Ontario. Yes, I've probably seen him a dozen times, but I'm greedy. I wanted to be there in person. Instead, I watched as CBC aired the concert unedited and commercial free. I welled up when he took a few breaks, shed a few tears when he dropped the mic and wiped his own tears. And cried when he closed with Ahead by a Century (What.. I can cry.. I'm not a monster)
It's hard to put into words what the Hip means to me. I can't say exactly except that they - or their music - has been a part of my life since I can remember. Their songs, take you back to a time or place. Bring up a memory, good, bad or long forgotten. You hear that song, and your transported back to that bar, campfire, house party etc. Gord had a way of telling a story, Canada's history, and made people sing along. Sure, American's never really 'got it' but that's what made them so much more Ours.
The first album I got was "Fully Completely". I remember being young, maybe 13 and hearing Courage on the radio. I don't know why I was drawn to it... The lyrics? The chords? The harmony? But I had to have that album. I remember waiting by the radio, so that I could record it on cassette tape. I don't remember if I purchased the CD, or if I got it for Christmas.. but it was on a continuous loop for months.
From then on, I was a Hip fan. I had all the albums (minus this new one) all though I lost them in the war. Incidentally, The Hip was kinda what got the BigGuy and I talking.. We were both crazy Hip fans. I used to joke that 'Boots And Hearts' was our song.. (if you knew the two of us, you'd know we never agreed on anything). When we first started dating, he'd sing Hip at karaoke ( 'Some kinda Showgirl thing.. ') to try to get my attention. We went to more than a few Hip concerts together.. I quoted a line or two from 'Fully Completely' to him when we broke up. Like I said - good & bad..
I had a friend in college, who was big into electronic music, had his own album. He and I used to talk about music a lot, he had a lot of old school influences that I understood because of my father. He used to tease me about being a Hip fan.. single platform music he called it. Years later, I had a friend who used to sing "Ahead by a Century' for me at karaoke. He knew it was my song, and would always sing it to cheer me up. I'd chair dance (this was before my accident - before I decided I'd dance where ever the eff I wanted) Both of those gentleman have passed on, and I miss them both dearly.
When I hear certain songs, I remember them. I remember being in Student Commons, watching Phili J perform, and I remember Jamie, smiling slyly at me just before his name was called. I remember the BigGuy (Because it wasn't all bad) I remember my childhood, road trips, motorcycle rides, friends I have, I had, and I've lost. I remembered all the stories I have, that coincide with a Hip tune. All the stories Canada has, that we may not have known or paid attention to, if Gord had not called our attention to them.
One concert I went to, at the Phoenix in Toronto, we were right up at the stage. At one point during a song, Gord looked down, and locked eyes with me. I smiled, and he smiled back. A shy grin, like he was amazed I was watching him, that all these people were there to listen to him sing, hoping he would ramble on about Killer Whales or Double Suicides. He was captivating to watch on stage. His passion is invigorating. Even during his last concert in Kingston, you could see the exhaustion, the strain cancer had put on his body. But - the passion, the drive, the sincere love for the music and his fans.. Cancer couldn't touch that.
So when Gord said "Thanks for listening, period. Have a nice life" I sat down on my sofa and cried with the rest of Canadians in Kingston, Bobcaygeon and across the country. And I wondered..
Who is going to tell our story now?