I made some band patches for my jacket and pants

I think it's more than fair to say the Hip never made an objectively bad album. They had an incredibly consistent run from start to finish. More consistent than the vast majority of bands who carried on that long.

I found it particularly interesting in This Is Our Life when the guys elaborate on the challenges of agreeing on the tracks to include and what order to put them in. I recall a couple specific examples like Robbie saying he loved An Inch An Hour but it didn't neccessarily fit on Day for Night. Another where it's suggested Music @ Work had too many songs and some of them should have even been worked on longer and refined, like Sharks. (Edit to clarify I may have heard some of this stuff in interviews, not just in the book, hard to remember)

Anyway there's more examples in the book where they talk about coming to those final unified decisions about the version of each album to present to the world. Made me wonder how you guys feel in general about the flow of each album, even the ones held highest in regard? I'm sure most of us agree Up to Here should have Wait So Long, maybe even replacing a song like Everytime You Go or When the Weight Comes Down? (don't shoot me)

What are some other obvious and not so obvious ones? As much as I love Fully Completely, I do sometimes wonder if the track order could be slightly improved? I haven't actually experimented with this, I'm just tossing this one out because it is otherwise pound for pound a masterpiece with no skips IMO. But then we have the lesser appreciated albums, which is most of their stuff post-Phantom Power in a broad sense.

I did make a slight adjustment to Now for Plan A in a playlist, for example, where I switched Streets Ahead to go after Now for Plan A and before The Modern Spirit, and this little change has really made the album that much better to me. Coming out of that stellar emotional tune We Want to Be It, then being hit with Streets Agead, then slowing right down with Now for Plan A never felt right to me. A bit of a jarring, zig zag of energy. Sometimes that works in a tracklist, other times it doesn't.

I know this is "controversial", messing with the artist's vision and everything, but I'm not really talking about major changes, and the way I see it, based on what I took from the book, even the band seems to think there are areas for improvement on some of the records (or a lot of them, depending which member you ask lol)

What do you think?

As a little girl, The Tragically Hip was always playing somewhere in the background—road trips with my parents, summer barbecues at our cottage, or even just lazy Sunday mornings when Dad would hum along to Thompson Girl while sitting in the living room. At first, it was just "their music," a familiar comfort. But as I got older, I realized how much I actually loved it. Unfortunately, my personal admiration grew for the band just as Gord passed. I remember hearing the news and crying in my room listening to Grace, Too.

Now at 19 years old, The Hip has become so much more to me. Over the years I've collected their albums on vinyl and play them religiously. I have so many core memories connected to them and I can picture myself on those late-night drives in high school, blasting Fully Completely and belting the lyrics. Gord’s voice feels as though he understands everything—being young, uncertain, and a little nostalgic for things I haven’t even lived through yet. What I love most is how their music feels so deeply rooted in something bigger. Listening to them makes me feel so connected—to my family, to my country, and to this idea that music can carry stories that belong to everyone and no one at the same time.

There will never be another band like them who can so easily connect generations of listeners and I am perfectly comfortable with that.

Side note: So far the vinyl collection includes Trouble at the Henhouse, Fully Completely, In Violet Light, Phantom Power, Live Between Us, Yer Favourites, and Live at the Roxy :)

He deserves to be the Greatest Male Rock Singer/Frontmen of All Time idc what anyone says

...during the NFL broadcast of the Dallas Cowboys vs. Carolina Panthers game today. They usually play classic popular songs so was surprised to hear them play The Hip!

https://youtu.be/hHSMFLhBEWg?si=gUHr54Jdn4zgsyid

https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/tragicallyhip/onenightincopenhagen.html

Hello everyone, I hope all is well. Today we are going to be talking about “One Night in Copenhagen” which is the eleventh track from the band’s 2004 album In Between Evolution.

Funny enough, I’ve always loved this album but the two songs they didn’t click with me right away were “As Makeshift As We Are” and this song. With “Makeshift” all I had to do was dive into the lyrics deep enough and eventually it clicked with me. But for this song I had to try a little harder and as we breakdown the song I’ll explain where it clicked for me.

The song begins with electric guitar riff and some hi hat action because the rest of the band kicks in and the verse starts. It’s got that classic rock feel, which I normally enjoy when it comes to the Hip, but to me it doesn’t fit as well on this album. This album is full of either faster/punk like songs or songs that feel a little heavier and grungy. And although this song has a solid groove and great guitar licks, it doesn’t do as much for me as other songs from the album.

But what made the song click for me was learning what inspired the lyrics. If you’ve seen the band’s documentary then you might know it’s not always been roses and daisies for the band. They’ve had their own problems like all bands do and some of it came from when Gord started releasing solo albums. Here’s what Sinclair had to say about the song during an interview:

“‘One Night in Copenhagen’ was inspired by a show at the end of the In Violet Light tour. Professionally, it was a difficult time for us. Yet, amidst it all, the group was playing better than ever. The stage, and the five of us, became a real refuge. Everything is falling apart around you and yet, there's this life raft and the life raft happens to be the five guys in this band on stage."

So when you listen to the first lyric or the song, “When the drugs hit you, tingly begins” we can assume it’s not just actual drugs that Gord is singing about. I think part of this song is about the creative process and the dynamics it takes to be in a band and to write and play music for people. It’s like a drug where you can feel high and have “conviction + tone = hope.” It can even make someone’s lowest low (“nadir”) seem bright. You feel like you are flying anywhere you go.

But then there’s days where you feel like a failure, or where you fight with the people who are suppose to be your second family. I think that’s what Gord means when he sings “when the drugs quit you” and talks about being a loyal as a fruit fly. I think my favorite part lyrically though has to be when Gord sings “you'll mutter to yourself "you talentless fuck, good fucking luck, good fucking luck.’” Not only is it awesome hearing him swear but when he sings it he adds a lot of attitude to those “fucks” to make you really believe what he’s saying. You can tell that there’s days when he would feel talentless. That’s a part of being a musician whether you like it or not.

The next lyric is interesting because he mentions a delicatessen which is a basically a deli. I’m not sure what that has to do with these lyrics (it’s gotta be a very specific reference) but he goes on to mention the idea of hearing the sound of something “anywhere”, in this instance it’s the sound of a town.

Now the next lyric, according to the Hip Musiem, actually stems from a real life situation. The line “and here it begins, quits you at a payphone in the snow, one night in Copenhagen” apparently was inspired from a real phone call home from Copenhagen. It also seems like the band did play a small club in Copenhagen in the early 2000’s so it’s possible this was when the band was contemplating breaking up or as Gord puts it “under the threat of separation.”

Now as we all know they thankfully never broke up, but it’s very interesting to see their struggles through the documentary and even this song. I think my main reason for not loving this song as much as others from this album is the song’s structure and the music. It’s a little bit in the middle of the road when it comes to the tempo and there’s not even a chorus really. The only somewhat catchy thing in the whole song is when Gord mimics one of the guitars riff during the outro. Now not every song has to be catchy or fast paced, but this is definitely a song for me that stands out for its lyrics and real life storying telling.

But do what do you think of this track? Is this one of the band’s better album cuts? What do you think the song is about? Favorite lyrical or musical moments? And have you ever experienced this tune live?

every now and again i hear a song, in this case, a Hip song that blows my mind. again. this is a truly incredible song. i call it Canadian gothic. on a gloomy Vancouver Island winter day, it's very fitting.

To my Pittsburgh friends: Attic Records!! Theeeee best record store in the world! They should have at least one leftover.

Bought a storage unit and it had an amazing music collection. This was among it. Anyone have any idea of values? The internet says 1000.00 but it likes to lie.

Maybe someone can answer this question…early 2000s, summer 2003? The Hip had a contest sponsored by 103.3 radio station in Buffalo.

Anyways, a friend won tickets by calling into radio station. We were told the location to meet with in downtown Buffalo to reveal playing location. It ended up being in a garage somewhere in Buffalo. We met the band. They shared a case of Molson Canadian with us, maybe 10-15 people, in a garage in downtown Buffalo. They played the entirety of In Violet Light.

Anyone recall this event? Maybe attended? Wanted to know if it was ever given an official name.

Anyways, it was surreal standing a few feet away from the band playing. Still get chills thinking about it.

If they did tour with her, what would you want on the setlist? Which songs would she be less suited for?

All I know is I need to hear Grace, Too again, but it has to be arranged for her, I think, if it’s to work. I’d want to hear her sing one of the knuckledragger songs, like twist my arm.

When Ghost Rider came on I almost felt it was a Hip tune to start with. Lifeson's quitar part has a real Rob Baker feel to it, which was very cool. Not sure there's anything specific I could pinpoint but it "feels" like a Baker guitar line to me.

Loving this one so far. Working on my deep dive through the later albums. This one is not mastered great, but the songs make up for it in my opinion. Would love a reissued remaster of this someday.

It's super carefully constructed with amazing melodies. The Lookahead foreshadowing Streets Ahead maybe? The Lookahead also has a very similar riff to Take Forever. Almost as if it's LOOKING AHEAD? Seems intentional to me, like care was put into weaving some connective tissue between these songs. Love how Man Machine Poem looks ahead to their next album, too. Gord had to have some larger idea in his head with these last couple albums, however abstract and largely unknowable to us it may remain, but the threads seem to be there, which really makes this album extra interesting. Also the cover art has people apparently getting sensual on the floor, next album cover is a baby?

God, The Modern Spirit is so infectious. Anyway, no skips on this album for me, how about you?

Holy shit. Over the past couple of months I have fallen in love with the hip. As a 16 year old maritimer from Prince Edward Island I feel so connected with this band despite being born so late after their prime. No one else gets it. None of my friends who mainly listen to country and hip hop. They don’t get how important this band is to this country and to me aswell. I try playing some hip for them and they just go “play something normal” and I just shake my head. After watching the doc I have somehow found even more love and appreciation for these 5 horsemen. Every member was special to this band, and without them they wouldn’t have thrived as well as they did. And Ofcourse Gordon Edgar Downie. This man who I never knew personally. Who I’ve only come to know of very recently is one of the most interesting and charismatic people I’ve ever seen. His lyrics and poetry are unlike any other songwriting I’ve seen. It’s just so unique and Canadian. It makes me feel proud to live in this country. Ever since the hip disbanded and he passed away it seems like we as a country have become less connected and have started to lose our identity. And it really is disheartening. But listening to The Tragically Hip gives me true admiration to the music and culture of our true north strong and free, and i’m gonna cherish that for the rest of my life. Thank you for anyone who has read through my rant. I just want you all to know if you’re a fan of the hip, I’m a fan of you and you’re are all my friends.

Italian

Something On for me. “Your imagination’s having puppies” is one of my favorite lyrics ever. Gord just knew how to phrase lines to make them memorable.

https://youtu.be/zju1rfBfkdw?si=JdgJuPkx8sB7feZy

https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/tragicallyhip/thebastard.html

Hello everyone, I hope all is well. Today we are going to be discussing our last Music@Work song and that happens to be the album’s sixth track “The Bastard.”

For an album that features more acoustic guitar and piano on some softer driven songs, “The Bastard” is a full on rocker. It begins with an almost sinister guitar riff and these fast paced drums which I think are tablas (classical Hindu drums). This intro is soon joined by the rest of the band that includes some great drum fills, distorted electric guitar strums and a nice bass groove.

Gord’s vocals come in a smooth but low tone as he sings “if you ask me how I knew, I saw you. I had a bird's eye view of a bird's eye view.” It almost sounds like a predator stalking its pretty. It also might sound familiar to you and that’s because Gord can be heard singing the bird’s eye view lyric during the “Grace, Too” performance at Woodstock. This character also explains how they see this other person as who they truly are, not what they think they are.

This leads us to the song’s pre chorus where the music is still charging and has those dark tones. Gord sings “and all of this augurs well. Even though it's presaging pell-mell” which was confusing as hell to me. With doing some research I found out that an augur is a tool for digging holes in wood. Although it’s a different spelling, Gord could technically be singing “augur well” which is a phrase to portend a good outcome. And yet “presaging pell-mell” speaks of something that is chaotic and not aging well. It’s kinda a confusing chorus but I love when Gord repeats the augurs lyric because his voice because more intense and louder which adds to the energy of the song.

That line leads us to the song’s chorus where Gord sings “this is the bastard, we got the bastard” as you can hear Paul singing “of it having to choose” underneath. Now the normal definition of a “bastard” is “an illegitimate child, or the offspring of unmarried parents” so it’s typically used as an insult. But I’m not quite sure how it’s being used in this song. It adds a layer of mystery on who or what the bastard could be.

The second verse see’s Gord name dropping Billy Sunday who was a baseball player who eventually became an evangelist. One of the places he played in was Philadelphia which is also where he did a lot of his preaching. That’s where the lyric “shouting, "Philadelphia for Christ and Christ for Philadelph-i-a" comes from. What does it have to do with this particular song? I have no idea. But we do get more lyrics about being in the sky with the line “as the sun groomed the plane with crepuscular rays, when I saw you.” The first part of that lyric is used two songs later on the album in “Freak Turbulence” and I had to look up the word “crepuscular” (it means resembling twilight).

After another pre chorus and chorus the song goes into a bridge where the guitar progression continues to build and climb higher and higher. Johnny’s cymbals start going off as this section becomes extremely dramatic as Gord sings Paul’s lyrics from the chorus and as he mentions a flickering fuse and great powers beyond what we can use. I’m still not entirely sure of their meaning but those words do match the intensity from the music.

The intensity cools down a bit as we return to that intro with just the tablas drums, a sparse guitar riff and Gord’s vocals. He sings “never mind us purple Italians” which is an odd line but from doing some research he could be referencing the fact that some Italians are superstitious and don’t wear the color purple as it’s considered to be bad luck. That and purple is considered to be the color that clergymen wears and that could be a connection with the earlier lyrics about Billy Sunday and religion.

The music starts ramping back up as Gord sings “victory came and went on winged elephants, I saw you” which could be a reference to how Hindu cultures see elephants as “one of the seven jewels of royal power” which includes flying elephants. There’s definitely a lot of imaging of different cultures and religions in this song.

As the song goes through another chorus it’s extended with a lot of doubled vocals between Gord and Paul. The music continues to build which leads to a somewhat short guitar solo from Rob that simmers as the song starts coming to a slowdown. Eventually when the song does end you can actually hear the opening riff of the next track on the album (“The Completists”) which is a cool little lead in.

Would this song be as impressive if it was a song on another album like In Between Evolution? Maybe not because that album is full of rock songs. But this album has a bit more variety and this grungier song fits great near the middle of the album. I love the overall mood of the song with its vicious guitars and Gord’s vocals that rang from low and cool to fierce and passionate. It’s a song that I can’t get a grip on when it comes to the lyrics (who is the bastard and who’s this other person hunting this bastard?) but the mysteriousness adds to the song’s atmosphere.

But what do you think of this track? Is this a song you enjoy one of the band’s more experimental albums? What do you think the song is about? Favorite lyrical or musical moments? And did you ever catch this tune live?