I'm not usually significantly impacted by celebrity deaths. Even if I enjoy their work usually I'll take a very brief moment to reflect then I carry on with my day. The passing of Gord Downie has made me feel a lot of things.
I listen to Rebel 101.7 a lot. Weekdays between 10 and 12 they always have two hours of commercial free music. Today they played Tragically Hip music. In fact they played the setlist from their last concert. They didn't play the actual concert but they played the studio recordings of the songs in the order that they were played at that show. A few songs they played the version off Live Between Us. As I listened, I thought about how these songs were not just a soundtrack to much of my life but also seemed to help explain it.
I grew up near the Hundredth Meridian. The Great Plains start a bit further east but not much. The imagery in the song fit my childhood. I remember buffalo. Their songs were about a lot of different parts of Canada. Their experiences were vast and many can relate to what they said.
The bold imagery of Wheat Kings also sticks out in my head, I can see a room "Hung with pictures of our parents' Prime Ministers," and if you are of a certain age we have all received a "Late breaking story on the CBC." It's amazing to think these lyrics came from a man who grew up in Eastern Ontario, very different in topography and feel than the Prairies but for me, he captures it.
I've seen The Tragically Hip at a variety of venues from a variety of vantage points. I have been in the last row in the house of an NHL size arena and in front of the front row because I donated a can to the food bank that night. The last time I saw them it was on a rainy night at Ottawa Blues Fest. I've had the chance to watch the band up close and watch the crowd.
The lyrics of The Tragically Hip were varied. He sang about a lot. Some of it was darker and deep and some of it was cheeky and fun. I remember the sly grin that came across his face as he sang Poets. He had fun when he performed.
I love to listen to music while I work. It helps the day go by and helps me focus. There was a period that I shared work space with someone who insisted we don't have music in the office. Eventually he moved onto a different position, at a different unit, in a different city. After his last day I started listening to music at work, the first song I played on my portable iPod speakers was Music @ Work. I feel like a jerk, my music at work.
I did a lot of road trips across the prairies. Before the days of iPods, I always grabbed at least one Hip CD for the trip. The music would permeate you as you drove into the sunset.
He sang about love. Bobcaygeon is a love song that speaks to me. It's about a mature love, one where you think about changing it all for someone. I always hoped to find that kind of love in my life and now I have. His lyrics explain the romance with my fiancée even though it was written long before we ever met.
I remember back in my university days when Trouble in the Henhouse was about to come out and the first single was released to radio. I got up early (at least for those days) to hear it. It was worth it. It's the only band I've ever forced myself to get get up early to hear.
He sang about hockey. It showed up in several songs. He sang about a girl "loosening my grip on Bobby Orr." It doesn't get much more Canadian than that.
Some Hip songs rocked. Some were soft. Some were fun and some talked about serious ideas. Grace Too was just really intense. However, they were all distinctly from The Tragically Hip. They were more about poetry over music. Gord Downie wasn't a great singer. When you heard him your jaw didn't drop like it would if you hear Bruce Dickinson. However, his passion rang though. You could hear him project his feelings to audience.
Then there were the rants. He's the only singer I know of that would shoot off into an unscripted stream of consciousness spoken word rant in the middle of a song. He often did it during New Orleans in Sinking but it could strike anytime. I think my favourite rant is the Killer Whale Tank, they had lots of money from the government so, it was huge.
I feel sadness that he's gone. There will never be another performance or rant. He won't be dancing with the mike stand. As I went about my day and listened to a lot of The Tragically Hip's music I found myself smiling a lot and at other times I was very sad. However, we can't cry because it's over, we have to smile because it happened.
Gord Downie was armed with will and determination, and grace, too.
