Another great Canadian musician bites the dust. (No disrespect to the late Freddie Mercury of Queen) Unless you are living under a rock, Gord Downie, the Tragically Hip frontman, passed away last week. The news of this Canadian rock icon, who united a variety of music lovers with his strong stage persona and homegrown lyrics, was quite a shock for many of us. He succumbed to a cancerous brain tumour. As a big fan of his early days, here are some of my thoughts as a fan.
Great showman and concert performer
Downie was an energetic mesmerizing frontman and singer on stage. He pranced about the stage with his signature theatrical dance moves right up to his last show, almost like he was channelling his music with these subconscious rants. His body gave some hidden subtext to go along with his thought-provoking message. The final concert with the Tragically Hip, in Kingston on Aug. 20, 2016, was broadcast by CBC and was watched by over 11 million people across Canada. Despite the terminal diagnosis of brain cancer, he still managed to head out on a final summer tour in 2016. Talk about courage and national pride!
Forget the Naysayers!
Some individuals don’t understand the convoluted lyrics and obscure references in his music. There is more to The Tragically Hip than “barn-burners” and arena anthems like “Blowing High Dough”, “Little Bones” and “New Orleans is Sinking”. I admit I lost interest after Phantom Power and World Container, but I always respected his efforts. He mellowed with age, but he sang from the heart and had thought-provoking lyrics. Perhaps, Justin Trudeau, our Prime Minister, had a political agenda with the teary-eyed tribute to Gord and the public display of waterworks. Who knows? I thought it was embarrassing, but I realized he was good friends with him. It struck a nerve with him along with many Canadians who grieved across our country.
The lyrics touched me
Gord Downie’s lyrics and melodies ring true for me and a lot of Canadians growing up in the late 80’s and 90’s. My first taste of The Hip was 1989’s “Up to Here”, which included the hits “Blow at High Dough” and “New Orleans is Sinking”, both of which still get heavy rotation on Canadian radio. He talked about disasters, war, politics, injustice, humanity, and Indigenous issues, and chronicled Canadian stories to name a few. Some older poignant lyrics that were written decades ago still give me shivers down my spine: “I’ve got to go / It’s been a pleasure doing business with you” in “Scared”. A lot of his solo and side projects focused on his poetic, creative side with deeper meanings rather than being mainstream rock. Heavy topics included David Milgaard’s wrongful conviction (Wheat Kings) or one of my favourite songs…. “Looking For A Place To Happen is about Jacques Cartier exploring and claiming the new land for the French. “Fifty Mission Cap” will always be a classic at hockey arenas.
A spokesperson for indigenous people
His animated short film The Secret Path (multimedia project) opened my eyes to the indigenous issues facing our country. It goes beyond the 12-year-old Chanie Wenjack, who died fleeing a residential school in 1966. Children were removed from residential schools and were badly treated while in the custody of the Church right up till 1996. I am ashamed of our government for hiding the truth from the general public for all these years. However, this was not the first time that Gord raised similar issues in his songs: Now the “Struggle Has a Name” also gives insight into how Canada treated First Nations people. Thanks to Gord, we are gaining more awareness on this sensitive, disturbing subject. Something close to his heart needed mending.
Other fallen rock icons
It pains me to say this, but it has been another record year for many music icons and celebrities who died while in their prime. Unfortunately, some musical artists don’t get the recognition they deserve until they are gone. Gord Downie likely won’t get much attention outside of Canada! Before his demise, other musicians like Tom Petty, David Bowie, Chester Bennington (Linkin Park), Chris Cornell (Soundgarden), Fats Domino, Glen Campbell and Chuck Berry passed away. He won’t be the last to have his life snuffed out. Remember Leonard Cohen, George Michael, David Bowie and Prince last year?
Good night, music lovers!
Gord Downie spent his final months speaking out in support of Indigenous people in the form of redemption and making his last record. That took lots of courage! For most Canadians, he will be remembered for his music, but he was a lot more than that. His legacy also will live on through his contributions of being a great political activist, humanitarian, poet and spokesperson. The amount of tributes across Canada is staggering: from Don Maclean (Hockey Night In Canada)….to the Prime Minister (Justin Trudeau) who broke down during a public speech. Not to mention his peers and colleagues honouring him in the music business. Gord Downie was all about making great music, making fond memories and expressing deep gratitude to his family and friends. You can’t ask for more than that. Thanks, Gord!
