httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE2joQsWXJg
Ahead by a Century
By The Tragically Hip
Alright, so this blog post needs to start with another big confession: I never used to like The Tragically Hip.
There, I said it. It’s off my chest. Judge all you like, but when I was younger there was something about Gord Downie’s voice that just bugged me. Maybe I just didn’t get it – there’s so much to like, after all. The lyrics are rife with poetry and metaphor, Canadiana and melancholia. It’s bluesy and alternative, with a unique sound that Canadian musicians are still emulating.
What do you mean, ‘don’t like my voice’?
Whatever my problem was, there was one song that I had a soft spot for, one song that I did like from their Trouble at the Henhouse album – Ahead by a Century. It’s mellow and catchy, and more than a little nostalgic. To me it’s a song about young love, one that is sundered by a flash of premonition (or perhaps a mistake). Now, Hip songs are sometimes really difficult to deconstruct (at least, to me) and there are entire forums dedicated to analyzing the lyrics. To me, that’s one of the greatest things about them…they’re vague enough that you can find your own meaning if you like. Gord Downie had this to say about his songs: “The inspiration for my lyrics? I couldn’t even hazard a guess. It seems observations have become a bit of a hobby, and I am fortunate to have the luxury of time to hammer these things into songs.”
Band member Paul Langlois had this to say: “I think the whole band is kind of ambiguous anyway… I think the same with lyrics, there are a lot of snippets and mini stories within bigger ones. I think Gord likes to leave it ambiguous and I think we all prefer it that way too…”
It’s like that line from their song Poets. Maybe they are just the epitome of vague. Either way, I’m glad that I got over my initial dislike, and I’m proud to consider them a part of my national culture. They’re pretty high up there on my list of bands that I need to see live.
Leave a Reply