Intended for the Road Applesalbum, it wouldn't be the only time Downie looked to the bleak headlines of the day for his music. This song was written about the 1989 Montreal Massacre at École Polytechnique, a dark and disturbing moment in Canadian history when an armed male killed 14 women and injured 13 more before turning the gun on himself. 'Montreal' 'Because a coward won't die alone' On another occasion, he's also said to have warmed his hand with a fire while the rest of his body shook The lyrics 'I've been shaking all night long, but my hands are steady,' could also refer to the time that Thomson stood outside through a snowstorm in order to capture it in progress. Thomson was found dead, mysteriously, in Canoe Lake in Algonquin Park, and people will often report seeing his ghost on the lake. The lyrics, undoubtedly, refer to the famous Group of Seven painter Tom Thomson. Like many Hip songs, there are myriad interpretations to Downie's lyrics, but it's commonly believed that the title of this song refers to the town of Trois-Pistoles, Quebec. And he spoke so softly in accordance to the growing of the dim' 'Three Pistols' 'Well, Tom Thomson came paddling past I'm pretty sure it was him. Police couldn't get 'order restored' until the early hours of the following morning. Known as the Christie Pits riot, it involved a group of Nazis from a Toronto gang called the Swastika Club brawling with a group of Jewish men. The song primarily seems concerned about a clash between police and rioters in Toronto in 1933.

But the story underneath the dream sequence-like lyrics reveals something much darker, a particular type of contrast that Downie is exceptional at. This Phantom Power track is practically synonymous with Canadian cottage country, especially given the remote Ontario lakeside town it draws its name from. 'Bobcaygeon' 'It was in Bobcaygeon, I saw the constellations reveal themselves one star at a time.' Downie interpreted MacLennan's message through the filter of being in a band, and even paraphrased the above lyrics from MacLennan's words: 'there is no simple explanation for anything important any of us do, and that the human tragedy, or the human irony, consists in the necessity of living with the consequences of actions performed under the pressure of compulsions so obscure we do not and cannot understand them.' Like the band, MacLennan was hugely successful in Canada and was even accused of selling out to nationalists for commercial gain. His book The Watch that Ends the Night, which deals with a man struggling to appreciate life in order to produce meaningful art, directly inspired the song. 'Courage (For Hugh Maclennan)' 'For anything important any of us do and yea the human tragedy consists in the necessity of living with the consequences under pressure, under pressure'Īs the title suggests, 'Courage,' easily one of the Hip's most popular songs, was dedicated to Canadian author Hugh MacLennan, an early artist to incorporate Canadiana into his work. For more on background of this song, be sure to check out our '50 Mission Cap' comic.

One of the strangest stories in hockey history, given the poetic treatment from one of the Canada's greatest songwriters. The tragic, stranger than fiction tale of Toronto Maple Leaf player Bill Barilko, who disappeared on a fishing trip months after scoring the game-winning goal to secure the Stanley Cup. They didn't win another till 1962, the year he was discovered' '50 Mission Cap' 'The last goal he ever scored, won the Leafs the cup. In celebration of his contributions, below are some the true stories behind his most Canadian songs.Ī large amount of the background was sourced from, a second-to-none source when it comes to material on the band. Singer and songwriter Gord Downie, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in May, is famous for crystallizing Canadian stories from headlines, history books and even hockey cards, all while using his inimitable and enigmatic gift for myth making. After more than 30 years, the Tragically Hip are going on the road again to tour Canada, the country that has inspired countless hits for the band.

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