I was young when I first heard of’em. Dismissed them because I thought their band name was lame, and thus indicative of their music.
I was wrong. RIP Gord Downie
The Tragically Hip - Day For Night (Full Album)
(The fourth song, “Yawning or Snarling” is particularly dope)
Weird, I was just about to add my comment in here about The Hip. I used to haaaaate them, like get up immediately and turn the radio station if they came on kind of hate.
Then I remember the music video for Poets came out, and I thought it was okay. Fine, maybe I like one of their songs, but fuck the rest!
And then I heard Bobcaygeon a few years later - I think it was the right place and the right time. A cottage trip, after a few drinks, and somebody I had a lot of respect for said they loved the band. Suddenly Gord wasn’t some awful screechy eccentric folk elderly-rock singer, but an eccentric artist whimsically singing about deep Canadiana. I started exploring them more, and now I love them and passionately regret that I will never be able to experience them live.
RIP Gord, you beautiful weirdo.
If any non-Canadians want a glimpse of what Canadian culture is like go take a listen to the top Tragically Hip songs. Also pay attention to the lyrics because some of them are just poetry and magnificent.
Rush still fucking sucks, though.