![]() And, yet, when he sang on stage, "I'm not gonna stop / I'm just catching my breath," it was hard not to ascribe the protagonist's determination and persistence to Downie himself. When Downie had originally written the poems adapted as songs for the record, he had not yet fallen ill. Secret Path on stage at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall. In the fall of 2016, suffering from the cancer glioblastoma, he performed His swan song was epic – a brilliant, potent and significant curtain call as ever witnessed in Canadian music history, highlighted by his solo album Secret Path, a conceptual album about a First Nations boy who died in 1966. Over the course of the nearly 17 months in between, the singer-lyricist and poet was stunningly prolific, whether releasing music and performing with the Hip or with others. One last time, Gord has used his music to help us know ourselves better and now, know him better too.On May 24, 2016, it was announced that Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip had been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour. Then, simply and calmly, the song ends and fades into white noise. The song emotes visions of residential schools, of the warm sun and the Canadian north. There are parents without kids without parents without kids…” “You showed me a problem that is over 100 years old. Contrasting the deep bass notes of Gord’s vocals with sorrowful piano, the song cries out: What matters is the call, Gord is telling Canadians to help fight their dark past with new relationships. Whether he’s writing about Chanie Wenjack himself or a member of his family is unclear but that doesn’t matter. It ends on a track called “The North” and from the beginning it’s clear this track is about Gord’s final passion, reconciliation with Indigenous Canadians. Then all at once, the album is done, quietly but fiercely. ![]() Serene and without boasting, the music speaks for itself. Gentle white noise on the song “Snowflake” paints a quiet winter landscape where “Thinking About Us” has a much more ethereal feel like an Emerson Lake and Palmer song. Gord calls on a range of musicians (including his own brother, Patrick) to round out the sound. While this may seem too easy, the backdrop of music ranges emotions from fearful and dire to adoring and gracious. Uncomplicated and unembellished, the sound is mostly made up of acoustic guitar and piano with some light percussion and the odd synth. ![]() Second to the lyrics on this album are the instrumentals. Simply and honestly he sings, “Love deeply misunderstood. It makes for a beautiful homage to the men who stood by his side on and off stage all those years. The band always split their earnings equally and always stayed together for better or for worse. ![]() “Love Over Money” describes Gord’s love for his band, The Tragically Hip. He paints a scene most people have found themselves in before but allows them to see it through fresh eyes. “I’d come back, lift you up, start all over again” Gord sings in his deep and haunting voice over minor piano notes. “Bedtime” was obviously written for one (or all) of Gord’s children, as it lovingly describes the act of putting a child to sleep before sneaking out of the room and the baby awaking: The lyrics are what stand out almost immediately. Other tracks reveal themselves more quickly. “Even though their advice is not to, please stay ‘till the better end.” 5 on track 5 or the person he wants by his side in “Better Ending”? The lyrics are easy to get tangled in, simple yet confounding, urgent and steadfast. With each of the tracks being about a different person, it’s easy to find yourself playing guess who. In large part a cooperative project between Gord and friend Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene), it’s clear from the get-go that this double album was crafted with love and tenderness. Similarly, the album was recorded along the same lake in two four-day sessions at Bathouse Recording Studios (The Hip’s studio), one in 2016 and one in 2017. The album was written on the shores of Gord’s beloved Lake Ontario, with each of the 23 tracks about a different person or group of people in his life. There are no major hits or catchy melodies, just raw, genuine music. It’s a straightforward, concise way of saying goodbye. Dropping exactly ten days after Gord’s heartbreaking death, this album is a living, breathing testament to the human spirit. Gord Downie’s newest album Introduce Yerself couldn’t come at a better time for Canada, a nation that needs a whole lot of healing right now. Gord Downie Introduce Yerself Arts & Crafts ![]()
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