Bye, Gord
Gord Downie - poet, songwriter, front man of The Tragically Hip, and passionate Canadian - died on Tuesday of brain cancer. We all knew it was coming - the WHOLE COUNTRY - ever since his terminal diagnosis was announced last year. But we all kinda hoped it wouldn't happen. In his last 18 months he did a cross-Canada tour with The Hip, released two solo albums and an animated film/book to companion his residential school project album. He was visible and present almost to the end, showing up at hockey games, being interviewed, being recognized for artistic contributions by the Governor General and social ones by The Assembly of First Nations. He lived vividly right until he couldn't anymore.
Last night's Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game and telecast was dedicated to him and his music with The Hip. His death was prominently and movingly announced on all national news casts. The Prime Minister gave an emotional and personal account of his loss when asked about it in the press scrum on Parliament Hill. And then he cried on camera. People across the country are signing a condolence book. Even if they weren't huge Hip fans, everyone seems to understand that he was an intelligent, creative, mindful force amongst us who asked us to think more deeply about our heritage while also crafting the soundtrack to our lives for 30 years.
I wasn't a big fan, but a handful of Gord's songs really speak to me. Because his lyrics are so opaque, you can overlay your own meaning to them and therefore make them intensely personal. That happened for me. I also think he was a good person who wanted to be more than just a musician. He proved to us that all you have to do in order to make a meaningful difference is to try. That's an amazing legacy.
Bless you, Gord. You did good.
Last night's Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game and telecast was dedicated to him and his music with The Hip. His death was prominently and movingly announced on all national news casts. The Prime Minister gave an emotional and personal account of his loss when asked about it in the press scrum on Parliament Hill. And then he cried on camera. People across the country are signing a condolence book. Even if they weren't huge Hip fans, everyone seems to understand that he was an intelligent, creative, mindful force amongst us who asked us to think more deeply about our heritage while also crafting the soundtrack to our lives for 30 years.
I wasn't a big fan, but a handful of Gord's songs really speak to me. Because his lyrics are so opaque, you can overlay your own meaning to them and therefore make them intensely personal. That happened for me. I also think he was a good person who wanted to be more than just a musician. He proved to us that all you have to do in order to make a meaningful difference is to try. That's an amazing legacy.
Bless you, Gord. You did good.
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