# The Tragically Hip: essential songs to listen to? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 18, 2017, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tragically-hip-essential-songs-to-listen-to/799237 "2017-10-18T17:06:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tragically-hip-essential-songs-to-listen-to/799237/21 "2017-10-19T23:31:09Z")
Can’t link right now but search for the Killer Whale Version of New Orleans is Sinking and prepare to be amazed! ---
**Author:** ![cgg419](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cgg419/32/2847_2.png) [@cgg419](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cgg419)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tragically-hip-essential-songs-to-listen-to/799237/22 "2017-10-20T01:11:01Z")
> [@D18](#): > > Can’t link right now but search for the Killer Whale Version of New Orleans is Sinking and prepare to be amazed! [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gjSyZslQp0w/hqdefault.jpg "New Orleans Is Sinking Killer Whale Tank 0001") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjSyZslQp0w) ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tragically-hip-essential-songs-to-listen-to/799237/23 "2017-10-20T01:50:36Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > This may not be popular, so I’ll post it here rather than in the Downie tribute thread. > > Personally, I find the whole Hip thing is a big “not there for me”. I don’t recognise a single song on **RickJay’s** thread, except from previous Hip threads here in the Dope. I just don’t get the whole “Canada’s house band” theme, or the PM’s tears. > > The odd thing is I was at Queen’s in the 80’s when they were just starting out. Never went to one of their concerts, so far as I recall, but they may have been playing in a pub or two that I went to back then. If so, I don’t remember them. > > In later years, I’d see their name and think “oh, that Kingston band. Good on them for doing well.” But that was about it. > > The only album I remember listening to was Road Apples. Mrs Piper brought it into the relationship. Never made any impression on me. > > So, I guess I’m saying that I respect that this was a major band, and clearly meant a lot to a lot of people with good judgment. Just never did anything for me. > > Odd. I feel pretty much this same way, well put! It’s not that I wasn’t aware they were wildly popular, moving records, winning awards and filling stadiums. I totally did. But I also don’t recognize a song on that list, couldn’t quote a lyric to save my life. It is odd. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tragically-hip-essential-songs-to-listen-to/799237/24 "2017-10-20T10:58:22Z")
The weird thing about the Hip is so many of their song titles have little to do with the song. So a lot of titles don’t mean much, compared to the chorus or the lyrics everyone knows. My boyfriend says.he “doesn’t really know any Hip songs” then he sings along. That may not be it for you…but more than a few people I know have title block when it comes to “Tragically Hip” songs. Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tragically-hip-essential-songs-to-listen-to/799237/25 "2017-10-20T11:05:27Z")
> [@D18](#): > > Can’t link right now but search for the Killer Whale Version of New Orleans is Sinking and prepare to be amazed! There’s another early live monologue version to (I think) New Orleans Is Sinking where Gord would rather be a bear than a salmon, but I couldn’t find it anywhere! ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tragically-hip-essential-songs-to-listen-to/799237/26 "2017-10-20T13:01:15Z")
> [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](#): > > The weird thing about the Hip is so many of their song titles have little to do with the song. I’m a pretty big Hip fan and honestly can’t think of many examples of this. “Butts Wigglin” comes to mind, I guess. That’s it. ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tragically-hip-essential-songs-to-listen-to/799237/27 "2017-10-20T13:58:21Z")
> [@eunoia](#): > > There’s another early live monologue version to (I think) New Orleans Is Sinking where Gord would rather be a bear than a salmon, but I couldn’t find it anywhere! Yes, apparently it was their practice to improvise things in live shows at that point in the song, and apparently some of the ideas were developed into full songs. There’s another where the “don’t worry baby” motif was worked in. Don’t want to make it sound like I’m an authority or anything - I’m just slightly more of a fan than Northern! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tragically-hip-essential-songs-to-listen-to/799237/28 "2017-10-20T15:21:51Z")
If you want a song that isn’t famous but really nails the Hip sound, it occurred to me today you should try “Everytime You Go.” It's a very crisp, bopping rock tune, but with utterly brilliant lyrics - just astrounding use of metaphor, plays on words, rhymes, to express a universal story. ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tragically-hip-essential-songs-to-listen-to/799237/29 "2017-10-20T15:36:45Z")
In (musical) contrast to that great song, there’s “[Flamenco](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KUKGI5_Qqc)”. It has a slow, soft and sweet sound. But the lyrics and arrangement give it some (welcome) rough edges, too. The soft cymbal crashes, used to \*emphasize \*Gord’s points, are the hooks, imho. ---
**Author:** ![ch51](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ch51/32/3111_2.png) [@ch51](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ch51)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tragically-hip-essential-songs-to-listen-to/799237/30 "2017-10-21T15:12:42Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > If you want a song that isn’t famous but really nails the Hip sound, it occurred to me today you should try “Everytime You Go.” > > It's a very crisp, bopping rock tune, but with utterly brilliant lyrics - just astrounding use of metaphor, plays on words, rhymes, to express a universal story. +1 on that. I’d also recommend “Born in the Water” from Road Apples - a great rocker - really captures the essence of their early sound. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tragically-hip-essential-songs-to-listen-to/799237.md?page=1)