The band began in 1983 as a Vancouver-based folk trio called Evesdropper, consisting of John Mann, Geoffrey Kelly and J. Knutson. They soon changed their name to Spirit of the West, and independently released a self-titled album in 1984 before signing to Stony Plain Records, an Edmonton, Alberta roots music label.
Stony Plain released Tripping Up the Stairs in 1986. Following that album, Knutson left the band and was replaced by Hugh MacMillan.
1988's Labour Day was the band's first major success, spawning the popular single "Political" and making the band a major name on the folk festival circuit. After that album's tour, MacMillan took a temporary hiatus from the band. He was replaced by Daniel Lapp and Linda McRae, but returned before the band's next album was recorded. When MacMillan returned, Lapp left the band but McRae stayed on. (As a result, Lapp never actually appeared on a Spirit of the West recording. He pursued a solo career, however, releasing a number of albums of experimental jazz/folk/electronic fusion.)
On the strength of "Political", Warner Brothers Records signed the band, and Stony Plain released a compilation, Old Material 1984-1986 in 1989. In 1990, the band's major label debut, Save This House was released, spawning the singles "Save This House" and "Home For a Rest" (which is still considered a classic frosh week anthem at universities across Canada.)
Following that album, the band toured England with The Wonder Stuff, and decided to bring in a drummer and experiment with a more rock-oriented sound. Vince Ditrich was brought in, and the band's 1991 album, Go Figure, was the result.
Although the album retained the band's folk influences, it was more hard rock than any of the band's previous efforts, and this proved controversial among the band's fans. The album included a rock rendition of "Political", and at one show in London, Ontario, the audience presented the band with a petition demanding that they play the original version of that song. Despite the controversies, however, it became the band's mainstream commercial breakthrough, and won them many new fans in the alternative rock scene.
In 1993, the band released their most successful album, Faithlift, and scored their biggest hit single, "...And if Venice is Sinking". 1995's Two Headed, in turn, garnered significant airplay for the single "Tell Me What I Think". However, the album was not as successful on the charts, or as critically hailed, as its predecessor.
In 1996, the band performed two shows with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. The band included some of their hits in these shows, but also included an album's worth of songs written specifically for the occasion, and the new songs were released as Open Heart Symphony that year. (Some of the hits performed at those shows are available on the compilation Hit Parade.) Also in 1996, McRae left the band amicably to pursue a solo career, performing her last show on New Year's Eve of that year. She went on to release a solo country album in 1997, and then formed the alternative country band Cheerful Lonesome.
The remaining members recorded 1997's Weights and Measures as a four-piece, working with members of The Wonder Stuff, Capercaillie, Fairport Convention and Jethro Tull to round out the studio effort, and added Tobin Frank for their concert tour. However, with the music industry's emphasis having shifted by this time toward more mainstream pop-oriented performers, Warner put little effort into promoting the album, and dropped the band from their roster after the tour.
After Weights & Measures the band took a hiatus, although they continued to perform live, and remained a popular concert draw. During the hiatus, Mann, Ditrich and Kelly all released solo albums, Mann pursued acting roles, MacMillan worked as a session musician and producer, and Kelly and Frank recorded with The Paperboys.
The band's first new album in seven years, Star Trails, was released on July 6, 2004 on MapleMusic Recordings.
In 2005, "Home For a Rest" was named the 22nd greatest Canadian song of all time on CBC Radio One's 50 Tracks: The Canadian Version.
Mann was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers' disease (disclosed in Sept 2014) and Ditrich has liver disease. The group gave its final performances in April 2016 at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver.
The band performed a reunion set at Spirit of Canada, a benefit concert for Alzheimer's awareness at the Commodore Ballroom on November 19, 2017. The concert's lineup included Odds, Barney Bentall, Dustin Bentall, Jim Byrnes, Kendel Carson, Jim Cuddy, Alan Doyle, Colin James, Sarah McLachlan, Ed Robertson, Shari Ulrich and Spirit: The Next Generation, an act consisting of the band members' children. Before the show, the performing musicians participated in a group recording of the band's signature song "Home for a Rest" as a tribute to Mann.
John Mann born September 18, 1962 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, died November 20, 2019.
Just Another Day
Spirit of the West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bring it on home, rub our faces in it
Give us something shocking, give us
Something grim
Give us something more, cause the
Something's wearing thin,
Don't let me down, no don't let me down.
Don't let me down
This story's for you, a world in distress
It's front page news, can't miss the headlines
As bold as the brass imposing the deadlines
Just another day for where were you when
Just another scrap for this vulture's pen
Aftermath won't add up or end
Death's the bestseller again
Viewer discretion is always advised
The blacker the picture, the more it is prized
The following footage is like staring in the sun
Every time you close your eyes the picture burns
And rerun burn and rerun
Just another day for where were you when
Just another scrap for this vulture's pen
Aftermath won't add up or end
Death's the bestseller again
The lyrics to Spirit of the West's song Just Another Day paint a picture of a world that is obsessed with sensationalism and shock value in the news media. The opening lines "This is what we want, you know how to get it, Bring it on home, rub our faces in it" suggest that people are almost craving the next big tragedy or disaster, waiting to be entertained by the latest spectacle.
The song also points out how the media often uses tragedy and death as a way to sell papers or get viewers. Lines like "Death's the bestseller again" and "The blacker the picture, the more it is prized" emphasize the idea that the news media is more interested in being profitable than in reporting the truth.
The chorus, "Just another day for where were you when, Just another scrap for this vulture's pen, Aftermath won't add up or end" speaks to the idea that tragedy has become so commonplace that it's just "another day" and that the media is like a vulture, circling and waiting for the next disaster to strike.
Overall, the lyrics of this song criticize the way that our society has become obsessed with tragedy and death, and how the media perpetuates this by prioritizing profit over the truth.
Line by Line Meaning
This is what we want, you know how to get it
We crave shocking and disturbing news that exposes the worst of society, and we trust the media to deliver it to us.
Bring it on home, rub our faces in it
Deliver the horrible news to us personally and vividly - we want to be forced to confront it and take it seriously.
Give us something shocking, give us something grim
We are bored with the same old news, we want something truly shocking and distressing to keep our attention.
Give us something more, cause the something's wearing thin
We need ever more extreme and terrible news to keep surprising us and holding our interest.
Don't let me down, no don't let me down.
We rely on the news media to provide us with our fix of shocking content, and we are worried they might fail us by getting complacent or censored.
Read all about it, hot of the press
The news is immediate and urgent, requiring our immediate attention and reaction.
This story's for you, a world in distress
The news is not just information, but a way for us to vicariously participate in the drama and trauma of the world outside ourselves.
It's front page news, can't miss the headlines
The news is presented to us prominently and ubiquitously, so we cannot escape it even if we wanted to.
As bold as the brass imposing the deadlines
The news is not just a passive reporting of facts, but an active force shaping our world and our perceptions of it.
Just another day for where were you when
The horrors of the world are so commonplace and pervasive that we are becoming desensitized to them, and struggle to distinguish one event from another.
Just another scrap for this vulture's pen
The media is seen as vultures who prey on human suffering and misery, exploiting and profiting from tragedy.
Aftermath won't add up or end
The impact and consequences of terrible events will continue to ripple through society and our individual lives for a long time, and cannot be easily or accurately assessed.
Death's the bestseller again
Tragedy and death are the most compelling and popular forms of news, reinforcing the media's emphasis on shock value over other considerations.
Viewer discretion is always advised
The news is frequently graphic and disturbing, and may not be suitable or helpful for everyone to watch or read.
The blacker the picture, the more it is prized
The bleaker and more hopeless the news, the more likely it is to dominate our attention and shape our worldview.
The following footage is like staring in the sun
The news is so intense and emotionally charged that it can feel overwhelming and painful to contemplate.
Every time you close your eyes the picture burns
The images and stories of the news are difficult to forget or shake off, and can have a haunting or traumatizing effect on us.
And rerun burn and rerun
The news media will repeat the same traumatic footage and stories over and over again, keeping us in a state of perpetual shock and anxiety.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: WILLIE HUTCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Xtian
on Guildhall Witness
Well done. John Mann is so, so, so, so very missed.