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.
Last to Know
Spirit of the West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I closed my eyes and wished that he'd fly away
When you're blind with love
When you're blind with love
You need a seeing eye friend
Now I'm a part of the circle in a line of
Well-informed friends
Tell me things I don't want to know about
Friends tell me things
I don't really want to know about
The unconscious entertainer unaware of the show
Or the ticket price to see the last to know
The unconscious entertainer unaware of the show
Or the ticket price to see the last to know
Truth or dare dare I tell what I know
Your pseudo / suit o love has been walked all over
Am I friend or foe and I friend or foe
Both sides wrestle neither side knows
There's truth to tell
But you won't hear it from me
In fact if the truth be known
You won't hear it from anybody else
Around here either
You think it would be the easiest thing in the world
To walk right up and tell you but I
Carry it around like an egg on a spoon
Since none of us have the guts to break the news
Instead we'll wait and see if it breaks your heart
You're the last to know, you're the last to know
And we've got our seats for the too late show
The unconscious entertainer unaware of the show
Or the ticket price to see the last to know
The unconscious entertainer unaware of the show
Or the ticket price to see the last to know
The song "Last to Know" by Spirit of the West tells the story of a person who discovers a secret about their loved one but cannot bring themselves to reveal the truth. The opening lines, "A little bird told me a secret today, I closed my eyes and wished that he'd fly away" convey the singer's reluctance to confront the situation directly. The next line, "When you're blind with love, when you're blind with love, you need a seeing eye friend" suggests that the singer knows that they need the perspective of a trusted friend to help them navigate this delicate situation. The second verse highlights the idea that sometimes friends share information that we don't really want to know, but they do it out of concern for us. The lines "Friends tell me things I don't really want to know about, the unconscious entertainer unaware of the show, or the ticket price to see the last to know" reinforce the notion that the singer is the "last to know" and only hears about the situation after others are already aware of it.
The third verse confronts the idea that sometimes we know the truth but don't have the courage to share it. The line "since none of us have the guts to break the news" reveals that it's not just the singer who is hesitant to reveal the secret - multiple people are aware of the situation and none of them have taken action. The final lines of the song, "You're the last to know, you're the last to know and we've got our seats for the too late show" suggest that the truth will inevitably be revealed and the consequences will be difficult for the person who was kept in the dark.
Overall, "Last to Know" is a poignant exploration of the consequences of keeping secrets and the importance of being honest with the people we love. It highlights the tension between wanting to protect someone's feelings and knowing that the truth will ultimately come out, leading to even more pain.
Line by Line Meaning
A little bird told me a secret today
I heard a secret from someone today
I closed my eyes and wished that he'd fly away
I hoped that the bird wouldn't tell me the secret
When you're blind with love
When you're in love, you can't see things clearly
You need a seeing eye friend
You need a friend who can see things clearly and help you
Now I'm a part of the circle in a line of well-informed friends
I now know the secret and am part of a group who also knows it
Tell me things I don't want to know about, don't need to know about
I don't want to hear things that will upset me or that I don't need to know
Friends tell me things I don't really want to know about
My friends share information with me that I don't want to hear
The unconscious entertainer unaware of the show, or the ticket price to see the last to know
Someone who is unaware of what's really going on and will be the last to find out
Truth or dare dare I tell what I know
I'm not sure if I should reveal the secret I know
Your pseudo / suit o love has been walked all over
Your fake love has been taken advantage of
Am I friend or foe and I friend or foe, both sides wrestle neither side knows
I'm unsure if I'm on your side or against you, and neither of us are sure
There's truth to tell but you won't hear it from me
I know the truth, but I won't be the one to tell you
In fact if the truth be known you won't hear it from anybody else around here either
No one else will tell you the truth either
You think it would be the easiest thing in the world to walk right up and tell you but I carry it around like an egg on a spoon
It should be easy to tell you the truth, but I'm afraid of how you'll react
Since none of us have the guts to break the news
No one is brave enough to tell you the truth
Instead we'll wait and see if it breaks your heart
We'll wait and see if you find out on your own and get upset
You're the last to know, you're the last to know
You will be the last person to find out the truth
And we've got our seats for the too late show
We're just waiting for you to find out and it will be too late to fix anything
The unconscious entertainer unaware of the show, or the ticket price to see the last to know
Someone who is unaware of what's really going on and will be the last to find out
The unconscious entertainer unaware of the show, or the ticket price to see the last to know
Someone who is unaware of what's really going on and will be the last to find out
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Linda Mae Humphries, Geoffrey Kelly, John Fraser Mann, Hugh Richard Campbell Mcmillan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Xtian
on Guildhall Witness
Well done. John Mann is so, so, so, so very missed.