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.
Not Just a Train
Spirit of the West Lyrics
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This ain't the gospel and I ain't the lord
I'm no holy roller, but for what it's worth
My freedom's a train ride to heaven on earth
It's not just a train
It's saying goodbye, saying hello
To where we have been, where we might go
It's what we have passed, what we might see
Kids flattening pennies as the ironhorse rolls by
Between the trains I see an old man
A face full of smiles
A young woman crying as her lover leaves
Gun on his shoulder and stripes on his sleeve
It's not just a train
It's saying goodbye, saying hello
To where we have been, where we might go
Places we passed, places we'll see
It's not just a train, it's freedom to me
Through a crack in the the slats a harvest moon shines
On Harper Lee's pages I turn to kill time
The car toads are waiting for me at the station
To give the bum's rush to a frost bitten bo
It's not just a train
It's saying goodbye, saying hello
To where we have been, where we might go
People we've passed, people we'll see
It's not just a train, it's freedom to me
It's freedom to me
Freedom to me
Freedom to me
The song "Not Just a Train" by Spirit of the West is a touching tribute to the power of trains as a symbol of freedom, both literal and metaphorical. The lyrics explain that while the songwriter may not be a religious figure, he has found his own kind of freedom in the trains that transport him across the country. The train represents the ability to say goodbye to old places and people, while also offering the possibility of new experiences and connections in the future.
The lyrics describe a variety of different people on the train, from kids playing games to an old man smiling and a young woman crying over a lost love. The train also offers the songwriter a chance to reflect on his own life, with the image of the harvest moon and a copy of Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird bringing a sense of peace and contemplation.
Overall, the song uses the train as a way to explore the universal themes of change, growth, and the search for meaning in life. Whether through literal train rides or more metaphorical journeys, the human experience is one of constant movement and evolution.
Line by Line Meaning
I can strum a little, I can hold a chord
I'm not a professional musician, but I know enough to play some basic chords
This ain't the gospel and I ain't the lord
I'm not an authority on anything, just a regular person
I'm no holy roller, but for what it's worth
I'm not religious, but here's my perspective
My freedom's a train ride to heaven on earth
For me, taking a train ride represents freedom and a taste of paradise
It's not just a train
The train ride means more than just transportation, it's an experience
It's saying goodbye, saying hello
The train ride is a journey, with hellos and goodbyes along the way
To where we have been, where we might go
The train ride takes us to places both familiar and unknown
It's what we have passed, what we might see
The train ride shows us both things we've left behind and things we've yet to discover
It's not just a train, it's freedom to me
For me, the train ride represents true freedom
Kids flattening pennies as the ironhorse rolls by
Children are playing near the train tracks, enjoying the passing train
Between the trains I see an old man, a face full of smiles
An elderly man is happy to watch the trains go by
A young woman crying as her lover leaves, gun on his shoulder and stripes on his sleeve
A couple says goodbye as the man goes off to war, and the woman is emotional
Places we passed, places we'll see
The train ride takes us to places both familiar and unknown
People we've passed, people we'll see
The train ride shows us both people we've left behind and people we've yet to meet
Through a crack in the slats a harvest moon shines
The train passenger is looking out a window and sees the moon shining through a crack
On Harper Lee's pages I turn to kill time
To pass the time, the passenger is reading a book by Harper Lee
The car toads are waiting for me at the station, to give the bum's rush to a frost bitten bo
The passenger is being met by friends who are going to help him get rid of a homeless person at the station
It's freedom to me, freedom to me, freedom to me
The train ride represents true freedom for the passenger
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Geoffrey Kelly, John Fraser Mann
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Xtian
on Guildhall Witness
Well done. John Mann is so, so, so, so very missed.