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.
Roadside Attraction
Spirit of the West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So the metal must be cold
As the jumper's fingers struggle
With the choice to free or hold
And when he looks up for compassion
You only bring him down
You've been waiting here for hours
To see him jump, splash, and drown
Turn your head and walk
Turn your head and walk away
Turn your head and walk
Turn your head and walk
Turn your head and walk away
You leave your cars and hit the rail
All too anxious for the action
It's a piece of conversation
Guaranteeing satisfaction
And tomorrow at the office
You got yourself a one-two-three-four-five star reaction
You lucky people you ran head-on
Into a roadside attraction
Turn your head and walk
Turn your head and walk
Turn your head and walk away
Turn your head and walk
Turn your head and walk
Turn your head and walk away
This freefall's a free-for-all
For those with rubber mouths
Why don't you come on down to ringside?
Watch the jumper heading south
There'll be oohs and aahs to orchestrate
The way he jerks the hesitates
A meeting with morality
Is always worth the wait
Turn your head and walk (walk away)
Turn your head and walk (walk away)
Turn your head and walk away (walk away)
Turn your head and walk, turn your head and walk
Turn your head and walk
And walk away, walk away
The lyrics to "Roadside Attraction" by Spirit Of The West tell the story of a suicidal jumper standing on a bridge in plain sight of a group of spectators who have gathered to watch the spectacle. The weather is cold, and it's less than two months away from Christmas. The jumper's fingers are struggling with the choice of either freeing themselves or holding on to life. Instead of trying to offer compassion to the jumper, the spectators are eagerly waiting for them to jump and drown. They have been waiting for hours for the jumper to take the fatal jump. The lyrics state that anyone who tries to show compassion or change the jumper's decision is "bringing him down", which is a sad commentary on society's lack of empathy towards people who suffer from mental health issues.
The second verse of the song explains how these spectators are so desperate for excitement and entertainment that they leave their cars to watch the jumper. They enjoy the piece of conversation and drama that the jumper's actions have brought to their day. They believe that they can turn this spectacle into a successful interaction at their office, wherein they can observe the reactions of their co-workers. The lyrics indicate that these people have stumbled upon a "roadside attraction," indicating that they see the jumper as an oddity or an anomaly, not as a human being.
The chorus repeating as “Turn your head and walk away” acts as a moral compass and suggests that the right thing to do would be to walk away from the situation rather than being a passive spectator or trying to gain amusement from someone's tragedy. The song is a commentary on the disturbing trend of society thrill-seekers and their lack of empathy towards people dealing with mental health issues, as well as the desensitization to tragedy that can occur in modern society.
Line by Line Meaning
There's only sixty days 'til Christmas
Christmas is just two months away.
So the metal must be cold
The metal of the bridge must be very cold in the winter.
As the jumper's fingers struggle
The person who is about to jump may be hesitating and unsure.
With the choice to free or hold
They must decide to either jump and be free or hold on and not jump.
And when he looks up for compassion
The person who is about to jump may be looking for kindness and understanding.
You only bring him down
Instead, the crowd watching might be making the person feel worse by watching and encouraging them to jump.
You've been waiting here for hours
The crowd may have been waiting for a while for someone to jump.
To see him jump, splash, and drown
They want to witness the spectacle of someone falling into the water below.
Turn your head and walk
The singer implores the crowd to look away.
You leave your cars and hit the rail
People abandon their cars and go to the side of the bridge to watch the potential jumper.
All too anxious for the action
The crowd is very excited and eager for the person to jump.
It's a piece of conversation
Jumping from the bridge is something that people can talk about afterwards.
Guaranteeing satisfaction
The crowd is certain to be entertained.
And tomorrow at the office
The crowd can discuss the event at work the next day.
You got yourself a one-two-three-four-five star reaction
The crowd will be able to give a five-star review of the event.
You lucky people you ran head-on
The crowd feels fortunate to have witnessed such an event.
Into a roadside attraction
The bridge has become like an attraction on the side of the road.
This freefall's a free-for-all
The person jumping is essentially giving a free show for the crowd.
For those with rubber mouths
The people watching are often those who talk a lot and have big mouths.
Why don't you come on down to ringside?
The singer sarcastically invites them to come watch like it's a boxing match.
Watch the jumper heading south
They're watching someone fall into the water below.
There'll be oohs and aahs to orchestrate
The crowd will make noises of excitement and amazement.
The way he jerks the hesitates
They'll be commenting on the way the person hesitates before jumping.
A meeting with morality
The event raises moral questions about the responsibility of the crowd and the person jumping.
Is always worth the wait
People think it's worth waiting for this event to happen.
And walk away
The singer urges the crowd to leave and not encourage the person to jump.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Xtian
on Guildhall Witness
Well done. John Mann is so, so, so, so very missed.