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.
The Old Sod
Spirit of the West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the old sod to the new land
We came over by the score
We cut the ties said goodbye
And closed the old world door
We settled on your Prairies
In your cities and your towns
There's another oatmeal savage
There's none more Scots
Than the Scots abroad
There's a place in our hearts
For the old sod
There's none more Scots
Than the Scots abroad
There's a place in our hearts
For the old sod
We soon found our own kind?
Formed clubs and social nights
And we practiced on each other
Just to keep our accents right
For there's more tartan here
Than in all the motherland
We came five hundred miles
To the gathering of the clans
There's none more Scots
Than the Scots abroad
There's a place in our hearts
For the old sod
There's none more Scots
Than the Scots abroad
There's a place in our hearts
For the old sod
There's a bar in the rec room
In the basement of our house,
A little shrine to ballantynes
Haig and famous grouse,
There's a sprig of purple heather
From the land that once was mine,
And Robbie's on the tea towel
With the words to auld lang syne
There's none more Scots
Than the Scots abroad
There's a place in our hearts
For the old sod
There's none more Scots
Than the Scots abroad
There's a place in our hearts
For the old sod
Well Canada's been good to us
We've a living and a home
We've all got central heating air
And most are on the phone
I'm a citizen of both countries
And very proud to be,
For the thistle and the maple leaf
Are the emblems of the free
There's none more Scots
Than the Scots abroad
There's a place in our hearts
For the old sod
There's none more Scots
Than the Scots abroad
There's a place in our hearts
For the old sod
There's none more Scots
Than the Scots abroad
There's a place in our hearts
For the old sod
There's none more Scots
Than the Scots abroad
There's a place in our hearts
For the old sod
The song "The Old Sod" by Spirit of the West is a tribute to the Scottish immigrants who left their home to settle in Canada. The song talks about the journey of the Scottish immigrants from the old sod (homeland) to the new land (Canada). The first verse talks about leaving their homeland and settling in Canada. The song highlights the sense of community that was created among the Scottish immigrants as they formed clubs and social nights, just to keep their accents right. The second verse talks about the pride the Scottish immigrants took in their heritage and traditions as they celebrated the gathering of the clans. The third verse talks about the nostalgia they felt for their homeland as they created a little shrine in their rec room with a sprig of purple heather and a tea towel with the words to auld lang syne. The song ends on a note of gratitude as the Scottish immigrants acknowledge the opportunities and freedoms that Canada has provided to them, while still holding onto their Scottish roots.
Overall, the song celebrates the resilient and proud spirit of the Scottish immigrants who left their homeland to start a new life in Canada. It emphasizes the importance of community, tradition, and a sense of belonging, as well as the unique identity that comes from being a citizen of both Scotland and Canada.
Line by Line Meaning
One, two, three
We came to the new land from the old sod in groups
From the old sod to the new land
We migrated from our homeland to this new place
We came over by the score
We arrived in large numbers by the score
We cut the ties said goodbye, And closed the old world door
We cut ties with our old place and left it behind forever
We settled on your Prairies, In your cities and your towns
We made our homes in the open fields and towns of this new place
There's another oatmeal savage, Every time you turn around
There are Scots everywhere you turn in this new land
There's none more Scots Than the Scots abroad
No one is more true to their Scottish roots than those who left their homeland
There's a place in our hearts For the old sod
We still hold a special place in our hearts for our homeland
We soon found our own kind? Formed clubs and social nights
We quickly found people like us and created social groups
And we practiced on each other, Just to keep our accents right
We practiced our Scottish accents on each other to maintain our identity
For there's more tartan here, Than in all the motherland
There's more Scottish pride and symbols here than in Scotland itself
We came five hundred miles, To the gathering of the clans
We traveled far to gather with fellow Scots and celebrate our culture
There's a bar in the rec room, In the basement of our house
We have a Scottish-themed bar in our home
A little shrine to ballantynes, Haig and famous grouse
We have a small area dedicated to Scottish liquor brands
There's a sprig of purple heather, From the land that once was mine
We keep a piece of heather as a reminder of our homeland
And Robbie's on the tea towel, With the words to auld lang syne
A towel with a picture of Robert Burns and the words to Auld Lang Syne is present
Well Canada's been good to us, We've a living and a home
We have a good life and place to live in Canada
We've all got central heating air, And most are on the phone
We enjoy modern comforts like heating and phones
I'm a citizen of both countries, And very proud to be
We are proud to be citizens of both Scotland and Canada
For the thistle and the maple leaf, Are the emblems of the free
The thistle and maple leaf represent freedom and national pride for both countries
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.