The group met while in high school at Kingston Collegiate Vocational Institute (KCVI) and all attended Queen's University in Kingston. They started as a cover band playing Rolling Stones and Doors covers, and were first represented by a local Kingston agent named Bernie Dobson.
They were first signed in 1987 after Bruce Dickinson, the then VP of A&R at MCA Records saw them perform live at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, Ontario. Later that year they released their debut EP The Tragically Hip, though they were largely unrecognized until 1989's Up To Here. Up To Here established them as one of the best and most influential bands in Canada. In 1992, they created the Another Roadside Attraction festival, which tours Canada to promote smaller, unknown emerging bands.
The band is immensely popular in Canada. Although they have never achieved great success in the United States, they have never specifically sought it and have enjoyed their warm Canadian reception. When touring in Canada they typically play to sold-out arenas; when touring in the United States they play smaller venues and clubs. Performances abroad are usually attended by Canadian expatriates. In Europe, The Hip perhaps have their greatest following in the Netherlands.
The band permits recordings of their performances, so an active trading community thrives. The tone and content of much of their music is a paean to the Canadian experience and touches on such themes as small-town life, geography, and hockey.
The Tragically Hip received a star on the Canadian Walk of Fame in 2002, and they were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 2005 Juno Awards. They have performed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and played a three-song set at the worldwide broadcast Live 8 benefit concert on July 2nd, 2005 to help make poverty history for the poor African nations.
On April 7th, 2009, the band's twelfth album We Are The Same was being released in North America, and it immediately rose to Number 1 on the Canadian charts. The album features twelve diverse new recordings produced by Bob Rock who had produced 2007's World Container and is perhaps best known for his work with Metallica, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, The Offspring, Michael Bublé and Simple Plan. This album features songs that range from "levity and light to melancholy and anger" according to the band's website. Recorded primarily at The Bathouse Studio, band's recording studio located in a historical coach house west of their hometown, Kingston, Ontario, and its first single was "Love Is A First", which features the ironical addictive hook, 'love is a curse'.
Despite some side solo projects in the past couple of years, the band has completed a new studio album at The Bathouse Studio and in Toronto with Gavin Brown, who is perhaps best known for his work producing Metric, Three Days Grace, Barenaked Ladies and Billy Talent. The album is entitled Now For Plan A and it was released on October 2nd, 2012. This album's first singles were "At Transformation" and "Streets Ahead" and they are available on iTunes and through the band's website.
Man Machine Poem is the fourteenth studio album which is scheduled to be released June 17th, 2016. The album takes its name from a track on their Gold-selling 2012 release, Now For Plan A, and it was recorded at The Hip’s home studio The Bathouse, produced by Kevin Drew, founding member and producer of Broken Social Scene, Andy Kim (singer, songwriter and Arts & Crafts label co-founder) and Dave Hamelin, songwriter and producer from The Stills and Eight and a Half. Album pre-orders are currently available on either CD or Vinyl through the band's "Gift Shop" on their official website: www.TheHip.com or digitally through iTunes. “In A World Possessed By The Human Mind” and “Tired As Fuck" were its first singles, and both were made immediately available for digital download with the album's pre-order.
Early on May 24, 2016, The Tragically Hip announced via a post on their official website and through e-mail subscribers that its lead singer and primary lyricist, Gord Downie, is suffering from aggressive terminal brain cancer, and that the band will do one final national Canadian tour "For Gord". Concert dates for this final tour were available on-line through Ticketmaster, but sold out in minutes. There was a national outcry from devoted fans who claimed that scalpers had scooped up most of the tour's tickets using "bots". Petitions were filed to successfully encourage Canada's national television network, the CBC, to produce and air Live the final August 20, 2016 concert. Broadcast live from the band's hometown, at Kingston's Rogers K-Rock Centre, a national audience viewed The Tragically Hip's final tour show, The concert opened with "50 Mission Cap" and ended almost two hours later, after a third encore, with "Ahead By A Century". All proceeds from the tour were donated to The Gord Downie Fund, at the Sunnybrook Foundation for Brain Cancer Research. Donations can be sent to: http://sunnybrook.ca/foundation.
For the latest band details, please visit their official website: www.TheHip.com.
Gus The Polar Bear From Central Park
The Tragically Hip Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is it because someone talked and she told me
He no longer thinks anything that moves and
Everything he sees is something to kill and eat
What's troubling, Gus, is it nothing goes quiet?
The whip-poor-will at dusk
That it's because you're too either them or me
When it's either them or it's us, anything that moves and
Everything you see is something to kill and eat
What's troubling, Gus, is it nothing goes quiet?
Is that what's troubling you, Gus, the mere mention of the name
Used to be enough to make every bird stop singing
Is that what's troubling you, Gus, no one is afraid
What's troubling, Gus, is it nothing goes quiet?
Is that what's troubling you, Gus, the mere mention of the name
Used to be enough to make every bird stop singing
The whip-poor-will at dusk tells you no one is afraid
No one is afraid enough
Is it afraid
Or is it afraid enough?
It's troubling, Gus
The song "The Bear" by The Tragically Hip tells a story about a man named Gus who has become demented due to the violence he has experienced in his life. The lyrics suggest that Gus has become a hunter, killing anything that moves and views everything he sees as something to kill and eat. The singer questions what is troubling Gus, wondering if it's the fact that nothing ever goes quiet or if it's because he hears conversations about being either with them or against them. The song suggests that Gus has become terrified and paranoid, unable to trust anyone around him.
The song also mentions a whip-poor-will at dusk, which is a bird known for its distinctive call at sunset. The singer suggests that even the bird has stopped singing, indicating that no one is afraid of Gus anymore. The repetition of the line "Is that what's troubling you, Gus?" shows the singer's concern for Gus and his mental state.
Line by Line Meaning
What's troubling, Gus, you sound demented
Gus, it seems like something is bothering you that manifests itself in your speech patterns.
Is it because someone talked and she told me
Did someone share information with you that is causing distress?
He no longer thinks anything that moves and
Gus has begun to think of everything that moves as something to be hunted and killed.
Everything he sees is something to kill and eat
Gus is consumed by a predatory mentality and sees everything as prey.
What's troubling, Gus, is it nothing goes quiet?
Gus is troubled by the lack of peace or quiet that he experiences in his environment.
The whip-poor-will at dusk
The bird call of the whip-poor-will, heard at sunset.
What's troubling, Gus, overhearing conversations
Gus is troubled by hearing conversations that force a choice between us vs them.
That it's because you're too either them or me
The reason for Gus feeling forced to choose sides is that he perceives a conflict between different groups or individuals.
When it's either them or it's us, anything that moves and
When the choice is between them or us, Gus sees everything as a threat.
Everything you see is something to kill and eat
Gus's predatory instinct has taken over and he sees everything as something to be consumed for sustenance.
Is that what's troubling you, Gus, the mere mention of the name
Gus is disturbed by the mere mention of a name or topic that causes him distress.
Used to be enough to make every bird stop singing
At one point, the mention of this name was so terrifying that all natural sounds seemed to cease and everything was silent.
No one is afraid
No one is afraid of Gus, even though he has become a predator.
Enough / Is it afraid / Or is it afraid enough?
Gus wonders if fear is what motivates him or if he should be more fearful of his surroundings.
It's troubling, Gus
Overall, Gus is deeply troubled and distressed.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GORDON DOWNIE, JOHNNY FAY, JOSEPH PAUL LANGLOIS, ROBERT BAKER, ROBERT GORDON SINCLAIR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
NEWFIEBOY1981
RIP GORD
"Gus: The Polar Bear From Central Park"
What's troubling, Gus, you sound demented
Is it because someone talked and she told me
He no longer thinks anything that moves and
Everything he sees is something to kill and eat
What's troubling, Gus, is it nothing goes quiet?
The whip-poor-will at dusk
What's troubling, Gus, overhearing conversations
That it's because you're too either them or me
When it's either them or it's us, anything that moves and
Everything you see is something to kill and eat
What's troubling, Gus, is it nothing goes quiet?
Is that what's troubling you, Gus, the mere mention of the name
Used to be enough to make every bird stop singing
Is that what's troubling you, Gus, no one is afraid
What's troubling, Gus, is it nothing goes quiet?
Is that what's troubling you, Gus, the mere mention of the name
Used to be enough to make every bird stop singing
The whip-poor-will at dusk tells you no one is afraid
No one is afraid enough
Is it afraid
Or is it afraid enough?
It's troubling, Gus
herman ketel van
The Hip has a huge following in Europe. Seen them live twice. a couple of years back in Utrecht and mid 90's in Rotterdam. Discovered the Hip when I was in Canada early 90's. Fantastic country and fantastic band.
Brandon Brook
if Canada had a heart beat; the tragically hip would be the sound it made
Lisa Lacey
@Brandon Brook True
chisholmt25
Fig hi
Wendy Hughes
Brilliant 👏 The Hip I grew up with ....Commonwealth Canadian tunesxxxx
Colin S
@Brandon Brook well said!
Ivan Cooke
I was very fortunate to see The Hip for the 2nd last show in Ottawa, I remember when they played this song and it was unearthly. Even though we were in the nose bleeds, every hair on my body stood. Unbelievable time that I will never forget. Rest in Peace forever Gord
Cassandr Menard
Right on well spoken my friend
Shele Grimm
I love the guitar in this song. Rob Baker rocks!
Cammo
God Bless You Gord, you will live forever in our hearts and ears man.