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.
Yer Not The Ocean
The Tragically Hip Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're not the ocean, I'm better to watch
Britney Invisible or The Stranger In Myself
Than a wall of water just hitting the shelf
You're not the ocean, you're up to my toes
You're not the ocean, you're not even close
And you can think and feel and get out of your own way
And though I'm nothing, you are just a lake
Made to take it and take and take and take
You're not the ocean, I'm standing on my toes
You're not the ocean, you're not even close
You're not the ocean, you're up to my chin
You're not the ocean, you're not coming in
You're not coming in, you're not coming in, you're not coming in
You're not the ocean, you're up to my chin
You're not the ocean, you're not coming in
You're not coming in, you're not coming in, you're not coming in
In Yer Not The Ocean, The Tragically Hip compare a lake to the ocean and ultimately decide that the lake just doesn't measure up. The opening lines set the scene with the lead singer talking to the lake from the rocks, a metaphorical position of superiority. He acknowledges that the lake is "real" and "more youthful every day," and can "think and feel and get out of its own way." However, despite these attributes, the lake falls short of the ocean. The idea is captured perfectly in the phrase "Britney Invisible or The Stranger In Myself, than a wall of water just hitting the shelf". This line juxtaposes the idea of something that is invisible or hidden with the power of a crashing wave. The suggestion is that even something small and seemingly insignificant (like the pop star Britney Spears or the strange thoughts inside someone's head) is more interesting than the lake.
The repetition of the line "You're not the ocean" strengthens the idea that the lake will never be as grand or awe-inspiring as the ocean. The singer acknowledges that the lake is up to his toes and his chin, but it's not even close to being like the ocean. The song suggests that while the lake may have its uses, it will never be as grand or powerful as the mighty ocean. The lake will always be an inferior substitute, a shallow imitation of the real thing.
Line by Line Meaning
Again I'm talking to the lake, I'm standing on the rocks
I am repeating a conversation with the lake that I have had before while standing on the rocks near it.
You're not the ocean, I'm better to watch
Compared to the ocean, watching you is more enjoyable.
Britney Invisible or The Stranger In Myself, Than a wall of water just hitting the shelf
Watching Britney Spears in her music videos or the movie The Stranger In Myself is better than watching a wall of water crash into a shelf.
You're not the ocean, you're up to my toes
The water level is only up to my toes, so you cannot be the ocean.
You're not the ocean, you're not even close
You are not even near the greatness and vastness of the ocean.
Though you're so real and you're more youth every day
Even though you are real and seem to be getting more youthful each day,
And you can think and feel and get out of your own way
And you are capable of thinking, feeling, and solving problems without getting in your own way.
And though I'm nothing, you are just a lake
Although I am insignificant, you are simply just a lake that is meant to take whatever comes your way.
Made to take it and take and take and take
You were made to handle and endure anything, over and over again.
You're not the ocean, I'm standing on my toes
The water level is only up to my toes, so you cannot be the ocean.
You're not the ocean, you're not even close
You are not even near the greatness and vastness of the ocean.
You're not the ocean, you're up to my chin
The water level has risen to my chin, but that is still not enough to make you the ocean.
You're not the ocean, you're not coming in
You are not powerful enough to breach where I am and come in.
You're not coming in, you're not coming in, you're not coming in
I am emphasizing that you are not welcome to come in, not now and not ever.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GORDON DOWNIE, GORDON SINCLAIR, JOHNNY FAY, PAUL LANGLOIS, ROBERT BAKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tonyhiebel7247
Ah, Canada.. where else are ya gonna find two guys named Gordie in the same band? SO many excellent songs! Still my favorite band after almost 30 years, Mr. Downie,it was an honor and a privilege to have shared the same planet with you,miss you something fierce! Much love from Texas!
@tonyhiebel7247
@Wang Chung Heaven Is A Better Place Today...
@BobandLesliesPage
@@tonyhiebel7247 Random listened to another song and this one came up next. Totally needed this song right now. AND we are also in TX. Love, Love the Hip. We finally visited Canada to see their last tour. And the Calgary leg stayed at the Palliser where they were staying (met and chatted with all but Gord D, out of respect we didn't even attempt to talk with him, but seeing the love between them was epic beyond words).
@devilsoffspring5519
It's Canada. Maybe 20% of the country is named Gordie
@grantolsen3192
Video is brilliant. Song too, Gord's singing at his finest.
@jamespusateri6553
I was on Lake Ontario last week and this song popped into my head. My favorite band for the last 25 years. Saw them in their last tour before their final. Was at Blue Cross Arena in Buffalo the night the Sabres drafted Eichel and Edmonton drafted McDavid. Excitement about the NHL during a Hip show. Doesn’t get much better than that!
@bobzare
Love Gord's facial expression at 1:46. Keep runnin' 'cause Gus is comin'!
@fourdubbzero6721
So Canada it hurts... Love it!
@bigwallypants
Great song, video and message.5 stars
@magnateeze
Hi Sheldon, This was filmed up at Buntzen lake. Home. double meaning song. Another deep song. love ya lil fella