I find myself coming back to the Hip more the older I get.
And why wouldn't I? They're clear Canadian music royalty. And this song - from their 1993 album Fully Completely - is quintessentially Canadian - named for the line that separates the East from the prairies, running somewhere between Winnipeg and Regina, really close to the western shores of Lake Winnipeg.
Yep. I looked it up.
But it was more than that. It was a song about being at the edge - the brink - and pressing forward.
Written by the band, it was a top 20 hit in Canada and a top 40 hit at US rock radio - further cementing their legendary status.
I think my Canadian fans know and by now my worldwide fans know as well that lead vocalist Gord Downie passed away in 2017, and the 2016 tour was their farewell. Their last shows, in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, were nationally televised and watched by 1/3 of the Canadian population.
Of course they played a spirited performance of this song. Note the faster tempo and extended jam break.
Also, we really miss Gord Downie and we're not afraid to say it.
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