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The Tragically Hip — Ahead by a Century
Album: Trouble at the Henhouse
Avg rating:
7.4

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1764









Released: 1996
Length: 3:40
Plays (last 30 days): 0
First thing we'd climb a tree
And maybe then we'd talk
Or sit silently
And listen to our thoughts
Illusions of someday
Casting a golden light
No dress rehearsal
This is our life

And that's when the hornet stung me
And I had a feverish dream
With revenge and doubt
Tonight we smoke them out

You are ahead by a century
You are ahead by a century
You are ahead by a century

Stare in the morning shroud
And then the day began
I tilted your cloud
You tilted my hand
Rain falls in real time
Rain fell through the night
No dress rehearsals this is our life

And that's when the hornet stung me
And I had a serious dream
With revenge and doubt
Tonight we smoke them out

You are ahead by a century
You are ahead by a century
You are ahead by a century

You are ahead by a century
You are ahead by a century
You are ahead by a century

And disappointing you's getting me down
Comments (184)add comment
If you haven't already done so, I encourage anyone (not just Hip fans) to watch the four-part docu-series titled "The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal" produced by Prime Video Canada. It tells the in-depth tale of a band that lived up to (here) its name... in the end. Very powerful stories. Very touching and moving. So many revelations! And so very very Canadian, in so many ways.

Check out the trailer here...
i think this is a beautiful love song
Tonight we smoke them out!!! Long live Gord on RP!
No dress rehearsal, this is our life. RIP, Gord. You beautiful soul.
Last Hip song Gord Downie ever performed, in a moment witnessed by millions of Canadians. “And disappointing you is getting me down…”.
Look up Tragically Hip's ( Kingston, Ontario )  performance on SNL.
Introduced by guest host Dan Ackroyd from Kingston , Ontario.
Maybe the first glimpse of the hip for the US audience!
So happy to hear The Hip on RP.   More, please! Growing up in WNY just a short trip over the border to Ontario, they were on constant rotation on the local radio stations.  
Missing Gord Downie.
For the love of Gord. This is a 10.
Thanks to RP, love this and many other songs from The Hip.

Anyone know the story behind the dog on the cover?
https://www.buffalorising.com/...Wonderful mural in Buffalo, NY  
Thank you William! 
 MM_Prague wrote:

I lived in Toronto in the 1990s and one of my enduring regrets is never having gone to see the Hip. I was aware of them, but I guess I had different interests back then. Alas.




As a Grown Man, I was always moved to tears, at least once, every show.
"Wheat Kings" is usually it...
May The Gods Bless Gordon Downie
 jacopo_7 wrote:

I was later than you. I discovered them today.




But you discovered them, thanks to Bill!
The moment when the drum beat kicks it up a notch after he sings "You tilted my hand".  Wow, shivers every time.  
I lived in Toronto in the 1990s and one of my enduring regrets is never having gone to see the Hip. I was aware of them, but I guess I had different interests back then. Alas.
 corydon wrote:



Is this a meme I don't know or are these effing bots spamming that stupid comment on every other track?



Charlie Chatter.
 69Grace_M wrote:
 
 Look after the king of R n R please 




Is this a meme I don't know or are these effing bots spamming that stupid comment on every other track?
tears every fucking time...  You were ahead by a century Gord!  
Damn...tears on my keyboard...this is still hard to hear...still hurts so very much...miss you Gordie...
 sfyi2001 wrote:

{#Crown}


wow.  Look at those baby faces!
That last line tho... like a dagger through the heart.


Marvelous opening tune to the series Anne with an E
RIP Gord.... :-(
tears for Gord… been following the hip since they started. love
Gord Downie may not have been ahead by a century, but he was certainly ahead of most non-first nations Canadians in acknowledging the cruel unjust treatment of first nations children and their families by the government supported residential school program. We (myself included) sometimes give our music "heroes" too much adoration, simply because of their talent, BUT in Gord Downie's case the adoration and reverence he is accorded by many Canadians is richly deserved.

The following quote from Wikipedia demonstrates one of the reasons I feel this way:
"Downie released his fifth solo album, Secret Path on October 18, 2016. The album is a concept album about Chanie Wenjack, a First Nations boy who escaped from a Canadian Indian residential school in 1966 and died while attempting to make the 600 km walk back to his home."

As the unmarked graves of hundreds-thousands of first nations children are now being "discovered" at residential school sites across Canada, Gord Downie has been in my thoughts almost daily - mainly because I wonder how he would have responded to the current state of affairs.  And what his next album might have been.  Thank you, Gord, and Rest In Peace.  
 freddyfender wrote:

If everyone in the world were Canadians, what a wonderful world it would be!



I'm not sure where you live, but here in Winnipeg there is a worrying amount of violent crime, random stabbings, rampant drug abuse, homelessness, poverty - and no doubt it's interconnected. The long-lasting effects of colonialism are written on the faces of too many unfortunate people living in bus shelters that I pass by on my way to and from work. Sure, the eventual hope is that an overriding sense of personal responsibility will help people find the resiliency required to overcome the past, but the real work that is required to unshackle people from addiction and homelessness isn't being done. And yet Canada maintains this façade of inclusivity and equality that makes Canada appear to be the global flag bearer of peace and prosperity. 

It's also hard to reconcile the image of the happy-go-lucky Canuck with the 20-year-old London, Ontario man who recently ran down and killed 4 members of a Muslim family who were out for a Sunday evening walk. The only survivor of the attack is a 9-year-old boy. I can't imagine being that boy. The memories of his parents, sister, and grandmother... What a wonderful nation we are. 
saw various artists cover this acoustically, was so good, such an epic song 🎵👏😍
 johnalexford wrote:
I suspect that for all Hip fans, if you're really a Hip fan, every other Canadian band will be inferior. Having been a fan since Up To Here and all the way through the end, having seen them across Canada and the US, to me there is no other band that quite matches their magic. Sure, across 13 studio albums, not every song is great, but collectively their music is just as good as it gets. And name a front man that can perform like Gord did, sing with his ability and  write intelligent lyrics that always made you think. To do all three is quite remarkable. 
 Look after the king of R n R please 

 1guywondering wrote:

As a Canadian, I look to an Englishman for another vision..

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for..

Sharing all the world

 Look after the king of R n R please 

 freddyfender wrote:
If everyone in the world were Canadians, what a wonderful world it would be!
 

As a Canadian, I look to an Englishman for another vision..

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for..

Sharing all the world

Damn.
I suspect that for all Hip fans, if you're really a Hip fan, every other Canadian band will be inferior. Having been a fan since Up To Here and all the way through the end, having seen them across Canada and the US, to me there is no other band that quite matches their magic. Sure, across 13 studio albums, not every song is great, but collectively their music is just as good as it gets. And name a front man that can perform like Gord did, sing with his ability and  write intelligent lyrics that always made you think. To do all three is quite remarkable. 
 Stephen_Phillips wrote:

Me too.

However I was just about to make some banal comment about their name and the fact that at least they don't look tragically hip and seem to me a nice bunch of lads when I glanced down at the older comments and references to Canada and national mourning etc and then I did a Wikipedia lookup on Gord Downie and found out he was a top guy who died of a brain tumour.

Glad I kept my big mouth shut -  nice to know more about somebody before posting a comment on RP.
 
The Hip were such an institution up here that their final concert was streamed live coast to coast on national television - no ads.  We all watched it, because we knew at that point that it would be the last.  The emotions that Downie poured into that performance - the rage and the despair and the love - was both beautiful and heartbreaking to to watch.
 ElKay wrote:
Love "Anne of Green Gables"! This song makes a great opening for it....
 

So sad "Anne" didn't get renewed or picked up. And that I stumbled on this great band just as they were in their final phase.
Bill must have family up north who keep playing the Hip on his stereo when they visit, lol. To a Canadian, these songs are as familiar as "American Pie".
 Axeman wrote:

If everyone in the world was Canadian, you'd all be sorry.
 
Lol, I get it. Good one (sorry).
This is why I dig RP! You bring a diverse world together...well done. 
 dmiklitz wrote:
I really like this tune. First heard it as the theme from Anne with an 'E'.
 
Ditto!  My family and I finished season 3 and are mourning the fact it was cancelled.
I really like this tune. First heard it as the theme from Anne with an 'E'.
 freddyfender wrote:
If everyone in the world were Canadians, what a wonderful world it would be!
 
If everyone in the world was Canadian, you'd all be sorry.
 khardog145 wrote:

That's funny.  I was gonna say "so underrated".  New Orleans is Sinking?? Three Pistols?

Agreed.
And although I am not a Platinum fan, I have enough smarts and taste not to bash them.

If everyone in the world were Canadians, what a wonderful world it would be!
Love the group and this album. 'Gift Shop' from this album is a favorite of mine.
RIP Gord..... 
 Fooboy wrote:
 Gert7 wrote:
Best Canadian Band ever...

 

Agreed !! 
Their farewell concert on CBC was viewed by almost 12 million people
( considering Canada has a population of 35 million, that's a pretty large proportion ) 
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/tragically-hip-cbc-broadcast-ratings-1.3730276 
 
The fact that CBC (Canada's National Broadcast Company) shut down their coverage of the Summer Olympic games to live broadcast the bands final concert is also a cool note. Particularly when you consider what they probably paid in broadcasting rights for the Olympics. 
Just what is needed - a hit of the Hip. Rest/Rock in Peace, Gord.
 Oldest_City_Dude wrote:


Sorry.
Neil Young is the best Canadian rocker.
 
Yeah, He's got some good tunes, but we can do better than that.
Can't... Stand...them... Tragically!
The fine line between being ahead by a century and being a second behind.
 ace-marc wrote:

Sorry.
Top 5, maybe.
Rush is probably #1.
 

Sorry.
Neil Young is the best Canadian rocker.
 Bert7 wrote:
Best Canadian Band ever...
 
Sorry.
Top 5, maybe.
Rush is probably #1.
 BCarn wrote:
Can't stand this band, so over rated,  but this song is really really good!
 
That's funny.  I was gonna say "so underrated".  New Orleans is Sinking?? Three Pistols?
I suspect I will forever tear up when I hear this song...
So miss Gord.
Went to see them on an impulse (and strong recommendations from friends here on RP) about a decade ago. So very glad we did, as it was a fabulous show (Gord was an amazing frontman) and I know I'd be filled with regrets now if we hadn't.
Solid 10 for me. Brings me back...
Thanks RP....Great to see the hip on rotation.
I love that Canadian artists are on your regular rotation. All us Canucks miss Gord Downie immensely but are so thankful for the music The Tragically Hip gave us.  Thanks for spreading The Hip love!
Can't stand this band, so over rated,  but this song is really really good!
Great song!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice! My favourite Hip album.
Guess that song grew on me. Rated it before as a 7 and was enjoying it so much I had to up it to an 8.
I was later than you. I discovered them today.
 Fromarnhem wrote:
 I was also late in discovering them. It's a great band with SOLID tunes and interesting lyrics.
 

 
Me too.

However I was just about to make some banal comment about their name and the fact that at least they don't look tragically hip and seem to me a nice bunch of lads when I glanced down at the older comments and references to Canada and national mourning etc and then I did a Wikipedia lookup on Gord Downie and found out he was a top guy who died of a brain tumour.

Glad I kept my big mouth shut -  nice to know more about somebody before posting a comment on RP.

{#Crown}
 Bat wrote:

The Tragically Hip never really made a big impact in the US. And I'd be surprised if anyone in Switzerland other than a few Canadian ex-pats have even heard of them.

I recently watched the documentary film about their final tour and was moved by the affection the nation had for Gord Downie and the band.

I guess better late than never I've been listening to their catalog and am becoming a big fan.

 
Cheers to you, Bat, from this Canuck.  {#Cheers}
"Fully, Completely" is their best album, IMO.

The Tragically Hip never really made a big impact in the US. And I'd be surprised if anyone in Switzerland other than a few Canadian ex-pats have even heard of them.

I recently watched the documentary film about their final tour and was moved by the affection the nation had for Gord Downie and the band.

I guess better late than never I've been listening to their catalog and am becoming a big fan.


thank you Gordie and The Tragically Hip...we will miss you forever and ever. This was the last song they ever played live
 thanks for this . . . 

eyeball wrote:
Gord Downie WAS ahead by a century. His spirit will outlive us all.

While only marginally well known outside of Canada, The Tragically Hip have left their mark in the memories and hearts of Canadians everywhere.

 We miss you Gordie. May you continue to shine in that eternal suit and hat, along this endless path you now follow. Thank you for all the music. The lyrics. The moments where we were moved by you.

And your movements!

We love you. 

 


love the guitar work on this.
Ouch.
Love "Anne of Green Gables"! This song makes a great opening for it....
Bill, you are a class act. Thanks for playing this on what is effectively a national day of mourning in Canada.
Gord Downie WAS ahead by a century. His spirit will outlive us all.

While only marginally well known outside of Canada, The Tragically Hip have left their mark in the memories and hearts of Canadians everywhere.

 We miss you Gordie. May you continue to shine in that eternal suit and hat, along this endless path you now follow. Thank you for all the music. The lyrics. The moments where we were moved by you.

And your movements!

We love you. 
Thanks for this, Bill.
A perfect song on a sad day and hopefully some people are enjoying being exposed to it today.

R.I.P. :-(
RIP Gord..Canada will not forget you....
RIP Gord , passed away today, we love you , will always be in thoughts, did our country proud
The wheat kings and pretty things hear your song!
RIP you beautiful poet....{#Heartkiss}
Yes , thank you Gord
Tough day. Thanks.
RIP Gord Downie.
RIP- Gord Downey
Thanks, Gord. 
 TJOpootertoot wrote:
This list...is a terrible list. Personal taste is personal taste but TROOPER is not a Canadian band of significant note.
Blue Rodeo, Joni Mitchell, Neil Freaking Young, Broken Social Scene, Feist, Rheostatics, Sloan, The Band, Bryan Adams, Daniel Lanois, Leonard Cohen...
These are just a few of the artists, off the top of my head, who any reasonable person would listen to before they somehow come across Prism.
And while I'm not one of those over-the-top Hip fans, calling the mediocre is silly. This song alone, is pretty much perfect.
 
Thanks, TJO; agree completely.


A FAVORITE.
The first time I heard this, was here, and I subsequently went and listened to it a good 10 times over the next couple of days.
I listen to RP an hour or so most days, and a little more on weekends.
A couple times a month, a song that hits me like this is played and I then find it online and save it.
Have been doing so for a while.
Never been analytical at all about stuff that moves me. And I haven't anal-ized why! 
Keith Richards has said - "I do things on a very instinctive basis. I think brains have likely gotten in the way of a lot of good things."
I do sometimes read the comments on the songs here though. Usually then have a shit, and shower.
Thanx RP ~


.


 BCarn wrote:
 treatment_bound wrote:

Since you're from Canada, I'd like to get your take on the top 5 BANDS from Canada.  Please list them if you care to.

 
Sure....bands either together or past...
1. RUSH
2. The Guess Who
3. Arcade Fire
4.Jeff Healey (RIP)
5. Gordon Lightfoot..not quite rock but more of an icon than the Tragically Boring)

Others of significant note:
Triumph
Trooper
Prism
Steppenwolf
April wine
Chilliwack

The Hip are mediocre. Just my opinion and many others differ and would argue. C'est la vie.

 
This list...is a terrible list. Personal taste is personal taste but TROOPER is not a Canadian band of significant note.
Blue Rodeo, Joni Mitchell, Neil Freaking Young, Broken Social Scene, Feist, Rheostatics, Sloan, The Band, Bryan Adams, Daniel Lanois, Leonard Cohen...

These are just a few of the artists, off the top of my head, who any reasonable person would listen to before they somehow come across Prism.

And while I'm not one of those over-the-top Hip fans, calling the mediocre is silly. This song alone, is pretty much perfect.


 On_The_Beach wrote:
 BCarn wrote:
 treatment_bound wrote:

Since you're from Canada, I'd like to get your take on the top 5 BANDS from Canada.  Please list them if you care to.

 
Sure....bands either together or past...
1. RUSH
2. The Guess Who
3. Arcade Fire
4.Jeff Healey (RIP)
5. Gordon Lightfoot..not quite rock but more of an icon than the Tragically Boring)

Others of significant note:
Triumph
Trooper
Prism
Steppenwolf
April wine
Chilliwack

The Hip are mediocre. Just my opinion and many others differ and would argue. C'est la vie.


Rush: Worst band in the history of popular music (yes, I know Neil P is a great drummer)
The Guess Who: Excellent
Arcade Fire: Ugh!
Jeff Healey: Average Blues guitarist
Gordon Lightfoot: Excellent
Triumph: Awful
Trooper: Horrible
Prism: Terrible
Steppenwolf: Magic Carpet Ride was fun
April Wine: Second worst band in the history of popular music
Chilliwack: OK

All IMHO, of course.

 
Missed some, in no particular order:
Joni Mitchell
Whitehorse
Jann Arden
Basia Bulat
Neil Young
Leonard Cohen (RIP)
Robbie Robertson 
54-40
Tom Cochrane
Blue Rodeo
...
(I agree on Rush - can't stand em)
 
 BCarn wrote:
 treatment_bound wrote:

Since you're from Canada, I'd like to get your take on the top 5 BANDS from Canada.  Please list them if you care to.

 
Sure....bands either together or past...
1. RUSH
2. The Guess Who
3. Arcade Fire
4.Jeff Healey (RIP)
5. Gordon Lightfoot..not quite rock but more of an icon than the Tragically Boring)

Others of significant note:
Triumph
Trooper
Prism
Steppenwolf
April wine
Chilliwack

The Hip are mediocre. Just my opinion and many others differ and would argue. C'est la vie.


Rush: Worst band in the history of popular music (yes, I know Neil P is a great drummer)
The Guess Who: Excellent
Arcade Fire: Ugh!
Jeff Healey: Average Blues guitarist
Gordon Lightfoot: Excellent
Triumph: Awful
Trooper: Horrible
Prism: Terrible
Steppenwolf: Magic Carpet Ride was fun
April Wine: Second worst band in the history of popular music
Chilliwack: OK

All IMHO, of course.
 treatment_bound wrote:

Since you're from Canada, I'd like to get your take on the top 5 BANDS from Canada.  Please list them if you care to.

 
Sure....bands either together or past...
1. RUSH
2. The Guess Who
3. Arcade Fire
4.Jeff Healey (RIP)
5. Gordon Lightfoot..not quite rock but more of an icon than the Tragically Boring)

Others of significant note:
Triumph
Trooper
Prism
Steppenwolf
April wine
Chilliwack

The Hip are mediocre. Just my opinion and many others differ and would argue. C'est la vie.


I saw Gord on TV sitting next to Bobby Orr at the Ottawa-Boston hockey game earlier this week. For a guy with brain cancer, Gord looked pretty damn good!
 BCarn wrote:

Not even close. This song is fine but I can leave the rest. Tragically boring.

 
Since you're from Canada, I'd like to get your take on the top 5 BANDS from Canada.  Please list them if you care to.
Gord Downie and I are actually cousins (he's one year younger so that defines the hierarchy - or it used to). I've often mentioned to him that I've heard some of the Hip's material on RP, the best station in the world with a similar reach. He argues that we still need Canadian content regulations (up) here and we end up "disagreeing to agree" (order intended). The funny thing is they've always had a loyal following in the US, though obviously not like in Canada. This is one of my favourite songs and the lyrics remind me of the occasional thing he used to say in his teens or twenties when striving for an "effect" and he would reach into his deep archive of references and phrases. That really makes my day. Thanks RP.
Overrated. Either you like them or you don't- nothing in between- and I don't.
 Gert7 wrote:
Best Canadian Band ever...

 

Agreed !! 
Their farewell concert on CBC was viewed by almost 12 million people
( considering Canada has a population of 35 million, that's a pretty large proportion ) 
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/tragically-hip-cbc-broadcast-ratings-1.3730276 
Nice!
 Bert7 wrote:
Best Canadian Band ever...

 
Not even close. This song is fine but I can leave the rest. Tragically boring.
Gord Downie released a new album in October 2016: https://www.gorddownie.com/albums/
Best Canadian Band ever...
First thing we'd climb a tree
And maybe then we'd talk
Or sit silently
And listen to our thoughts
Illusions of someday
Casting a golden light
No dress rehearsal
This is our life

This was the last song performed at The Hip's goodbye concert in Kingston. 

It had to be this one.  

Thank you, Gord.  
I was lucky enough to see the first Toronto show on August 10th. An amazing night that I will remember always. The hip have been a part of my life since their first album back in 87 and right through to their latest album Man Machine Poem. Thank you Gord and the rest of the boys for all the great music through the years and contributing so much to the Canadian culture and identity!
I was lucky enough to see the first Toronto show on August 10th. An amazing night that I will remember always. The hip have been a part of my life since their first album back in 87 and right through to their latest album Man Machine Poem. Thank you Gord and the rest of the boys for all the great music through the years and contributing so much to the Canadian culture and identity!
The last concert will be this Saturday, Aug. 20th at 8:00 ET.  It will be broadcast for free on Canada's CBC and is available online.  Gord isn't doing well but will be singing as this is how he wants to be remembered. 
Sad news announced today. Lead singer Gord Downie has terminal brain cancer. Band to go on tour one last time, this summer.

Story Here
Instant smile. Great track. 9. 
Bill, did you do that on purpose!?

{#Roflol} 
Such a great song!
Canadian Rock Royalty. Simply put.
Yay!

But my favourite is still 50 Mission Cap. 
One of my all-time favourite bands. I was lucky enough to see them live a couple times over a summer while on a working 'holiday' in Canada a long time ago. Still brings back memories of meeting some great people...and seeing a LOT of very cool bands.
I really love this band
Such a good band.  For our 10th wedding anniversary, we walked into a restaurant in Jasper, AB, and the only other folks in there were The Hip and some of their friends.  Too funny! Little did they know we were perhaps their biggest fans {#Smile}  Escape Is At Hand For The Travellin' Man is a fabulous tune and would play out well here on RP
 ShamanManu wrote:

The same for me, I don't like his voice but it's perfect for this song {#Notworthy}, which I really, really like {#Biggrin}
Bobcaygeon is another one of theirs which is good, the rest of their stuff I will gladly skip {#Stop}

 
Too bad. Maybe give another listen to Road Apples. 
Woohoo! The Hip! Thanks for the Canadian content, Bill and Rebecca! 
Yay!  Love the Hip!!  Love RP !!
Always seem to hear this song while I'm traveling. Makes me happy and homesick at the same time. It will be great to get back to Vancouver, but it is also the perfect song for a day full of sun and snorkeling in Phi Phi, Thailand too. Great song!
 aspicer wrote:
Great tune. Great album, perhaps their best. 

 
I may put their "Fully Completely" effort just slightly ahead of this one..