It all started when my dad started singing “All These Things That I’ve Done” by the Killers. Specifically the lyrics “I got soul but I’m not a soldier.” I was five at the time and my sister was 2 and a half. We were hooked. My dad had the album Hot Fuss on CD and after we would drop my mom off at work, most days our ride to daycare was filled with that album. Except for track 6. My dad didn’t like that song so we always skipped it.
Five-year-old me was obsessed with “Mr. Brightside” and would often get my dad to turn the stereo LOUDER to I could jam out to it.
That was the start of my music connection with my dad.
Throughout the years, we would share what we were listening to with each other. He wasn’t a big fan of my Taylor Swift or 5 Seconds of Summer, but loved it when I would kick it “old school” and listen to stuff he likes. I was big into Bryan Adams and we talked about that a lot.
And then May 24th, 2016 happened.
We were in the kitchen getting ready for school. We were listening to CBC Daybreak North because that is what my mom likes to listen to in the morning and in the car. The news was on, and that’s when they announced that Gord Downie from The Tragically Hip had terminal brain cancer. My dad was shocked and sad. I was surprised when he said it was one of his favourite bands. I had never heard him talk about The Tragically Hip. Not once.
Later that day, I thought to myself that’ll I’ll listen to their music, and see what my dad was talking about. I can’t remember what song I started off with but I got, like, 10 seconds in and turned it off. It was terrible! I could not understand how my dad liked this music. I was in total and utter disbelief. I went back to my music and continued on with my day.
That summer, the band was doing their farewell tour across Canada. My dad wanted to take us all. We ended up not getting tickets. I’m glad we didn’t either. It would have been a bad night. My mom, sister, and I, would have been bored and the chances of us leaving early would have been high. It would have been a bad memory.
August 20th, 2016 was a big day. My mom turned 50. Alyx Treasure was jumping in the high jump finals at the 2016 Rio Olympics, she was one of my grandpa’s track athletes, and The Tragically Hip were playing their last show ever in Kingston. It had almost been three months and I still didn’t understand the hype that surrounded them. It still made no sense.
The concert was over, the high jump finals were over, and we had had birthday cake. Everyone was getting ready for bed and I was on the computer looking at the news. I was on BBC News and there was an article title “Tragically Hip: Why Canada was closed for the final farewell tour” that I read. There were many tweets scattered throughout the article and I clicked on them to read. And then I saw on Twitter that The Tragically Hip were trending and I started reading tweets about the band. About how people were feeling. About the impact of the band. About the concert. About everything. And then, I pulled my iPod out, hooked it up to my dad’s laptop, and put all of The Tragically Hip songs we had on to my iPod. And then I started listening. I told myself you need to give them a chance. To just listen.
And I did.
The first song I listened to was “50 Mission Cap.” I was confused to what was going on so I went and asked my dad.
He had a big grin on his face before he answered. He explained that is had two storylines. About the disappearance of Toronto Maple Leaf, Bill Barilko, and how the Leafs hadn’t won a Cup since his game winning goal. 11 years later, they won the Cup and 7 weeks after winning the Stanley Cup, Barilko’s body was found. Also, throughout the song, Downie sings about fifty mission caps. I had no idea what those were and my dad explained that bomber crews in World War II received caps as part of their uniform. Many would try to break them in and wear them out so it looked like they were more experienced than they were. Being part of a bomber crew was very dangerous and they had high casualty rates. A 50 Mission Cap was a big deal. He told me to ask him any questions I have about the songs I listened to. He was pretty excited that I was going to be finally listening to The Hip.
I stayed up until 2:30 that night listening to their songs. I was mesmerized by the sound of Gord’s voice and the instruments that played. Crazy to think that three months before, I couldn’t stand it and thought my dad was crazy.
My love for their music only grew from there. Often, I would listen to the Hip at school and find my new favourite song, tell my dad, and then we would have, like, a 2-hour conversation about said song and others. It was pretty great.
I knew my dad didn’t have all of their CDs, so I made sure that I was going to complete his collection. HMV was having a wicked deal on all of their CDs, so I bought I think 13 for less than $90, which is a pretty good deal. I had to call my dad and ask which ones he didn’t have, so he figured out what he was getting for his birthday but that was okay.
The night before his birthday, I grabbed a green pen and sticky notes and started to write little notes on each album. And then I went around the house and hid them. I put World Container in his world mug, and Yer Favourites with his tea. Music at Work was put on his work bag and so on. They were scattered throughout the house but the one that took him by surprise was the one I put in his truck. He wasn’t expecting that one.
I don’t think I could ever top that birthday present and I look back on that day with a big smile. Our father/daughter bond got stronger over that. And our bond over The Tragically Hip has only grown from there. I try every year to get him something Hip related and grab that same green pen and the same sticky notes and write a little note on it. I’ve lost track at where we are now, but my dad has A LOT of The Tragically Hip stuff at home.
When Gord passed away, we were both heartbroken. But our love for the band didn’t disappear.
In 2018, we drove to Québec City and back. My dad and I made sure we stopped at as many places as possible that the Hip references in their music. We saw the Golden Rim Motor Inn, took in sundown on the Paris of the Prairies, lied down on either side of the Hundredth Meridian (where the Great Plains begin), we looked at the rolling hills all covered in suede in Sault St. Marie, and we visited Kingston on the day they opened the Gordon Edgar Downie Pier. We even convinced my mom that we should camp in Bobcaygeon for a night. For absolutely no reason, whatsoever. None. And we did see the constellations reveal themselves one star at a time.
Standing on a corduroy road/weeds standing shoulder high…that’s me and my girl @sylviamasich where the Great Plains begin. @thehipdotcom #anotherroadsideattracton pic.twitter.com/wYjUiwKIsp
— bill masich (@billmasich) July 17, 2018
New Hip albums are still being released, with previously recorded songs that haven’t been released before. In fact, as I’m writing this, I’m listening to their new EP that they just released, Saskadelphia.
It’s a music bond that I will forever have with my dad. We still share music that we’re listening to with each other. The most recent one that he’s got me hooked on is the song “Every Day My Mother’s Voice – Live” by Paul Kelly featuring Jess Hitchcock. It is a REALLY good song that I recommend you listen to.
Did your parents ever have an influence with the music you listen to now? Is there a particular artist that you have a special connection with? Share below in the comments!