This approach resulted in songs like: 50 mission capThe film tells the true story of Canadian ice hockey player Bill Barilko, who died in a mysterious plane disappearance in 1951. Wheat Kingsis a song about David Milgaard, a Canadian man who served 23 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. The song begins with the call of a common native bird, a loon.
For Mike Downey, it was clear that the Canadian audience loved the lyrics: “I think there was a sense in the crowd of, ‘Wow, they’re singing about us.’ I really felt like the audience was ready to have someone represent them.”
Canadian cultural journalist Andrea Warner agrees, saying the band hit the right tone. “They were never a nationalistic band,” Warner tells the BBC. “They really rejected that kind of fervent patriotism. They wanted to hold the country accountable through their lyrics, and to do that you have to address the country’s mistakes, its flaws and its challenges.”
Defeat the US in your own way
While the ultimate goal for many artists is to break through in America, for The Hip, it was never a priority. According to guitarist Paul Langlois, they have been criticized by the press for this, which he describes as “lazy.” He told the BBC, “We always felt that way, we try to let things go, but it gets messy.” He mixed memories of their success in Canada with the realization that they weren’t making it big in America. As No Dress Rehearsal makes clear, the band chose their path to America in a way that felt natural and authentic to them.
