Our Favourite Tragically Hip Songs

The music of The Tragically Hip, more than any other band, is ingrained in to the fabric of our nation. We all have that one Hip jam that takes us back to a place and time we can’t forget. Maybe it’s a cross-country road trip, or around the campfire with friends. Whatever it is – The Tragically Hip are a part of the memory. With that in mind, here are our favourite Hip songs. In no particular order, for no particular reason. A list of great songs from an even greater list of great songs.

Craig Ross – Locked In The Trunk Of A Car

Came out when I was in college…which was a half hour drive. This song was heavily played and got me through a lot of long boring drives in my mom’s 88 white Camaro. Singing at the top of my lungs. (Until I got to a red light…then I just hummed)

Love you Gord.

Cat – Ahead By A Century

I remember my dad blasting this song in the car on a road trip to Montreal. It was the first time i was introduced to the Hip. Now whenever I hear it I feel the wind whipping my hair and the sun on my face.

Tim – The Darkest One

Every time I listen to this song, I find some kind of new meaning in it. Thanks for everything, Gord.

New Rock Noah – Music At Work

I had known the Hip for years, they were already this huge Canadian band.  But none of their earlier stuff really “got me”.In the summer of 2000, when the song was hot on the charts, I was working as a dishwasher in the kitchen at a resort. Late at night, after the rest of the staff had gone home I was left alone to finish all the clean-up duties. So I’d crank Rock 95. And every night, “Music at Work” would come on while I was elbow deep in chores. And for the first time ever, Gord just got me. It’s like those lyrics were written JUST FOR ME.  Now, whenever I hear that song it takes me back to all those late nights that it was just me and Gord, jammin’ in the kitchen.  RIP Gordie. Thank you.

Siobhan – Nautical Disaster

My favorite Tragically Hip song is Nautical Disaster from their 1994 album Day for Night. Gord always had a way for ripping your heart out of your chest and showing it to you. Making you feel things that you’d often rather ignore. Nautical Disaster accomplishes that with every verse. There is a desperation in his tone that is so specific to Gord that even if you heard this song playing over a radio, low and muffled, from 4 backyards over, you know which song it is. This is The Tragically hip at their most painful and finest. 

Jocelyn – New Orleans Is Sinking

My favourite is New Orleans Is Sinking because it’s got such a good beat and a catchy hook. You just want to dance and sing along! Gord Downie had such good, infectious energy and you can feel it in that song.

Randy Richards

For me, it wouldn’t be fair to single out just ONE Tragically Hip song as their catalogue of songs is so deep and the songs collectively  have so many different meanings  depending on the timing of when they were released and the subject matter of each of the individual songs.  Gord shared his feelings through his music and for me, he was like a “statesman” of our time who shared his views of his life and times in this great County and also his views on different subject matter over the years as well…His work collectively is made up of a number of works and masterpieces he had put together over the years, so to just single out one song out that has more meaning than any of the others is just too difficult to do for such a great Canadian band

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