2:57
In Between Evolution, 2004
Written by Gord Downie, Rob Baker, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair, and Johnny Fay
The people who make it their business to interpret such things find this searing rocker to be an anti-war, anti-jingoistic song. You couldn't convince me from these recondite lyrics: "The sky just reddened / Heading home under dusk / Is life just forgetting / Another word for frivolous / And little silver boulders / And silence from Mars." Previous lines, about a threatening sky, give a vague hint of a political stance. as does this part: "And I'm not the saddest cheerleader to forget the American word / For the gang in the head / That dwindles to no members when the mystery's met." To me that evokes the much-vaunted coalition assembled by Bush, that eventually fell apart when it became clear there were no WMDs. Whatever the words may mean, the thing that always sells me on a Hip song is Downie's unique voice.