This is one post in a series. Each post will focus on one song by the Canadian rock n’ roll band The Tragically Hip. I am a fan, not an expert. The thoughts expressed in these posts are my own, with the following two exceptions: I have drawn inspiration and knowledge from a book entitled The Never Ending Present by Michael Barclay. I have, also, learned much from a website dedicated to Hip fans entitled The Hip Museum. I will give credit to either source when applicable.
The Hip are famous for writing songs that contain stories within stories. “Lake Fever” is a song about two people about to share a passionate moment, coupled with a historical story about cholera outbreaks that happened along Lake Ontario hundreds of years ago when ships from across the world brought diseases into the harbours of new, growing settlements that had yet to adequately deal with the issue of sewage disposal and the importance of keeping water clean. Sweaty, feverish topics, both, no?
Life and death, love and sex. “Lake Fever” is a song that begins quietly; often just with Gord and an acoustic guitar at centre stage. But, one that soon builds, layer upon layer of beautiful harmonies, until it reaches a soaring crescendo and then, ends restfully, spent-like, talking in whispers again. “Lake Fever” juxtaposes death with a joyous act of passion in an all-or-nothing wager. Gord sings hard on lots of songs, as he does on this song but, his voice would not be enough for a story as old as time. The soft harmonies on vocals by Paul Langlois and guest vocalist Julie Dorion *(of the highly influential Canadian indie band Eric’s Trip) counter-balance the earnestness of Gord’s voice and give the song a fullness and a richness that young love and old death deserves. All throughout “Lake Fever”, we have Gord voicing the part of the earnest suitor and Paul/Julie increasingly voicing the thoughts of the partner, all the while the passion of soon-to-be consummated sex intermingles with the storyline of death from cholera. It shouldn’t work but it does. As well, the musical structure of the song rises and falls in time with the advancements in the storyline of our young lovers. All in all, “Lake Fever” is a song that is much more clever than it may appear at first listen.
In the end, “Lake Fever” is a celebration of lives lived in the most meaningful way. As for the history depicted in this song, (#HM) Gord Downie once famously said the following at a concert in Toronto, “I know you don’t want to hear it but, in 1832, there was a cholera epidemic up and down the Lake. Many people died where you stand tonight. And now, here’s a song about two young people who don’t give a shit!”
“I’ll tell you a story about the Lake fever or
We can skip to the coital fury
You didn’t say, yes or no, neither,
You whispered, Hurry.”
The link to the video for the song “Lake Fever” by The Tragically Hip can be found here. ***The lyrics version is here. The actual lyrics are listed in the comments of this video.
The link to the official website for The Tragically Hip can be found here.
The link to an article about the Lake Ontario cholera epidemic can be found here.
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