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.
Many people, fans and non-fans alike, are familiar with the fact that Gord Downie died of brain cancer. What few people know is that his very public struggle with the disease was, in fact, not his first experience with cancer. (#NEP) A few years earlier Gord’s wife, Laura, contracted breast cancer. She went through all of the requisite treatments and tests. For a while Gord stopped writing and focussed on being a husband and father first. Luckily, thanks to the many advances that have been made in the treatment of cancer, Laura survived.
When you first learn that a loved one may die, it changes your heart. For Gord, that change manifested itself in a change in the tone of the songs he wrote. He claimed that he didn’t want to write representational songs any longer. He wanted his songs to be more realistic and attuned to the world around him. “In A World Possessed By The Human Mind” comes from the album Man Machine Poem and is about being scared to your core about losing someone you love. It describes the haze one experiences during the testing phase when doctors offer their prognosis and everything spins in your mind on their verdict. Mostly, this song is about Love.
“Everything is quiet.
A little Super-Dangerous.
Quiet enough to hear God rustling around in the bushes.
Oh, but it was you.
Girl, I was so afraid.
You said, “You shoulda seen the look on yer face.”
Being a rock star is important to some. Working for a living and being successful enough to provide for your family is important as well. But trust me when I tell you that there is nothing more important in the world than love. It is tricky and elusive to find. Once found, it is a foundation upon which to build the remainder of your life. It is the only thing that truly matters. One thing that even a casual observer of Gord’s life can say about him is that he always seemed to have his priorities firmly in place. When The Hip were just starting to establish themselves as a band, Gord became their voice as singer and lyricist. When the Indigenous Peoples of this land needed a champion, Gord took time away from The Hip to give voice to their concerns, hopes and dreams. When cancer struck someone he loved, Gord put aside his career and devoted himself to the care of his wife. When she recovered, he channeled his emotions into expressing the trauma of near-death so that others may be comforted when the time came for their own journey. In many ways, I am sure the act of doing so helped Gord face his own mortality and, in turn helped the band and the nation know that it was ok to cheer and to cry simultaneously. Death is a natural part of the cycle of life. One of Gord Down’s greatest and most important legacies is showing us that death is real and that it can happen to anyone but, also that it can be faced with courage and love and creativity and joy. Bless you, Gord Downie.
A residual aspect of that legacy left by Gord comes in the form of giving us permission to move on. Far too often, those left behind after the death of a loved one fill in that void with wistful nostalgia. It almost seems disrespectful to place one foot back in front of the other and continue life’s journey on our own. Who are we to meet new people, explore new places and laugh again without the one we once loved above all else? Well, one of Gord’s dying wishes to his family members and to his brothers in The Tragically Hip was that they take those difficult first steps and continue living their lives. Since that final Kingston concert in 2016, the various members of the band have been involved in small side projects here and there but, for the most part, have kept a low profile and have avoided the spotlight. However, after much thought and contemplation, Gord’s wife Laura, after whom “In a World Possessed by the Human Mind” was written for, screwed up her courage and decided to release her own debut album. It is called All This Is. It was produced in partnership with Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene, who is the man who helped Gord Downie to record his final solo albums before his death. Laura has taken the stage name of Kaya Usher. In her band are two of the children she and Gord brought into the world, Willo *(without the “w”) and Lou. There is nothing about Kaya Usher’s album that requires us to believe that it is a continuation of Gord’s work. This music is her voice. It is the voice that Gord worried so much about when her cancer first appeared. It is voice worth hearing. I encourage you to do so at the link to her website below. The world continues to turn. The sun is shining as I write these words. Love is still all that matters.
The link to the video for the song “In a World Possessed by the Human Mind” by The Tragically Hip can be found here. The video for this song is a true cinematic affair, as it were. It is lovely. ***The lyrics version is here.
The link to the official website for Kaya Usher can be found here.
The link to the official website for The Tragically Hip can be found here.
If you care to make a donation or to volunteer your time, the link to the Canadian Cancer Society can be found here.
The Hip Museum‘s entry for this song is very interesting because it contains input from a surgical nurse who provides clinical background information about brain surgery in a way that reinforces the detail and accuracy of Downie’s lyrics as found in this song. It is a quick read. The link to this article from The Hip Museum can be found here.
I welcome your comments on the contents of this post. Feel free to discuss any aspect of this song. If you are feeling brave and wish to tell your own stories about cancer and/or loss, of Love given or received or whatever your own heart may desire, I will welcome them in the comment box below. Thanks for visiting my blog and reading this post and listening to “In A World Possessed By The Human Mind” by The Tragically Hip.
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