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.
While not the first song to get the band airplay, “New Orleans is Sinking” is widely regarded as The Hip’s first big hit. Lost in the warm glow of nostalgia, many people have thought that this song is about Hurricane Katrina and the devastation that storm caused the city of New Orleans and the surrounding towns. Well, let me tell ya, “New Orleans is Sinking” is not about Hurricane Katrina.
What “New Orleans is Sinking” is all about was a thematic undertone of much of their early work and that was the band declaring their intention to not play the Pop Music game but instead, to stay as authentic to the roots of their craft as possible. The first clue to this is the fact that the song is set in New Orleans which is part of a geographic area hailed as the birthplace of the Blues. The Tragically Hip always felt that the Blues were an integral part of the music that wanted to produce. The sweat, craftsmanship and the heart-and-soul nature of the lyrics and notes that swell up from the depths of one’s experiences, were all a source of inspiration and attraction for the band.
Secondly, The Hip spent part of their own song talking about what they see as what ails the Music industry. “Colonel Tom, what’s wrong? What’s going on? Can’t tie yourself up for a deal.” Colonel Tom refers to Colonel Tom Parker, the man who managed the career of Elvis Aaron Presley. Many people say that Elvis rose to fame on the backs of the Bluesmen and women who came before him and who never fully received their due. The Hip didn’t want to chart the same path as he did. In the same verse, The Hip have Colonel Tom respond to their criticism, “Hey North! You’re South! Shut your big mouth! You’ve gotta do what you feel is real.” The Tragically Hip kept it real, including having as much say as possible about the production process of their records. After recording this album, The Hip purchased a farm in Bath, Ontario. They named this new place as Bathouse Studios. They recorded much of the rest of their musical catalogue there under their own roof, on their own terms, working with people they respected. As always, the Blues were still required.
Hurricane Katrina turned out to be one of the biggest natural disasters ever to hit the United States. After the storm subsided and the extent of the damage started becoming clear, certain unavoidable conclusions came into view. One of the most damning of those conclusions was how disproportionate the damage was in the black community as compared to the white community. From that discovery, further investigation shone a light on some of the entrenched, systemic policies in New Orleans that had to do with housing bylaws and how those policies created historic trends regarding where people of colour could live. Many of these neighbourhoods ended up being in industrialized areas or else, in areas of the city with lower elevations. Thus, when the levees did actually break and water flooded into the city, it did so into areas that were pre-destined to be those owned by people of colour. This is not to say that white citizens did not suffer damage and/or loss but it does suggest that the game was rigged against people of colour to begin with. It also reinforces the notion that the Blues are still required for more than just music.
This would be me, standing at the foot of the driveway at Bathouse Studios in Bath, Ontario. I was fanboy enough to stand were I stood but, not fanboy enough to knock on their door. Never-the-less, this is where much of The Tragically Hip’s magic happened. The search for that magic was on-going at the time that “New Orleans is Sinking” was written but, it is clear from the lyrics that The Hip knew where they were going. They were going home. This is where they went. This is home.
The link to the video for the song “New Orleans is Sinking” by The Tragically Hip can be found here. ***The lyrics version is here.
The link to the official website for The Tragically Hip can be found here.
The link to the official website for the city of New Orleans, Louisiana can be. found here.
***There are two books that helped to shed a lot of light for me on the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent underlying reasons for why black citizens suffered on such a proportionately higher scale. The first is called The Great Deluge by Douglas Brinkley. The second book is called The Yellow House by Sarah Broom. Both books come highly recommended for those looking to learn more about the nature of natural disasters and the historical filters we tend to view them through.
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