Double Suicide: Probably the best known of Gord's rants, made famous by the Roxy and Elsewhere bootleg. Received huge exposure for an unreleased song on Southern Ontario radio stations such as 97.7 HTZ FM in St Catherines and Q 107 in Toronto. Requested Rant

Killerwhaletank: Yeah, we've all heard this one. The Roxy version was released as a promo single, and found its way onto many bootlegs. Slightly different versions appear during other 1991 shows. Requested Rant

Bone Marrow Transplant: Another well-known monologue from 1991.

Fully Completely Sessions and Tours (1992-93)

(Quality recordings: Swinging on a Star, CBC Radio, 1992. Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, April 18 1992. Kumbaya Festival, Ontario Place, Toronto, September 5, 1993.)

You See Details: Fully Completely outtake. The title eventually morphed into a line from "Thugs", but there are no other similarities between the two songs.  In fact, lyric wise, it has more in common with "An Inch An Hour" and it is the source of the "scary band" in that song. The only recorded live performance was 4/18/92, but Gord sang some lines during jams in 1995/96. It was reworked into the Phantom Power outtake "Bumblebee" Lyrics

Down By The River: Hip Head Shane Kroeker discovered that on the "April 26th, 1993 show at (I believe) the Roxy in Los Angeles, CA, Gord recites the lyrics from Neil Young's "Down By the River" in an eerie fashion as an intro to New Orleans Is Sinking. "Down by the river... I shot my baby..."

Blonde Solid: Fully Completely outtake whose lyrics were inspired by a painting Gord saw. Played live on 4/18/92, and brought back during jams in 1996-99. Lyrics
Play Song

Edelweiss: Austrian tune made famous in "The Sound of Music". Gord has entertained the crowd with it more than once. 

Baby Ran: A 54-40 song played in 1992 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the British Columbia band. A clip was shown on Much Music's 54-40 special. (Thanks Casey)

Crocuses: Played during "New Orleans is Sinking" sometimes in 1992. 

Diana, Goddess Of The Hunt: Played during "New Orleans is Sinking" at least once in 1992. 

Gun-Free Japan: This Coke Machine Glow poem's first recorded appearance was as a rant during At The Hundredth Meridian in Montreal, July 25, 1993. Said to have been inspired by the true story of a Japanese exchange student who was killed after he entered a house while trick-or-treating in the United States.

Finger Wigglin': Gord often entertained the crowd with this theory, proposing that collective finger wigglin' could "make landscapes emerge." He famously led an ARA audience in a mass wigglin' captured on the Heksenketel tour video. It was sometimes combined with a "laminar flow" rant about whales moving through the water. The wiggle concept went on to appear in the lyrics of two Day For Night numbers; Emergency and Impossibilium.

Filles Du Roi: Stories about the French orphans sent to create the Canadian nation were popular in 1993. A well known version appears on Heksenketel at the end of Fifty Mission Cap. "Filles du Roi/Daughters of the King/We're here to populate the nation/So don't give me so much grief!"
Reference Window

Day For Night Sessions and Tours (1994-95)

(Quality recordings: Glastonbury and Elsewhere, 1995. Day For Night Demos And B-sides. ARA '95 Markham, Ontario. Pink Pop Festival, June 5, 1995.)

Grace Too, Thugs, Nautical Disaster version 1 & 2, Scared and Titanic Terrarium: Day For Night demos recorded with different musical arrangements and tempos. Available on the DFN demos disc.

Pascal's Single Cause: During the end of "Locked In The Trunk Of A Car" Gord would sometimes sing a variation of Pascal's famous phrase: "All man's misery stems from a single cause/My inability to remain quietly/Sit still/Yeah, Pascal, he'd tell y'all to sit still now."

Bow Down To The Will of My Pants: Another "Locked In The Trunk Of A Car" ad-lib of varying length. A short version can be heard on "Glastonbury and Elsewhere."
Play Song
Bonus Glastonbury track

A Penny More: Shane Kroeker pointed out that Gord was singing this little ad-lib as the band played out Nautical Disaster during the DFN Tour. "Lovers/No one Compares to you." Found on Disc 3 of Let's Gather Round the Fan.

Courage For Winston Churchill: During the now famous 1994 show in Glastonbury, UK, Gord introduced Courage and dedicated it to the legendary PM. He also said the song was about “our holiday on the beaches of Dieppe” and then recited a line from the previously performed Nautical Disaster. This is the origin of the misinterpretation of Nautical as a song about Dieppe. It is probably, like most Hip songs, born of many roots, but Gord has said that the maritime mishap in question is the sinking of the Bismarck and not the infamous Canadian campaign of World War II.
Play Song

Nazi Artist: Beginning on this tour Gord would sing or rant about Eva Braun, Hitler's mistress, or Leni Riefenstahl, Hitler's propaganda film maker, lamenting the fact that Hitler didn't make better choices: "You shoulda dedicated your life to art!"

Speedy So Hard Done By: Up-tempo version of the Day For Night song, it ended up a session outtake.
Play Song

100 Years Old (a.k.a. Win-Win Situation): Introduced in 1994, and often used as an ending to Pigeon Camera. 

Apartment Song: Played in the middle of New Orleans is Sinking in late 1994. Lyrics
Reference Window

Purple Paint (a.k.a. Cowboy Coffee): Since it was introduced in 1995, it has rarely been heard in its entirety, but Gord will often belt out a choice couplet, like "Drop the grounds in the boiling water / Shot of cold water, and drop the grounds" or  "In a portage, miscommunication / As we paddle on that purple paint / Drifting away on the golden shoulders / Drifting away on that purple paint."
Play Song

Fear: Introduced in 1995, played both at the end and in the middle of songs such as Scared, Inevitability of Death, and At the Hundredth Meridian. Expanded into the poem Align on Coke Machine Glow. 

Freaked: Took shape in 1993, when Gord sang "Tell us everything you'd like us to know / I'd rather know something about everything..." and "Water's not the pee / Water's not the purity / It's the life of the mind / And the melody of panic". By the time the Day For Night Tour rolled around, Freaked was getting played in the middle of New Orleans is Sinking, often together with Cookie Factory and Ahead by a Century, with the "water" lines replaced by the "sugar" lines. The line "If you're freaked, I'm fucked / I love you that much" was brought back in 1996, but was changed to "If yer freaked, we're fucked" when the song reappeared in Coke Machine Glow as a poem titled San Leonardo. Lyrics

Log Jam: Played during the Canadian leg of the Day For Night arena tour during "New Orleans is Sinking." About a logger who has to pick a log jam in a river. As he sang, Gord walked from monitor to monitor at the front of the stage, trying to keep his balance on the "logs". Lyrics

Gradual Obsolescence: Beginning on the Day For Night tour, and for years afterwards, Gord would intro Scared; or sing during its conclusion: about a lighthouse keeper or door-to-door salesman whose services were no longer needed. 1996's "Live Between Us" features the salesman as seen from the buyers perspective, and "Scared" from the 1998 Sausalito radio show begins with Gord saying "they're phasing my job out, Ma."

The Lighthouse Keeper: This curmudgeonly old fella busted free from the gradual obsolescence rants and was featured on his own during performances of "Nautical Disaster."

John Popper: The lead singer from Blues Traveller played his harmonica during "Fight" as part of ARA '95

Take Me In Your Hand: Gord Downie and Ron Sexsmith joined The Rheostatics to perform this track from the Rheo's 1994 album "Introducing Happiness." (Thanks Shane Kroeker)
Play Song

Swamp Jam: "A one-off jam recorded by Mark Howard at Kingsway in New Orleans during the Day For Night sessions" is how Gord Downie described it when it appeared on the bands website in 2005. An instrumental song, it was used more than a decade after its creation as backing music for Downie's poem; "We Are The Next Us." (see also IBE sessions)
Play Song

Cookie Factory: There used to be one in the west. Sometimes, there's also a bookstore in the east.  Played during early 1995, and brought back occasionally since then. The guitar riff was resurrected for Sharks, and in the Coke Machine Glow book, a cookie factory was considered as a possible gift for "the woman who gives everything" in Gift Advice. Lyrics

Ahead By A Century: Played very often in early 1995. Once the band knew it would be a radio single, Gord changed the lyrics from the original "dirty version." By the time Another Roadside Attraction rolled around, the lyrics as we know them today were in place.
Dirty version lyrics
Lyrics
Reference Window

Flamenco: Another song whose lyrics were tried out during ARA '95. Lyrics
Reference Window

Summer Side Of Life: Gordon Lightfoot song. Played during 1995 Another Roadside Attraction shows, with John Mann, Geoffrey Kelly, and Linda McCrae of Spirit Of The West joining the Hip on stage. Gord would later sing it during jams. (Thanks Casey) Lyrics
Play "Summer Side Of Life" Jam (Thanks to Helmet Rocks for the file)

Smile And Look Away (a.k.a. Sucker List): Played often during At the Hundredth Meridian in 1995. Abandoned after Another Roadside Attraction in July. The "eclectic choice" verse became part of Don't Wake Daddy, and the "sucker list" line was used in the Coke Machine Glow poem It Might Be Moot. Lyrics

Past: A 1995 jam which included many lines that subsequently ended up as lyrics for 700 Ft. Ceiling, Springtime in Vienna, and especially Don't Wake Daddy. One version contained the "interstate brickface" line which would find a home in Vapour Trails some three years later. Reworked into the poem Typewriting on Coke Machine Glow.  Lyrics
Play Song

Butts Wigglin: Developed in late 1995. The title, thrown around often by Gord ("Mr. Butts Wigglin on the guitar!") seems to be an inside joke which has nothing to do with the song. Lyrics

Sherpa: In August 1995, Sherpa was tested during New Orleans is Sinking, and quickly brought out to be played on its own. Lyrics
Reference Window

Put It Off: Played during New Orleans is Sinking and At the Hundredth Meridian in late 1995. Lyrics
Reference Window

Daredevil Reprise: Day For Night outtake, a slow, moody and melodic version of "Daredevil." An instrumental version was often played before "Daredevil." It was popular during the 2000 tour and made a return in 2004. Sometimes confused with "Hiccups," which later preceded "Daredevil" on some Henhouse gigs.
Play Song

Dante: Day For Night outtake, available on the DFN Demo's bootleg.

Emergency: Sarah McLachlan provided backing vocals on this Day For Night track which was released on a benefit album for the 30-Hour Famine project.
Play Song

Springtime In Vienna and Giftshop: These two Trouble At The Henhouse tracks began regularly appearing on setlists as The Hip performed in the fall of 1995. Their respective music and lyrics remained largely unchanged upon their release one year later. Lyrics
Play Song

Trouble At The Henhouse Sessions and Tours (1996-97)

(Quality recordings: Clarington; 07/13/96. Buffalo; 11/26/96. Washington; 9:30 Club. Darien Lake; 7/30/97. Barrie; 08/02/97. 1997 release: "Live Between Us")

The "Live Between Us" Covers List -What is Gord singing on LBU?

Escape Is At Hand For The Travellin' Man: With ever-changing lyrics, this was played during New Orleans is Sinking during the American Henhouse tour, and became known to fans as "Best Friends".  By the Canadian leg of the tour in late 1996, the song was played on its own as "Stereo", although Gord still sang the "Idle Conversation..." coda as "Pale as a light bulb..." Lyrics
Reference Window
Play Song

Chagrin Falls: The distinctive guitar line to this song has been around for quite awhile and was played quite often on the Henhouse tour. In the widely-circulated 5/29/96 show, for example, the band plays it during At the Hundredth Meridian while Gord sings "Peel back the onion skin / To reveal the embryo within".  By 1997, Gord had added the lyrics, singing them on their European tour and during the surprise NxNE show in Toronto. Lyrics
Reference Window

Poets: Another one which was around, lyrically, since the beginning of the Henhouse tour, with lyrics changing until the very end. Lyrics
Reference Window

Flying Jenny: Gord Sinclair and Gord Downie helped out on this Linda McRae album in 1997. (Thanks Tommygun)

Bad Time To Be Poor: Rheostatics cover played in 1996, during New Orleans is Sinking and Nautical Disaster. Lyrics

Temple: Hip superfan Casey Routly points out that it is indeed this Jane Siberry tune which Gord broke into during Nautical Disaster on "Live Between Us." Gord also sang part of the Rheostatics "Bad Time To Be Poor." Lyrics

Chantilly Lace: Big Bopper song played in 1996, during New Orleans is Sinking.

Trophy Salesman: Played occasionally in 1996, usually during New Orleans is Sinking. 

I Can Only Give You Everything: Them (featuring Van Morrison) song, played often in jams, 1996-99. Returned during 2004 IBE tour

Every Irrelevance: Gord Downie song. Gord sang this with the Rheostatics during a CBC Realtime show, and the Hip played with it during jams on the Henhouse and Phantom Power tours. The lines "Catharsis / My arse is / Capable of more flush / Adolescence / In essence / Is all about trust" appeared on Live Between Us, and the whole song was eventually released on Coke Machine Glow. Lyrics
Play Gord and the Rheostatics

Hiccups: Originated out of the Daredevil Reprise. It was often played as its own song as the Henhouse tour progressed, though it still always preceded "Daredevil." Lyrics
Play Song

Antares: Written as backing music for Kurt Browning's skating routine. Later released on an ice skating music compilation.

China Girl: Gord sang more than a few lines from this David Bowie song during New Orleans is Sinking on "Live Between Us." Thanks to Opiated for filling me in. Lyrics

Ashley McIssac: Ashley joined the band on stage in Barrie, Ontario and added his fiddle to "Wheat Kings" as part of ARA 1997. (Thanks prz and patiodweller)

Into Temptation: North Carolina's jet flyin', limosine ridin', kiss stealin', wheelin' and dealin' son of a gun (Whooooooooo!) Chuck Owens notes that it is in fact this Crowded House tune which Gord is singing during "Twist My Arm" on Live Between Us. "Into temptation/Knowing full well." The song is on their 1990 album "Temple Of Low Men."

Nothing To Worry About: A popular lyrical device which later partially returned as part of 2000's "Under The Stars" rant. The 1996 "Live Between Us" version was structured like this: "I was going round your town/I was on my way down/I was picked up by a friend/He said: 'man I know you've come to some kinda dead end'/Oh lord I can swear there's a bend/I can swear there's a place where all those bits are commending(?)/And you can never be too dependant/And every one around you's smiling/Every one around you's stylin'/But you've got nothing to worry about/Nothing to worry about." Scott Davis hears the line as "I can swear there's a place where all those bits will be mended?" It sounds like he is saying "mended" and the line fits really well into the whole healing/salvation theme."

No More Rubbernecking: Everybody slows down to take a look. Gord ranted about rubberneckers during this and other tours. The "Live Between Us" version blends in with a Cold War theme: "Get you a reconnaissance sweep/Can't do a reconnaissance sweep/Undercover/Catch you a kinda Cold War stiff/Nothing you can't handle/Nothing you can't see/No more rubber necking now/No more rubbernecking." (Thanks Dana)

The Heater: Dale Fedorek pointed out that Gord was singing this Mutton Birds song during "At The Hundredth Meridian" in 1997.

Don't Worry Baby: Gord sang "Don't worry baby, everything will turn out alright" from this Beach Boys tune during New Orleans Is Sinking on "Live Between Us." Thanks to Schaggs.

Imagine: Gord sang the "Nothing to live or die for/No religion too" lyric from John Lennon's legendary song during Grace, Too on "Live Between Us." Thanks to Opiated.

60 Seconds: Short lyrical piece Gord sang at the end of "Springtime In Vienna," it can be heard on the "Glastonbury and Elsewhere" bootleg, as well as "Live Between Us," and is still around today. "Only one can hear... Only 60 seconds on the dial... And that takes a while."

All Your Friends Are Gone: Short lyrical piece Gord sang at the end of "Scared." It can be heard on "Live Between Us," and during the Hip's 1998 acoustic radio show in Sausalito, California. Lyrics seem to change slightly with each performance, but it's built around: "All your friends are gone/No, they're out there on your front lawn."

Empty: Lyrical piece Gord sang at the end of "The Luxury" and "Springtime In Vienna." It can be heard on "Live Between Us." Sometimes coupled with "All Your Friends Are Gone." It's pace and style changed, depending on when it was sung, but the lyrics remained largely in this structure: "...know so much... this empty hall/There's an empty smell/And the curtains swell/And it's hard to tell/If there was anyone here at all."

Save The Planet, Vapour Trails and Membership: These three Phantom Power tracks began regularly appearing on setlists in Europe and North America as The Hip toured in 1997. Their respective music and lyrics remained largely unchanged upon their release one year later. Lyrics

Phantom Power Sessions and Tours (1998-99)

(Quality recordings: Bill's Bar Boston; 1998. Hamilton; 02/18/99 Mississauga; 02/19/99 Toronto; 12/31/99, 01/01/00 Woodstock '99. "Something On: The Tragically Hip" Much Music Special, July 7, 1998, London)

Acoustic "Membership"
Acoustic "Something On"
Acoustic "Bobcaygeon"
Acoustic "Fireworks"

Bumblebee: Phantom Power session outtake whose bridge contains a reworking of You See Details. Many of the lyrics were incorporated into Sailboat on Coke Machine Glow. Lyrics
Play Song

The Vegas Strip: Phantom Power session outtake: "In the darkest deep/Germany/Looked like the Vegas Strip". Also includes a line shared with Save the Planet ("Murmurs in the mist") to rhyme with the '97 ARA slogan: "Let the enemy not exist". Some of the lyrics ended up as the basis for the poem of the same name in Coke Machine Glow, and some of the music was reworked into "The Dark Canuck". Lyrics

Poets Plus: From the time "Poets" first appeared in full during the surprise 1998 Camp Trillium benefit gigs, it has been accompanied by two ad-libs which you could set your watch by. After singing the "doin' some final accounting" lyric, Gord will sing the "Black Death" plague inspired: "bring out your dead!" When the song's lyrics are complete, you can be sure Gord will summon memories of some distant swim class as well as Spielberg's JAWS: "Swim honey! Swim honey! Not to me! Not To Him! Just Swim! Not because there's a fifteen foot dorsal fin closing in... just swim!"  
Play Song

The Burning Church: Made famous when Gord performed it during Woodstock '99, this tale of a gospel choir trapped in a burning church showed up often during the Phantom Power tour. It re-appeared in 2004. Lyrics

Jet: Shane "All Ears" Kroeker and the Hipbase hordes noted that Gord sang lyrics from this Wings song during jams on the Phantom Power Tour. It can be heard on the Dec '98, Milwaukee Modjeska Theatre show. "With the wind in your hair of a thousand laces/Climb on the back and we'll go for a ride in the sky/And Jet, I thought the major was a little lady suffragette/Jet, whooo"

Mr. Hussein: The man who would eventually give "The Bastard" its tabla sound, played his unique instrument with the band during the encore at Wetlands, NYC, July 25, 1998. (Thanks eriehip)

Father's Sad Song: This song appeared on the Rheostatics 1999 album "The Story Of Harmelodia." The lyrics were written by Gord Downie. (Thanks Dana)

Tied To A Rocket: Bobby Baker performed on this 1998 Hell Billy's record. (Thanks Dana)

Claire: Rheostatics song often sung by Gord as the coda to Nautical Disaster. Heard as early as 1995, but most often during the Phantom Power tour.

Lofty Pines: "It's too hot to sleep / Let's gather round the fan / We can't do nothing about the heat / Let's just do what we can" sings Gord in this jam which was played often during the summer of 1998, and occasionally since then. It was played on its own only once, at the Wetlands Preserve in New York, when Gord Downie, Paul, and Johnny played it while technical problems were being fixed. "If we only had nothing to say / If only we'd done nothing that day" seems to be a reference to the limousine which crashed while bringing several Detroit Red Wings home from a Stanley Cup party in 1997. Released on Coke Machine Glow. The Lofty Pines Motel, which is referenced in both the jam and the Downie solo release, is a real motel in Ontario's cottage country.

Blackflies (a.k.a. Not That Isolatable): This song, also introduced at the beginning of the Phantom Power tour, was never really developed, and was for the most part ignored until the 1999 Canadian tour. Released on Coke Machine Glow. Lyrics

SF Song (a.k.a. I Think It Was): Debuted in San Francisco on July 27, 1998 as more of a monologue or a rant than a song, and repeated occasionally during the Phantom Power tour. The Marlboro ad Gord saw on the back of the bus (pictured below) was a parody ad used by the California Department of Health Services, along with anti-tobacco groups. Eventually released on "Coke Machine Glow." Lyrics
Play Song (Thanks to Helmet Rocks for the file)

Insomniacs Of The World, Good Night: The line "Insomniacs of the world unite / Insomniacs of the world goodnight" first appeared in late 1996, and was further developed during the Phantom Power tour (1998/99). Often preceded by a few choice lyrics from the Joni Mitchell song This Flight Tonight ("Star bright, star bright / You've got the loving that I like"). The band played around with it during a few tunes but in the end it was performed mostly spoken-word on Coke Machine Glow.
Play Song
Play "This Flight Tonight" Ad-lib (Thanks to Helmet Rocks for the files)

Elaborate (a.k.a. Toronto #2): That's the verb, not the adjective. Appeared in September 1998 and toyed with throughout the Phantom Power tour. Released on Coke Machine Glow. Lyrics
Play Song (Thanks to Helmet Rocks for the file)

The Never-Ending Present: About waiting for a bus? Surfaced in September 1998 and played throughout the Phantom Power tour. Released on Coke Machine Glow. Lyrics

Songwriters' Cabal: This one got its debut in August 1998 and was played a little less often, but made it, slightly changed, into the Coke Machine Glow book as I Stand Before the Songwriters' Cabal. 
Play Song (Thanks to Helmet Rocks for the file)

Pink Moon: Nick Drake song added to the end of Ahead by a Century by Gord Downie, on and off since the Henhouse tour. Gord began singing Drake's "Fly" in the same spot during 2004. Significantly, "Stay" was called "Drakes" in early setlists. The original lyrics: "I saw it written and I saw it say / Pink moon is on its way / And none of you stand so tall / Pink moon gonna get ye all / And it's, yes, it's a pink moon / Pink, pink, pink, pink pink moon"
Play Song (Thanks to Helmet Rocks for the file)

(Quality recordings are available via hipbase.com and hipfans.com.)

C'mon Everybody: An Eddie Cochran song, performed on December 13, 2006 at The Phoenix in Toronto. It returned as an encore during the 2007 World Container tour.

Queen: David Bowie song as performed by the boys during the 2006 Holiday Jam on December 13, 2006 at The Phoenix in Toronto.

It Makes No Difference: The Band cover, performed on December 13, 2006 at The Phoenix in Toronto. The song was also played as an encore during World Container tour.

On A Night Like This: Performed on a night like that in Toronto, during December 13th's Holiday Jam. A Bob Dylan original. It returned as an encore during the 2007 World Container tour.

Summer Side Of Life: This Gordon Lightfoot song was played as the grand finale at The Phoenix in December of 2006. The boys were joined on stage by Matt Mays, Sarah Harmer, Buck 65, Sam Roberts, and Kathleen Edwards. It was also played during the 2007 World Container tour as an encore.