The Tragically Hip:38 Years Old

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This song is performed by The Tragically Hip and appears on the album Up To Here (1989) and on the album Yer Favourites (2005).117415726

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Twelve men broke loose in Seventy-Three
From Millhaven maximum security
Twelve pictures lined up, across the front page
Seems the Mounties had a summertime war to wage
The chief told the people they had nothing to fear
Said, "The last thing they wanna do is stick around here"
They mostly came from towns with long French names
But one of the dozen was a hometown shame.

Same pattern on the table
Same clock on the wall
Been one seat empty, eighteen years in all
Freezing slow time, away from the world
He's 38 year's old, never kissed a girl

We were sitting round the table, heard the telephone ring
Father said he tell em if he saw anything
Heard the tap on my window in the middle of the night
Held back the curtain for my older brother Mike

See my sister got raped, so a man got killed
Local boy went to prison, man's buried on the hill
Folks went back to normal when they closed the case
But they still stare at their shoes when they pass our place

My mother cried, "The horror has finally ceased"
He whispered,"Yea for the time being at least"
Over her shoulder, on the squad car megaphone
Said,"Let's go Michael, son, we're taking you home."

Same pattern on the table
Same clock on the wall
Been one seat empty, eighteen years in all
Freezing slow time, away from the world
He's 38 year's old, never kissed a girl

[edit] Credits

Written by Baker, Downie, Fay, Langlois, Sinclair

[edit] Notes

(1) http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/facilit/institutprofiles/millhaven_e.shtml

(2) If a song ever hit a little too close to home, it was this one. Gord Downie does have an older brother named Mike. He's a documentary film maker whose work has appeared on the Life Network and the CBC. Mike also directed the Hip's 1999 Bobcaygeon music video. He is certainly not in prison, nor has a tragedy such as the one described in the song ever befallen the Downie family. Some folks took the song seriously, however, and began leaving gifts and tributes on the porch of the family home in Kingston. After the Downies experienced much unwarranted and unwanted attention from literal believers of the lyrics, the song was dropped from the band's setlist.

On June 24, 2006, during a concert in Toronto at Historic Fort York, 38 Years Old was performed for the first time in over thirteen years. Gord introduced the song with, "This story's true... And it isn't."

External links