About Rory Young Expertise I can answer any questions about their music, lyrics, concerts, setlists, concert dates, etc. I cannot, however, answer questions about their personal lives ie: kids, wives, etc.
Experience I've been a Hip fan for almost ten years, and I currently have 400 live Hip concerts in my collection. I also operate a fan website with concert reviews dating back to 1996, with full tour dates and setlists from each show.
Question I haven't been listening to the Hip too long, so I am naive about meanings behind their songs. Is Nautical Disaster based on a real boat accident and what are the details of that accident?
Thanks
Answer Hey Mark!
Few believe that the song is about a single theme, but it seems that one theme may be about the raid on Dieppe during World War II. Dieppe was a daylight, pre-D-day raid of a German held port on the coast of France. In the assault, carried out by Canadian troops, nearly 4000 men were killed out of a force of about 4800. The lyrics to "Nautical Disaster" are extremely close to these facts.
Gord Downie himself has alluded to the fact that the song is one long metaphor for a failed relationship, but the literal meaning has ties to Dieppe.
