There was no aux cord in the car in 1991. Air conditioning wasn’t even a standard feature, at least in the class of sedan my parents could afford. As such many of my summertime childhood memories revolve around daydreaming in the backseat, window down with a breeze through my hair, as we listened to songs on the radio. The lyrics of which I was too young to comprehend or understand their lasting imprint on my life.
AM was a mixed bag of golden oldies and angry citizens calling into conservative talk radio shows that claimed to give a voice but aimed to cause dissent. These stations were reserved for long-haul road trips throughout Western Canada and the Dakotas when radio signals were weak and they were the only thing we could pick up.
FM was much better to my ears, as it featured songs that seemed relevant to the energy of the times. And it was through these stations that artists I didn’t naturally gravitate towards provided the soundtrack to my life. Artists like The Tragically Hip, who are so engrained in Canadiana lore (and radio playlists) that it’s sometimes taken for granted how woven their work is into the tapestry of our lives. I can still see my father behind the wheel, arm relaxed on the driver-side window, with their music playing through the speakers as the heat of the sun guided us down Highway 9 to a day in lake country.
At the time, I didn’t know that Bobcaygeon was a township. Or that I would one day cross the 100th meridian to live in the Paris of the Prairies where Wheat Kings reign. Now that I’m older, these lines hold deeper resonance linking lyric to memory to sense of home. I seek them out for comfort, as nostalgia often provides in abundance (albeit with a shot of sadness for what once was). I may not have the carefree spirit I once did, unaware of the ways of the world and the people who inhabit it, but I now fully comprehend that it’s a good life if you don’t weaken. Soldier on.
A recent news story brought together the appreciation of these lyrics with my love of design and vintage travel artwork. A Hip Trip is an absolutely beautiful set of limited edition posters featuring Canada reflected through their music. Graphic artists John Belisle and Adam Rogers did a phenomenal job of bringing them to life and also inspiring me to elevate my own game as a designer. This is the type of work I would like to create; work that is artistic, meaningful and showcasing a refined sense of craft and skill.
In the meantime, these are going to look amazing framed on my walls.
