January 12, 2007 - Friday

January 12, 2007 - Friday
the tragically hip nautical disaster
Last night I had a dream that I met Gord Downey, the lead singer –and raging alcoholic— from The Tragically Hip. It was a small room and I was sitting against a wall. I told him that I had seen the band play three other times. In fact, I've had three other dreams of seeing The Tragically Hip play and I described these to him; including one where I was hidden in the bass drum during a live performance.

I told him that I overheard that he worked at 'Home Depot' a home renovation superstore. He said that he used to work at Home Depot. He asked if I wanted to play some music. I said I'd like to play the drums but understood that drummers are touchy about their kits, could I play the guitar instead? I asked him if he would be willing to sing 'Nautical Disaster' —one of my favorite all-time songs lyrically-speaking— which he agreed to.

The song goes like this:

I had this dream where i relished the fray, and the screaming filled my head all day. It was as though I'd been spit here, settled in, into the pocket of a lighthouse on some rocky socket, off the coast of France, dear. One afternoon, four thousand men died in the water here, and five hundred more were thrashing madly as parasites might in your blood.

Now, i was in a lifeboat designed for ten and ten only. Anything that systematic would get you hated. It's not a deal, not a test, nor a love of something fated. The selection was quick, the crew was picked, and those left in the water got kicked off our pant legs, and we headed for home.
Then the dreams ends when the phone rings, "You're doing alright" he said, " it's out there most days and nights, but only a fool would complain."

Anyway, Susan, if you like, our conversation is as faint as the sound in my memory of those fingernails scratching on my hull.






(This will be my last dream-related blog as they are painfully boring, and mostly pointless. And really, who gives shit?)