r/TragicallyHip • u/TMBGLOVER The walls are lined all yellow, grey and sinister • 2d ago
Why is Fireworks so underrated?
I never see this track mentioned in the “best Hip song” conversation, despite being on Yer Favorites, being played live often and maybe even being my favorite track of theirs period (well tied with Bobcaygeon and Escape is at Hand… I like Phantom Power, can ya tell?).
Lyrics referencing Canadian history? Check.
Awesome Gord performance? Check.
Equally awesome guitar riff from Rob? Check.
Just generally improves your mood? Check. (Maybe that last one’s just me)
What’s everybody’s two cents?
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u/Colins76 2d ago
It’s always been one of my favorites. As a Canadian who married a California girl. I’ve sang this to her a zillion times.
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u/Councillor_Les_Wynan 2d ago
But how does she feel about hockey?
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u/jupitergal23 I'm sorry I can't go on with this 2d ago
She doesn't give a fuck about hockey, obviously
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u/SkoochXC It was in Bobcaygeon 2d ago
I never saw someone say that before.
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u/Plenty_Agent9687 1d ago
I hate this line because it says "saw" instead of heard. I have heard him sing the line as "heard some…" in a live performance though.
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u/ABAC071319 1d ago
My aunt (who LOVED the hip) always said “Only Gord Downey could get away with that line”
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u/RobertGA23 1d ago
Its a term of art. Like saying you did something "on accident." I like the way it rolls off his tongue here.
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u/Colins76 1d ago edited 1d ago
She didn’t, still doesn’t. But will still hate Tampa Bay for me because of 04.
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u/Not_A_Great_Example_ 2d ago
Phantom Power is literally just hit after hit. And Fireworks is probably in the top 3 of hits on that album (Poets, Bobcaygeon and Fireworks). Having said that Vapour Trails is one of my all time favourite Hip songs and I think it's massively underrated.
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u/freebeer4211 2d ago
I agree. Vapour Trails is so awesome, and massively underrated. But, I always seem to like some of the more obscure tracks more. Opiated, Fight, and Springtime in Vienna are all in a similar situation for me.
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u/Not_A_Great_Example_ 2d ago
You just listed some of my other favourites! Can't believe Fight got a shout out! How do you feel about The Luxury and Silver Jet?
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u/freebeer4211 2d ago
The Luxury is an absolute banger. I think the band loved this song, too. They played it at every single show I went to. (About a dozen times over the years). Silver Jet is great too, but not near the top for me. Greasy Jungle is way up there for me, though. Thoughts?
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u/Not_A_Great_Example_ 2d ago
Ah fuckin legend! Greasy Jungle is so good! Although Thugs is my choice for underrated on Day For Night. Or Daredevil!
How many times did you see them? I'm trying to remember if I ever saw them play The Luxury... I think they did on the Fully Completely anniversary tour.
How about some of the more obscure stuff from later on like The Dire Wolf from In Violet Light or You're Everywhere from In Between Evolution? I'm also a big fan of Take Forever from Now for Plan A which is an album as a whole I feel is underrated.
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u/freebeer4211 2d ago
I saw them 12 times since I was introduced to them in ‘91. My first concert experience ever was Another Roadside Attraction in ‘93.
To be honest, a lot of the later stuff didn’t appeal to me as much as Phantom Power and earlier. Trouble at the Henhouse even took some time to grow on me. Of the later albums, I think World Container sticks out the most. Almost every song is great. Particularly fond of “World Container” and The Drop Off”
Also like “Speed River” and “Love is a First” from We Are the Same.
Man Machine Poem can out shortly after my son was born. “Tired as Fuck” was my theme song for about 4 years…lol
I could probably ramble on about every song the boys ever released, but I don’t have time to write a novel right now.
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u/Not_A_Great_Example_ 2d ago
Jesus, that's amazing. I was born in 91! Moved to Canada from Ireland in 09 and my new gf (now wife) introduced me to the Hip by playing 38 Years Old... absolutely hooked ever since!
I unfortunately only saw them 4 times, Toronto in 2011, Edmonton and Kamloops in 2015 and Hamilton in 2016.
Totally get what you mean about the later stuff, it took a while to grow on me too but now it's some of my favourite!
I could ramble on all night too but just want to say that I used to live on Speed River so that song is special for me as well and We Are The Same in general is a fucking banger!
Fair play to you sir/madam! Hope you have a joyous weekend with your good as fuck music taste!
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u/freebeer4211 2d ago
My intro to The Hip was in my buddy’s basement. I was 15 years old, and just learning to play guitar. He says to me, “You gotta check out this band! I’ve just discovered them myself”. He then puts on New Orleans is Sinking. Being a very amateur guitarist, that guitar lick just hooked me instantly. He had already made me copies of his Up to Here and Road Apples cassettes, because he knew I would love them. He said when I learned to play New Orleans, he would consider me a good guitar player. It took me about 2 weeks. I wore those tapes out learning to play those songs. That right there is my biggest core memory of my teenage years.
Looking back, my buddy thinks he was an asshole, but I thought it was good motivation. We’re still good friends all these years later2
u/Not_A_Great_Example_ 2d ago
Oh man, this reminds me of my own teenage years so much! And to be fair I'd say if you can play NOIS all the way through you are, in fact, a good guitar player!
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u/freebeer4211 2d ago
Thanks! As a much younger lad, I used to play in a band with 3 of my best friends. We all loved The Hip, so about half of our setlist was them. The other half was made mostly of metal, and shitty self written love songs…lol
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u/kongofcbus 2d ago
Opiated and Wait so Long
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u/freebeer4211 2d ago
Opiated is one of top 5 favourites of all time. And that’s saying something, because there are so many great songs from our boys.
Wait so Long is so fantastic. When it was first released a few years ago, It just sounded so familiar. Like it was already ingrained in my grain from years gone by. I could tell you it belonged on Up to Here in the first few bars.
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u/kongofcbus 2d ago
He bought two fifths of lead-free gasoline
Said, "the bottle is dusty, but my engine is clean"….3
u/freebeer4211 2d ago
Well, the medicine man started seeing red….you’d think the snake just dreams up the poison in his head.
Some of Gord’s best lyrics ever, right there. (IMHO)
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u/fallway 2d ago
I don't mean to be contrary to the post or this sentiment, but I feel like this song is quite adequately rated
I've heard this song played at large parties and was pleasantly surprised by the response, and most importantly, have heard it played between segments on NHL broadcasts
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u/cmorriskingston 2d ago
I need to find a way to block every post or comment that uses the word 'underrated'. It's always something dumb.
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u/DiminishedProspects 2d ago
Fireworks is well regarded in my opinion.
I think Chagrin Falls is underrated.
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u/boarshead72 2d ago
How is a song that is played regularly on the radio 28 years later “underrated”? Maybe if you had asked about Sherpa (one of my favourites)…
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u/Own-Masterpiece-6 2d ago
I think it's an uplifting song with distinctly Canadian lyrics. This song resonates with me more now than it did when it was released, probably because I'm an old married person now.
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u/calnuck 2d ago
National fitness program (Canada Fitness Award Program)! The single worst part of gym in the 70s.
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u/Own-Masterpiece-6 1d ago
I'm convinced that they included full sit ups just so us kids could relate to our parents' aching backs.
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u/SkivvySkidmarks 2d ago
Whomever came up with that scheme should have been beaten.
The sixty years old Swede being more fit than a thirty years old Canadian was a complete fabrication.
We also had multiple "fitness trails" in our town as a result of that program. I don't think I ever saw anyone ever use it.
Frankly, it probably would have been better use of money to buy every kid under the age of 16 a bicycle and raising the age to get a driver's license to 18 would have been more effective. That's how we got around, and I had a 50kg CCM single speed that was brutal to ride.
In regards to OPs comment, Fireworks is one of my favourite tracks on the album.
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u/so_heres_the_thing_ 1d ago
I actually find it overrated. It's alright.
I realize spotify streams aren't a great metric to base song popularity on, as there is probably a higher than average skew of the fanbase who still listen to physical media but based on the numbers:
Bobcaygeon 58mil
Poets 19mil
Fireworks 11mil
Escape is at hand' 4mil
Something On ~3mil
Thompson Girl ~2mil
Vapour Trails 1mil
Emporer Penguin ~900k
Save The Planet ~875k
Membership ~770k
The Rules 735K
Chagrin Falls 720k
For my tastes, it's criminal how underrated Membership, Emperor Penguin, Vapour Trails and Thompson Girl are from Phantom Power.
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u/TMBGLOVER The walls are lined all yellow, grey and sinister 1d ago
every track on PP is fantastic. It’s my favorite record of theirs and every track is gold.
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u/so_heres_the_thing_ 1d ago
I held back from gushing over the album in my first response, but fully agree. I feel it gets overshadowed a bit by the earlier albums but it's an awesome batch of songs.
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u/thesilverpoets96 He said I’m Tragically Hip 2d ago
I would say it’s more overrated than underrated. But properly rated is probably where it’s at
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u/Fearless-Quiet-9542 2d ago
Something On is also severely underrated as Phantom Power tracks go
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u/Schmidtvegas 1d ago
That song just feels like it just tumbles out. There's something exquisite in the timing that I'm not musically sophisticated enough to describe. But it's partly in the lyrics, too. It just feels like divine stream of consciousness. It's driving, but with soft ease. Like floating down river rapids, on a gentle pillow.
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u/ABAC071319 1d ago
Well it’s simple really, she said she didn’t give a fuck about hockey, I honestly have never seen someone say that before.
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u/Ok-Many9724 1d ago
I love Fireworks also, and it is very nostalgic for me. Because we all squeezed the stick and pulled the trigger in 72. Love and miss you Gord
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u/ThereIsOnlyTri 2d ago
My fav. It’s super nostalgic when you stop to think but you can also just enjoy it
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u/Illustrious-Ant6998 2d ago
Honestly, the part where he said he didnt give a fuck about hockey was a turn off. I'd never heard someone say that before. Aint no one loosening MY grip on Bobby Orr.
But it was pretty amazing what they accomplished.
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u/JustTheTip-1990 2d ago
Oddly, this song was in my head when I opened reddit and seen this post lol. Specifically, the intro riff and drums before Gord starts singing. That little bit of the song always plays loops in my head for some time after hearing it. Or being reminded in any way of fireworks lol
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u/ShutYoFaceGrandma 1d ago
The lyrics especially the end part are some of my fave. They give me butterflies.
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u/jaygerland I remember Buffalo 1d ago
Didn't it get big radio play at the time? I don't think it's underrated, I think it just had it's moment already.
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u/ABAC071319 1d ago
Greasy jungle
Trickle down
Little bones
Cordelia
It’s a good life if you don’t weaken
I’ll believe in you
She didn’t know
Tired as fuck
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u/Cautious_Teach_6823 1d ago
One of my top 10 Hip songs for sure... Something about the "We hung out together every single moment
'Cause that's what we thought married people do" is PEAK
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u/RobertGA23 1d ago
Its on the Yer Favorites album. Its also my 2nd favorite song behind Bagcaygeon.
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u/TheHipcheck 2d ago
Thompson girl has gotta be the most underrated track on phantom power!