Ahead by a Century
| "Ahead by a Century" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"Ahead by a Century" is the first single from The Tragically Hip's fifth studio album, Trouble at the Henhouse. The song reached number one on Canada's singles chart,[1] and was nominated for "Best Single" at the 1997 Juno Awards.[2] It is the band's most successful single in their native Canada. The song was certified platinum in Canada in 2016.[3]
The song was the final one performed by the band at their final concert on August 20, 2016.[4] CBC Television used the song for their highlight montage to close their coverage of the 2016 Summer Olympics.[5] It subsequently was also used for the opening titles of the 2017 CBC/Netflix series Anne.[6]
On October 18, 2017, the day Tragically Hip lead singer Gord Downie's death was announced, "Ahead by a Century" was the single most played song on Canadian radio.[7]
Background
The song is one of several Tragically Hip singles which were developed from improvised bridge jams during live performances of the band's signature song "New Orleans Is Sinking".[8]
The song begins with an image of youthful romance, with a young boy and girl climbing a tree to talk and ponder all the possibilities that life holds for them.[9] The original lyrics, which were performed at least once live before Downie rewrote them
Music video
The song's music video was directed by Eric Yealland and filmed on a small farm in Brooklin, Ontario. The music video won the award for Best Video at the 1996 MuchMusic Video Awards.[10][11] The video was also nominated for "Best Video" at the 1997 Juno Awards.[12]
Covers
In 2016, Hey Rosetta! performed the song during their set at the CBC Music Festival, altering some lyrics to reflect Downie's recent announcement of his diagnosis with terminal glioblastoma.[13] In the same year, the Toronto-based Choir! Choir! Choir! dedicated a performance of the song to Downie following the diagnosis.[14]
In 2017, an Inuttitut-language version of the song, incorporating traditional Inuit throat singing, was released by the Nunavut-based folk music band The Jerry Cans.[15]
Charts
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Singles Chart[1] | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Alternative 30[16] | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Chart[17] | 14 |
| Chart (2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[18] | 32 |
References
- ^ a b "Top Singles - Volume 63, No. 21, July 08 1996". RPM. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "1997 Juno Awards". MetroLeap Media. Retrieved 2009-12-29.
- ^ "Gold/Platinum". Music Canada. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
- ^ Noronha, Charmaine. "Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip holds final show". The Associated Press. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gowWDfltXJE
- ^ CBC Music, The Tragically Hip provide theme song to new Anne series, 16 March 2017.
- ^ "Tragically Hip album sales, audio streams soar after Gord Downie's death". CTV News, October 23, 2017.
- ^ Michael Barclay, Ian A.D. Jack and Jason Schneider, Have Not Been the Same: The Can-Rock Renaissance 1985-1995. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-55022-992-9.
- ^ "In anticipation of the Hip playing "Ahead By a Century" in Vancouver tonight, here's Gord Downie talkin' about it". The Georgia Straight, July 24, 2016.
- ^ "Best Video Winners 1991-2003". MuchMusic. Archived from the original on 2008-11-20. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Howell, Peter (1996-09-20). "Morissette wins 4 more trophies at video awards" (Pay-per-view). Toronto Star. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
- ^ "1997 Best Video". junoawards.ca. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
- ^ "Hey Rosetta!'s Tribute To The Tragically Hip Makes Fans Emotional". Huffington Post, July 23, 2016.
- ^ "Choir! Choir! Choir! sings “Ahead by a Century” in a touching tribute to Gord Downie". chartattack.com, May 27, 2016.
- ^ "The Jerry Cans Share Inuttitut Cover of the Tragically Hip's "Ahead by a Century". Exclaim!, June 29, 2017.
- ^ "Rock/Alternative - Volume 63, No. 14, May 20 1996". RPM. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Adult Contemporary - Volume 63, No. 22, July 15 1996". RPM. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "The Tragically Hip Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-08-30.