Eldorado

The Tragically Hip was one of the biggest rock bands in Canada when I was a teenager/young adult. Part of the band's massive appeal in Canada was the Canadiana the Hip included in its songs. While other bands in the country sang generic songs of love and loss, the Hip wrote songs about ice hockey; Bobcaygeon; Thompson, Manitoba; David Milgaard; Hugh MacLennan; and Tom Thompson among other bits of Canadian lore.

​Unsurprisingly, what made the band immensely popular domestically also kept it relatively obscure in the United States and overseas.  In any case, I hadn't thought about the Tragically Hip for a long time, but for reasons I can't explain, one Hip song became lodged in my head today. The song is called Eldorado. It contains no Canadiana - but it does contain one of the best rock song lyrics I have ever come across in my life - I've got no genius for evil / That makes me common. 


Lyrics and song below:

"Eldorado"

He's a man-sized Eldorado
Hooved a doo
And who could blame him
Who could blame him
Where we going?
What's the ticket?
Just the mention of Berlin makes me sexy
it makes me sexy

And tired of thinking about drinking
For thinking of drinking
While thinking about drinking
And thinking about drinking
It's a man-sized inside

Look in here
It's all hardwood
What's that smell?
Smells like coffee
It smells like coffee
If you regret it please say something
I've got no genius for evil
That makes me common
It makes me common

And tired of loving, recovering
Loving, recovering
Loving, recovering
Loving, recovering
It's a man-sized inside

He's a man-sized Eldorado
Whoopty-do
If you can't take it
If you can't take it
Where's he going?
What's that ticking?
Just the mention of Berlin
Makes me sexy
It makes me sexy

And tired of thinking about drinking
For thinking of drinking
While thinking about drinking
And thinking about drinking

Tired of loving, recovering
Loving, recovering
Loving, recovering
Loving, recovering
It's a man-sized inside
It's a man-sized inside

Inside