Uploaded December 2018 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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An acoustic cover of "Escape Is At Hand For The Travellin' Man" from the Tragically Hip's 1998 album Phantom Power.
Words and music by Gord Downie, Rob Baker, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair, and Johnny Fay
It was our third time in New York
It was your fourth time in New York
We were fifth and sixth on the bill
We talk a little about our bands
Talk a little of our future plans
It's not like we were best friends
That number scheme comes back to me
In times beyond our heartbeat
We hung around 'til the final band called
"Escape Is At Hand For The Travellin' Man"
You yelled in my ear, this music speaks to me
They launched into, "Lonely From Rock 'n Roll"
Followed by, "They Checked Out An Hour Ago"
Closing with, "All Desires Turn Concrete"
Those melodies come back to me
Time beyond our heartbeat
I guess I'm too slow, yes, I'm too, yes, I'm too slow
But you said anytime of the day was fine
You said anytime of the night was also fine
I walked through your revolving door
Got no answer on the seventh floor
Elevator gave a low moan
The pigeons sagged the wire with their weight
Listening to the singing chambermaid
She sang, "They Checked Out An Hour Ago", and chuckled
Those melodies come back to me
Time beyond our heartbeat
I guess I'm too slow, yes, I'm too, yes, I'm too slow
But you said anytime of the day was fine
You said anytime of the night was also fine
Our heartbeat, our heartbeat, our heartbeat
Long conversation or idle chit chat
Maybe dive in or maybe hang back
Idle conversation or idle chit chat
Maybe dive in or maybe hang back
*Song Facts*
"Escape" is a song that has emerged as a fan favourite among diehard Hip heads. When the Hip returned home in 2004 for their first Kingston concert in a decade, it was "Escape" which topped an online poll of rare requests. The song had rarely been played live over the previous six years. The band was shocked to learn that it was the most requested song. since the poll strictly on a whim and with no real expectations.
The story behind the song is derived from the everyday encounters of bands criss-crossing the continent, as well as a specific meeting between the band and an up and coming singer named Jim Ellison. Lead singer of the band Material Issue, Ellison apparently made a strong impression on Gord Downie. Ellison was a driven and flashy musician who formed his band in the early 1990's with two Chicago friends. The trio produced what were labeled "power pop songs" and experienced some success with 1991's "Valerie Loves Me" which was later covered by Courtney Love. Ellison and Material Issue toured and recorded for Polygram Records throughout the middle of the decade.
On June 20, 1996 Ellison was found dead in his garage, having succumbed to carbon dioxide poisoning. His death was ruled a suicide. As the Hip toured in support of Phantom Power in 1998, Downie took to dedicating "Escape" to Ellison, once notably on a well known bootleg from Ellison's hometown of Chicago.
Bobby Baker once commented on the broader inspiration of the song, and why perhaps it is so rarely played live: "You meet these people that are in exactly the same boat and you have a natural kinship. You say 'Oh man, we gotta get together,' you really hit it off, and then at end of the night you go your separate ways and continue doing your thing and probably never see them again. It's strange. But it's quite a common event, meeting people that you feel like you've known all your life, and then you really only know them for half an hour."
"When we worked on 'Escape' in the studio, I was never really satisfied with what I was doing on the song. I decided I'd try something completely different and do a sort of atmospheric guitar part, sort of 'whale sounds' or whatever you want to call them. So I set up a delay unit and did numerous takes on different speeds. I'll never ever be able to play it like that. In the space of two or three seconds you'll hear three different delay speeds, which you just can't really do."
Phantom Power is the sixth studio album by the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. The album was released in 1998. It won the 1999 Juno Awards for Best Rock Album and Best Album Design.
The album's first single, "Poets", reached #1 on RPM's alternative chart, and stayed #1 for 12 weeks straight, longer than any other song in the history of that chart. Nice!
"Bobcaygeon" was also released as a single, and won the Juno Award for Single of the Year in 2000. It has since become recognized as one of the band's most enduring and beloved signature songs.
The band recorded the song "Something On" while stuck in the studio during the ice storm of 1998.
Phantom Power debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart. The album has been certified triple platinum in Canada.
The band performed at Woodstock '99 after the album was released.
#TheTragicallyHip #EscapeIsAtHandForTheTravellinMan #CanadianRock
🎤 plaidonflannel.com
🎸 plaidonflannelshop.com
An acoustic cover of "Escape Is At Hand For The Travellin' Man" from the Tragically Hip's 1998 album Phantom Power.
Words and music by Gord Downie, Rob Baker, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair, and Johnny Fay
It was our third time in New York
It was your fourth time in New York
We were fifth and sixth on the bill
We talk a little about our bands
Talk a little of our future plans
It's not like we were best friends
That number scheme comes back to me
In times beyond our heartbeat
We hung around 'til the final band called
"Escape Is At Hand For The Travellin' Man"
You yelled in my ear, this music speaks to me
They launched into, "Lonely From Rock 'n Roll"
Followed by, "They Checked Out An Hour Ago"
Closing with, "All Desires Turn Concrete"
Those melodies come back to me
Time beyond our heartbeat
I guess I'm too slow, yes, I'm too, yes, I'm too slow
But you said anytime of the day was fine
You said anytime of the night was also fine
I walked through your revolving door
Got no answer on the seventh floor
Elevator gave a low moan
The pigeons sagged the wire with their weight
Listening to the singing chambermaid
She sang, "They Checked Out An Hour Ago", and chuckled
Those melodies come back to me
Time beyond our heartbeat
I guess I'm too slow, yes, I'm too, yes, I'm too slow
But you said anytime of the day was fine
You said anytime of the night was also fine
Our heartbeat, our heartbeat, our heartbeat
Long conversation or idle chit chat
Maybe dive in or maybe hang back
Idle conversation or idle chit chat
Maybe dive in or maybe hang back
*Song Facts*
"Escape" is a song that has emerged as a fan favourite among diehard Hip heads. When the Hip returned home in 2004 for their first Kingston concert in a decade, it was "Escape" which topped an online poll of rare requests. The song had rarely been played live over the previous six years. The band was shocked to learn that it was the most requested song. since the poll strictly on a whim and with no real expectations.
The story behind the song is derived from the everyday encounters of bands criss-crossing the continent, as well as a specific meeting between the band and an up and coming singer named Jim Ellison. Lead singer of the band Material Issue, Ellison apparently made a strong impression on Gord Downie. Ellison was a driven and flashy musician who formed his band in the early 1990's with two Chicago friends. The trio produced what were labeled "power pop songs" and experienced some success with 1991's "Valerie Loves Me" which was later covered by Courtney Love. Ellison and Material Issue toured and recorded for Polygram Records throughout the middle of the decade.
On June 20, 1996 Ellison was found dead in his garage, having succumbed to carbon dioxide poisoning. His death was ruled a suicide. As the Hip toured in support of Phantom Power in 1998, Downie took to dedicating "Escape" to Ellison, once notably on a well known bootleg from Ellison's hometown of Chicago.
Bobby Baker once commented on the broader inspiration of the song, and why perhaps it is so rarely played live: "You meet these people that are in exactly the same boat and you have a natural kinship. You say 'Oh man, we gotta get together,' you really hit it off, and then at end of the night you go your separate ways and continue doing your thing and probably never see them again. It's strange. But it's quite a common event, meeting people that you feel like you've known all your life, and then you really only know them for half an hour."
"When we worked on 'Escape' in the studio, I was never really satisfied with what I was doing on the song. I decided I'd try something completely different and do a sort of atmospheric guitar part, sort of 'whale sounds' or whatever you want to call them. So I set up a delay unit and did numerous takes on different speeds. I'll never ever be able to play it like that. In the space of two or three seconds you'll hear three different delay speeds, which you just can't really do."
Phantom Power is the sixth studio album by the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. The album was released in 1998. It won the 1999 Juno Awards for Best Rock Album and Best Album Design.
The album's first single, "Poets", reached #1 on RPM's alternative chart, and stayed #1 for 12 weeks straight, longer than any other song in the history of that chart. Nice!
"Bobcaygeon" was also released as a single, and won the Juno Award for Single of the Year in 2000. It has since become recognized as one of the band's most enduring and beloved signature songs.
The band recorded the song "Something On" while stuck in the studio during the ice storm of 1998.
Phantom Power debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart. The album has been certified triple platinum in Canada.
The band performed at Woodstock '99 after the album was released.
#TheTragicallyHip #EscapeIsAtHandForTheTravellinMan #CanadianRock
