Home for a Rest

"Home for a Rest" is a song by Canadian folk rock band Spirit of the West, from their 1990 album Save This House. Although never officially released as a single, it is the band's signature song and is considered a classic of Canadian music.[1]

"Home for a Rest"
Song by Spirit of the West
from the album Save This House
Released1990 (1990)
Recorded1989
GenreFolk rock
Length4:33
Songwriter(s)John Mann
Geoffrey Kelly
Producer(s)Danny Greenspoon

Background and writing

Written by John Mann and Geoffrey Kelly, the song tells of a drinking spree in London:

You'll have to excuse me, I'm not at my best
I've been gone for a week, I've been drunk since I left
These so-called vacations will soon be my death
I'm so sick from the drink, I need home for a rest.

The song was written during one of the band's first tours of England, and was originally more of a poem than a full-fledged song.[2] According to producer Danny Greenspoon, the band considered it still a work in progress, and had not brought it to the primary recording sessions for the album; rather, it was brought to Greenspoon's attention only as he was about to conclude work on the project and return home to Toronto.[3] Recognizing the song's potential, he immediately worked with the band to resolve their uncertainties about its readiness, and finally recorded it as the last song of the sessions.[3]

British geographical references such as Euston Station, Charing Cross Road and Yorkshire appear in the lyrics. The later choruses switch the length of time that the narrator has been gone from a week to a month, and in some live performances change from a month to a year. The song's musical arrangement incorporates the traditional reels "Castle Kelly", "Glass of Beer", and "Swallow's Tail".[4]

Live performances

"Home for a Rest" was always the final song played at the band's concert performances, excepting encores. A live performance of the song at the band's 2015 Massey Hall concert forms the climax of the 2016 documentary film Spirit Unforgettable;[5] due to Mann's battle with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, he struggles with the lyrics at first but the entire audience begins singing along.[5]

Popularity

The song was one of two Canadian songs (the other being "Do the Bearcat" by David Wilcox) to appear on the 1998 compilation album Frosh, alongside such party anthems as Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life", The Village People's "YMCA", Denis Leary's "Asshole", and Beastie Boys' "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)".

In 1999, the song was named to CFNY's Top 1002 New Rock Songs of All Time, ranking 689th behind R.E.M.'s "Shiny Happy People" and ahead of Robert Palmer's "Looking for Clues". In 2007, CFNY named it No. 8 on their Top 102 Canadian New Rock Songs of All Time.[6]

In 2005, "Home for a Rest" was named the 22nd greatest Canadian song of all time in a listener vote on the CBC Radio One series 50 Tracks: The Canadian Version.

The song is also frequently covered by other Canadian folk rock bands, including Mudmen and Enter the Haggis. Spirit of the West's original recording has also occasionally been misattributed to Great Big Sea on YouTube and in online lyrics databases.

A limited edition single was released for the 2014 Record Store Day.

At a November 2017 fundraising benefit concert for Mann's medical care at Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom, the participants recorded a tribute version of the song onsite prior to the concert; participants included Jim Cuddy, Sarah McLachlan, Ed Robertson, Barney Bentall, Colin James, Shari Ulrich, and Jim Byrnes.[7]

From 2005 to 2016, "Home for a Rest" was the fifth best-selling digitally downloaded 1990s song by a Canadian artist in Canada and the best-selling digitally downloaded 1990s song by a Canadian band in Canada.[8]

On January 16, 2019, the song was certified platinum in Canada.[9]

A music video was released, which was in rotation on MuchMusic and later available on YouTube.

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References
  1. "Songs to drink away those troubles". Calgary Herald, March 17, 2010. p. D6.
  2. 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.
  3. "The making of Spirit of the West's 'Home for a Rest'" Archived March 1, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. CBC Music, April 18, 2016.
  4. Save This House liner notes.
  5. "Review: ‘Spirit Unforgettable’". Point of View, April 28, 2016.
  6. Top 102 Canadian New Rock Songs of All Time Archived July 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, reposted at mog.com.
  7. "'We got it in the can in the can': Alan Doyle spearheads bathroom recording to benefit John Mann". CBC News Newfoundland and Labrador, January 13, 2018.
  8. "NIELSEN MUSIC & BILLBOARD PRESENT CANADA 150 CHARTS" (PDF). bdsradio.com. p. 30. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  9. "Gold/Platinum". Music Canada. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
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