- Home For a Rest
"Home For a Rest" (sometimes abbreviated H4AR) is a song by Canadian
folk rock bandSpirit of the West , from their1990 album "Save This House ". Although never officially released as a single, it is the band's most famous song and is considered a classic of Canadian music.Written by John Mann and
Geoffrey Kelly , the song tells of a drinking spree inLondon . The lyrics and the musical setting clearly revel in the fun of the experience, but also show a longing for the rest and comfort of home: the song's chorus is "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."British geographical references such as
Euston Station ,Charing Cross Road andYorkshire appear in the lyrics. The song's musical arrangement incorporates the traditional reels "Castle Kelly," "Glass of Beer," and "Swallow's Tail.""Home For a Rest" is always the final song played at the band's
concert performances, excepting encores.Popularity
The song remains a standard frosh week anthem at Canadian colleges and universities. It 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 asIggy Pop 's "Lust for Life",The Village People 's "YMCA",Denis Leary 's "Asshole" andBeastie Boys ' "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 #8 on their Top 102 Canadian New Rock Songs of All Time.In
2005 , "Home For a Rest" was named the 22nd greatest Canadian song of all time in a listener vote on theCBC Radio One series "".The song is also frequently covered by other Canadian
folk rock bands, includingMudmen .
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