38 Years Old
by The Tragically Hip

Album: Up To Here (1989)
  • Twelve men broke loose in seventy-three
    From Mill Haven maximum security
    Twelve pictures lined up across the front page
    Seems the Mounties had a summertime war to wage

    The chief told the people they had nothing to fear
    Said, "The last thing they wanna do is hang around here"
    They mostly came from towns with long French names
    But one of the dozen was a hometown shame

    Same pattern on the table, same clock on the wall
    Been one seat empty, eighteen years in all
    Freezing slow time, away from the world
    He's thirty-eight years old, never kissed a girl
    He's thirty-eight years old, never kissed a girl

    We were sitting around the table, heard the telephone ring
    Father said he'd tell 'em if he saw anything
    Heard the tap on the window in the middle of the night
    Held back the curtains for my older brother Mike

    See my sister got raped so a man got killed
    Local boy went to prison, man's buried on the hill
    Folks went back to normal when they closed the case
    They still stare at their shoes when they pass our place

    My mother cried, "The horror has finally ceased!"
    He whispered, "Yeah, for the time being at least"
    Over her shoulder on the squad car megaphone
    Said, "Let's go Michael, son, we're taking you home"

    Same pattern on the table, same clock on the wall
    Been one seat empty, eighteen years in all
    Freezing slow time, away from the world
    He's thirty-eight years old, never kissed a girl
    He's thirty-eight years old, never kissed a girl
    He's thirty-eight years old, never kissed a girl Writer/s: Gordon Downie, Gordon Sinclair, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, Robert Baker
    Publisher: Peermusic Publishing
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 19

  • Lyle Abbott from East Of The WestBreakout was in '72. Had an uncle living in a rental house doing summer courses at Queens. My mom and all three of my siblings were visiting to do the summertime Kingston area tour. Spent a week in the basement peeking out the windows. Cousin had a hot girlfriend that played with my penis. Tragically Hip can create some fond memories.
  • Cheryl Anne Is A Liar from Sudbury Ontario CanadaCheryl-anne you liar. if you had nightmares still to this day and were so vivid about the "twelve men breaking out of millhaven" then you would know that it was actually 14 people who escaped. and you say they "knocked on your door to look at the newspaper to see themselves on the front page" hahahah why would they risk their freedom to do that. why wouldn't they just steal the paper from your front porch you liar. youre a meatball!!!! hahahahaha
  • Geo from BramptonThe escape mentioned in the song occurred in July 1972. It was 14 inmates who escaped at dusk after a softball game by clipping the fence in a dimly lit area.

    The Tragically Hip changed the date and number of inmates in 38 Years Old to rhyme with the following line. (12 men broke loose in '73...from Millhaven maximum security). See my YouTube video showing actual newspaper clips from the escape: http://youtu.be/FzKr-XJKdUE
  • Cheryl-anne from Aulac, NbThe part about twelve men breaking out of Millhaven maximum security prison is TRUE. I was born and raised close to there and I still have nightmares from that time. Police were all over our farm every day hunting for them. They slept in our barn, pumped water at our well, stole farm implements that could be used as weapons, and some came right to the door looking for the newpaper with their pictures on the front. My brother and I were very young, but I'll never forget that time in our lives. I get chills every time I hear that song. The fictional story line thats been added helps me to hope that maybe some of those 12 hardened criminals had a good reason for being in prison.
  • Tash from Tofino, BcMan, can these guys write great lyrics or what!!
  • John from Beltsville, MdGreat song from a great album. Gives me shivers every time I hear it and makes me wish it WERE true.
  • Colin from Buffalo, NyLove the hip favorite song by far its a shame they're not to popular in the U.S they're huge here in buffalo!
  • Nate from Watertown, NyI think Michael is referring to Wheat Kings. Btw, I'm an American and am so lucky to be living close enough to get all of Kingston ON's great radio stations. The Hip is hugely popular in my local area. Thanks a lot for all the great music coming over the border. Without you guys there would be nothing good to listen to over here!
  • Sheldon from Surrey, Arits a little sad how everyone here is from canada. i guess its true, the hip never really did hit it big in the U.S
  • Rain from Kingston, OnTHE BEST BAND EVER!
  • Sasha from Winston, MsThis is probably my favourite Tragically Hip song, with the exception of "The Bastard". Great band, and I love the fact that this song actually tells a story, which is pretty cool.
  • Mike from Ottawa, OnActually the people did exist to a certain extent Geoff. In 1973 twelve people did escape from Milhaven Maximum Security Institution. Of the twelve, ten were caught, one was killed, and the last remains at large. His name is still on Milhaven's count board, and will remain there until 2072, unless he is confirmed dead or caught. As far as I know the rest of the lyrics are fictional.
  • Trevor from Waterloo, Canadamichael, you state that the boy was 16 years old. the lyric goes "been one seat empty 18 years in all" and if he is 38 now, that would make him 20 back then.
  • Geoff from Pemberton, CanadaListen to the song again. It's about a prison break by a kid's "older brother Mike" who 18 yrs ago killed a man who raped his sister (and the narrator's sister of course). I grew up near Milhaven Maximum security prison, know some of the members of the band (casually-our parents worked together). Tom from Ralston has it right: it's a story about people who never existed. I am curious what an "alaskan fire dragon" is though.
  • Michael from CanadaIt is about a 16 year old boy (in real life) who was sent to jail for murder and at the age or 38 was let out when they figured out he was innocent. get your facts together or i'll give you an alaskan fire dragon.
  • Sheridan from St Catharines, Canadahippononymus i beleive
  • Starry from Powell River, Bc, CanadaThey need to do another "Up to Here" and "Fully & Completely" tour eh?!?!? That would rock my world. Did ya hear about the new one comming out? Like a greatest-hit thing, with fans favorite songs. Believe it's called Hippopotamus. Can't freakin' wait!
  • Ashley from Moncton, CanadaThe Tragically Hip is my favourite band and this is one of my favourite songs by them. Their older stuff is much better than their new stuff, they seem to have lost that bluesy guitar based feel.
  • Tom from Ralston, CanadaThis is definately one of my favourite songs by my favourite band. Gord Downie, in my opinion, is the best songwriter of this day and age. I heard him introduce it live once, as: "That's Paul Langois playing guitar, he's tuning it up for our little docu-tragedy. It's a true story about some people that never existed. It's called 38 Years Old for those of you keeping score"
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