Eagle and Hawk's "Another September" - An Indigenous Rock n Roll Classic

It has all the elements of a Canadian pop music classic. From it's folky and hummable melody with regional southern Manitoba lyrical references to it's rousing singalong chorus Eagle and Hawk’s Another September is a song that you should know but you don't.

The recent passing of Vince Fontaine founding member of Eagle and Hawk has caused me to reflect on their outstanding collection of Indigenous rock and roll. For those who know songs like Sundancer, Cowboys and Indians, I SeeRed, Indian city and their cover of Keith Secola’s Indian Car are the top songs in the Eagle and Hawk canon . And they all deserve to be heard because they are wonderful examples of contemporary Indigenous music that speak to Indigenous issues.

Another September is a song that doesn't reference Indigenous identity but is about love, regret, broken hearts and getting through one more day. It’s not for kids. It’s not someone singing about how they used to go driving back in high school. This is about a grown up who has seen some things “The Children are all married, another Soldier’s been buried.” Then the kicker, “The Jets moved to Phoenix too.”

There is no reference to sex in this song. It is all about having a partner. Having someone that just wants to be with you. “We used to drive on up to Winnipeg Beach, You used to laugh at all my bad jokes.”

Songs that work for you do so on all kinds of levels. When I first fell for this track the opening line, which does put you in a place was one that I didn’t like. “There's still a dark stain where you spilled your Pepsi that day.” I got it but I also didn’t like it. As the song grew and the images in the song and the story that was taking place within in it became clear. I began to feel that Pepsi stain. It was a fight they had. They argued about it. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe she was absolutely wrong. But he still had to be such a dick about it. It was just some goddamn spilled pepsi.

If there is a reference that I feel personally is Indigenous but is also universal it is the line. “I still wear your daddy’s old coat.”

To get the old man’s coat is a generous gift and if it is one that is still being worn after all these years it suggest something well made like a leather or buckskin jacket or a working man’s coat like a mackinaw. It speaks to the larger connection that has been lost that he was once considered worthy to walk in her father’s moccasins.

Interweaved into the song are very specific references to municipal corruption “The city's got bigger, he's got two terms go figure” in the beginning and “Another mayor's been busted, they still cant be trusted” towards the end.  It all adds up to creating a complete universe. A moment in time in a real world that is so specific in details in creates an emotional response in the listener.

The Pepsi stain isn’t just the mess in your life that you can’t clean up it represents that piece of your life that you can’t let go.

“I still stare at the stain on the floor. And your silver bracelet is still in the top drawer, Oh Hear me Know”.

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If Indigenous artists like Eagle and Hawk would receive the kind of radio support from Canadian and Indigenous radio that they deserve more of these songs would be known. 

Native Content (NATCON)

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