the weakerthans, “elegy for gump worsley,”
from: reunion tour, 2007
“He looked more like our fathers
Not a goalie, player, athlete period
Smoke, half-ash, stuck in that permanent smirk
Tugging jersey around the beer gut
”I’m strictly a whiskey man”
Was one of the sticks he taped up
And gave to a nation of pudgy boys in beverage rooms
Favorites from Plympton’s list
Of objects thrown by Rangers fans
Soup cans, persimmon, eggs, a folding chair and a dead rabbit
The nervous breakdown of ‘68 and ‘69
After pant-crap flights from LA, the expansion
A shrink told me to change occupations, I had to forget it
He swore he was never afraid of the puck, we believe him
If anyone asks, the inscription should read
”My face was my mask”
”
As general disinterest in professional ice hockey puts away it clothes for the onslaught of summer, I thought it might be time to trot out this gem from a little known band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Weakerthans were a working manitobas art rock group who lionized the spirit of the late hockey goalie Gump Worsley. It’s a direct hit. A few footnotes. The Plympton referenced in the song is George Plympton, a sports writer. Worsley refused to wear a mask to protect his face from serious cuts by the puck. Hence the comment as the song ends.
Mr. Worsley as a Montreal Canadien.