“Wheat Kings” by The Tragically Hip

"Wheat Kings" sits tenth on Fully Completely, the Tragically Hip's 1992 album, and though it never went out as a single, it has stayed among the Canadian band's best-loved songs. Gord Downie's words draw on the case of David Milgaard, wrongfully convicted of Gail Miller's 1969 rape and murder in Saskatoon, who spent 23 years in prison before he was exonerated. Downie said the song was about Milgaard's faith in himself, his mother Joyce's faith in his innocence, the country's faith in human fallibility, and Miller herself.

Paul Langlois wrote the music; his first riff leaned toward the Rolling Stones until producer Chris Tsangarides steered him to plain major chords. Downie sings over Langlois and Rob Baker's electric guitars, Gord Sinclair's bass and Johnny Fay's drums.

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