The Tragically Hip Trivia Questions & Answers : Page 8

This song is often said to be based on the raid on Dieppe, which took place on August 19, 1942. Of the 6,100 personnel in the attack, 5,000 were Canadian. It is believed that almost 4,000 of the Canadian soldiers lost their lives that day. If it was not for Dieppe, D-Day may never have happened in 1944. It has also been said to be based on the sinking of the German battleship, the "Bismarck".