When I bought a ‘Frisky Flyer’ from Paul at the market last Saturday, I immediately asked myself is this a ‘Flexible Flyer?’
The ‘Frisky Flyer’ is a sled / tabogan, made in Canada between the 50s and 70s. It is a classic wooden sled with thin metal runners and a steerable front end, named for its ability to “flex” and glide smoothly over snow while allowing riders to steer by shifting their weight or pulling on a crossbar.
Let’s go to the beginning, as a young man and a bit of a punk rocker, one of my favourite bands were Husker Du. On their seminal album is a song called Flexible Flyer. I was just departing my teenage years at the time, but had already moved on from studying the lyrics of bands I liked, hoping to discover the meaning of life.
It is a stirring song with such a powerful riff, sung by drummer Grant Hart. That’s why I loved it. One of the best tracks from the seminal New Day Rising 1985.
So I googled the lyrics and realised, outside the almost brilliant yet brutal delivery, the song is a beautiful lament. The song draws heavily on themes of childhood slipping away and the bitter realization that adult life is not what it was once imagined to be. The “Flexible Flyer” becomes a symbol of carefree youth, and its loss reflects emotional disillusionment.
“We used to ride / We used to glide / All the way down / The hill so high. “ These lines depict a vivid memory of childhood joy, sledding on a hill on joyous carefree youth.
But the tone quickly turns: “Now it’s all gone / Everything’s gone”
The loss is not just physical, but emotional and existential, a mourning of that time and a recognition that life has changed irreversibly.
Down on my Flexible Flyer
To the bottom, how fast I would go
Just waiting for me under the tree
And out in the snow
A cowboy, a nurse or a fireman
There’s so many things that you can be
You can set bigger goals, but set your soul
Yeah, set your soul free
Times, places and situations
Lead us to an early grave
When we get there we see
Just what did we save?
If your heart is a flame burning brightly
You’ll have light and you’ll never grow cold
And soon you will know that you just grow
You’re not growing old
If the wheels of your wagon are rusty
You can paint them until they are new
You can roll down a hill, but if you can’t
Then I pity you
The past isn’t just lost—it feels like it can’t be reclaimed, and that recognition is crushing.
In particular, the chorus is quite harrowing:
Times, places and situations
Lead us to an early grave
When we get there we see
Just what did we save?
We often race through life, driven by circumstance, ambition, or fear, only to find ourselves drained and disillusioned. The pressures of time and place can lead us to sacrifice joy, health, or meaning in pursuit of hollow rewards. In the end, we’re left asking: was anything truly gained—or just everything slowly lost?
Let’s face it, Husker Du were one of the greatest bands of all time, but certainly not the cheeriest!
It’s strange how a simple buy at a market can reignite curiosity and help to rediscover a sing, currently I cannot stop playing!
The Rights of Fans. 