Why is Gordon Lightfoot's passing in 2023 mourned by fans worldwide?

[pinball1970]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.th...tfoot-canadian-singer-songwriter-dies-aged-84

This is one of those timeless tracks. R.I.P.

 

[hutchphd]

Ah, this one hurts. First song I ever finger-picked on a guitar was "Early Mornin Rain"......

 

[Frabjous]

My father liked him a lot, but did not have the album with the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald on it. I “discovered” Lightfoot 25 years later through it and was surprised when I remembered a bunch of his other songs.

 

[TonyStewart]

My older sister and enjoyed his concert in the early 70's in Winnipeg. Then I got a 12 string to play his songs. Red Shea was the best 6 string support guy. Rick also does a nice tribute on another podcast.

 

[mcastillo356]

What means "bout a ghost from a wishing well"? Not native, but I think it's something like "my wishes didn't success *

 

[pinball1970]

What means "bout a ghost from a wishing well"? Not native, but I think it's something like "my wishes didn't success *

It's a great line. He goes on to say, "you know that ghost is me." Then later he talks about a hero from a novel and "..but hero's often fail."

The song is about his failing marriage.

 

[jtbell]

Speaking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, we had a thread about it a couple of years ago:

https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...e-edmund-fitzgerald-great-lakes-ship.1001140/

When I learned that Lightfoot had died, I thought of my visit to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum which is shown in that thread.

 

[TonyStewart]

It's a great line. He goes on to say, "you know that ghost is me." Then later he talks about a hero from a novel and "..but hero's often fail."

The song is about his failing marriage.

(after the breakup)

It is a remorseful story of pain after love, with strong yet steady, creative poetic attempts to get his 1st wife back using superstition, guilt , make believe analogies, and wishes that she could read his mind. Yet none of this shows regret for his infidelity or his irresponsibility. It's a common trap with hormones stronger than drugs and his will power and weakness. It's a steady melody with dissonance and progressions yet has a flurry of love notes with the supporting guitar from Red Shea.

More here ...
https://www.songfacts.com/facts/gordon-lightfoot/if-you-could-read-my-mind

 

[pinball1970]

It is a remorseful story of pain after love, with strong yet steady, creative poetic attempts to get his 1st wife back using superstition, guilt , make believe analogies, and wishes that she could read his mind. Yet none of this shows regret for his infidelity or his irresponsibility. It's a common trap with hormones stronger than drugs and his will power and weakness. It's a steady melody with dissonance and progressions yet has a flurry of love notes with the supporting guitar from Red Shea.

More here ...
https://www.songfacts.com/facts/gordon-lightfoot/if-you-could-read-my-mind

I would have been approaching 4 years old when this came out yet it impacted me in those early years.

Not easy when you think about it as we only had radio as an outlet for music in the early 70s.

You just may catch an artist on the TV but this was only a couple of channels and none of them playing music that much (UK- BB1, BB2, ITV)

Unless you had the vinyl of course then you just play the record. (we didn’t)
Besides his haunting voice, a couple of the lyrics stuck with me as did some of the music.
On a lighter note we had a comedy show in 2000 called, “Trigger Happy TV.”

It consisted surreal pranks and antics played out in public places usually in London.

They used “If you could read my mind” for one recurring sketch.

A lone artist always failing to provide a portrait for a paying customer.

The preceding sketches were rather crazy, surreal or embarrassing and inappropriate but as soon as that music kicked in, the whole mood changed.
My friend liked hard core punk, thrash metal and dance music but when we watched the show, that was his favourite part, because of that track.
Such is the impact of music when it is that good.

 

[TonyStewart]

What means "bout a ghost from a wishing well"? Not native, but I think it's something like "my wishes didn't success *

I'm native Canadian but I guess I don't read enough books to understand the superstition about releasing the entanglement of ghosts who return from the dead that cannot be seen in a wishing well because she is wishing for something/one else, so his ghost reflection does not appear and still wanders on earth in the night.

Perhaps the ghosts need to be forgiven in order for them to be free and disappear, or wishing she could read his minds to bring the ghost back to life.

It's some kind of fictional folklore I'm not familiar with.

 

[pinball1970]

I'm native Canadian but I guess I don't read enough books to understand the superstition about releasing the entanglement of ghosts who return from the dead that cannot be seen in a wishing well because she is wishing for something/one else, so his ghost reflection does not appear and still wanders on earth in the night.

Perhaps the ghosts need to be forgiven in order for them to be free and disappear, or wishing she could read his minds to bring the ghost back to life.

It's some kind of fictional folklore I'm not familiar with.

I read it in a certain way but I could be completely wrong in terms of what he actually meant for himself at that time.
I think that is ok though, if you are going to use metaphor then that is open to interpretation.
The point is one can immediately relate to it, even if you are child it means something.
You can tell by his voice he is sad and his "love" has gone wrong somehow.
For me now? He was a hero to her, a wish that has faded. That hero failed and the person he was does not exist anymore, like a ghost.

I prefer that to boy meets girl, fall in love, get married have kids. He gets successful as a musician goes abroad on tour and meets lots of women.
Probably more accurate like you said.

 

[hmmm27]

Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was one of the few songs for which I actually bought sheet music.

 

[pinball1970]

Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was one of the few songs for which I actually bought sheet music.

I Need To listen to more stuff

 

[George Jones]

In my opinion, Canada's greatest songwriter. Unlike Joni Mitchell and Neil Young, he achieved his success while staying based in Canada.

Four years ago I bought a biography of Lightfoot, but I only started to read it a few days ago.

This is one of those timeless tracks. R.I.P.

Interesting story: the song "The Greatest Loved of All", sung by Whitney Houston but written by Michael Masser, nicked 24 bars from Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind". Lightfoot started a lawsuit because "I don't want the present generation to think that I stole my song from him." He dropped the lawsuit when it started to adversely affect Houston's public image, as she had nothing to do with it.

Lightfoot was an expert outdoorsman and canoeist, and made made countless canoe trips deep in the wilderness of northern Ontario, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon.

Unlike most pop/rock musicians, Light could read and transcribe music. Early in his career he made money transcribing music for the CBC.

I love many of Lightfoot's songs, but my favourite is The Canadian Railroad Trilogy, an official Canadian anthem.

 

[TonyStewart]

I love many of Lightfoot's songs, but my favourite is The Canadian Railroad Trilogy, an official Canadian anthem.

Same here, but I prefer this live concert version without the orchestra.