RIP
Honoring the widely respected folkie, who died at 84
So many brilliant songwriters came out of Canada in the Sixties — legends like Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Robbie Robertson — that the talents of Gordon Lightfoot are sometimes overlooked by those who don’t know better. He never even appeared on a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot before his death at 84. That’s a raging injustice when you listen back to gems like “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Carefree Highway,” and “Early Morning Rain.” These songs earned him a sterling reputation as a songwriter’s songwriter, which you can see when you check the list of people who covered them: Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and countless others. Or you can take it from Dylan himself, who famously remarked, “I can’t think of any Gordon Lightfoot song I don’t like. Every time I hear a song of his, it’s like I wish it would last forever.” Here’s a guide to ten of Lightfoot’s best songs.
“For Lovin’ Me” (1966)
Long before most music fans knew the name Gordon Lightfoot, they knew his music thanks to tunes like “For Lovin’ Me.” A bitter song of self-loathing directed at a former lover (“I ain’t the kind to hang around/With any new love that I found/’Cause movin’ is my stock in trade”), it first appeared on his 1966 debut, Lightfoot!, and was covered within a few years by Peter, Paul, and Mary, Ian & Sylvia, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and the Carter Family. In 1973, Elvis Presley put his spin on it. And in 1975, a now-established Lightfoot re-recorded it for his Gord’s Gold compilation. He merged it with “Did She Mention My Name?” on that release, completely transforming the song by revealing the loneliness that comes when you close your mind to love and human connection. —A.G.
“Early Morning Rain” (1966)
“Early Morning Rain,” a briskly strummed meditation on longing and losing, is both one of Lightfoot’s first compositions and one of his most influential. He sings about his lover leaving him on a plane while he stays grounded and drunk. “You can’t jump a jet plane like you can a freight train,” he sings, “So I’d best be on my way/In the early mornin’ rain.” Like many of his early songs, it was widely covered; John Denver even credited the tune with inspiring his own “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” But it was Dylan’s cover on 1970’s Self Portrait that Lightfoot felt affected him most. “I was totally blown away that he would record one of my songs in the first place,” Lightfoot once told Mojo. “It helped my career. I’d not had a hit single myself at that point. His cover was a linchpin in that whole process because it made people in the industry aware that I was producing good songs.” —K.G.Editor’s picks
“Canadian Railroad Trilogy” (1967)
A six-and-a-half minute folk ballad about the creation of the Canadian Pacific Railway would be a slog in the hands of most songwriters. But when the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation asked Lightfoot to write the historical song to celebrate Canada’s centennial year in 1967, he poured his heart into the task and emerged with a masterpiece about the history of his country and the resilience of the human spirit. “I stayed up all night working on it, right up until nine or ten in the morning,” Lightfoot said. “Then sleep and pile right back into it. Coffee, cigarettes — nothing else. No booze at that point. The song was done in three days.” The end result was so beloved that even Queen Elizabeth became aware of it. “I met her in our capital, Ottawa, at a Canada Day celebration,” Lightfoot said in 2016. “She told me how much she loved the ‘Canadian Railroad Trilogy.’ She looked at me and said, ‘Oh, that song,’ and then said again, ‘That song,’ and that was all she said.” —A.G.
“Did She Mention My Name?” (1968)
The gift for well-turned tales of heartbreak that would endear Lightfoot to country audiences in the years to come is in full effect on this 1968 gem, from his John Simon-produced third album. The narrator is catching up with a friend he hasn’t seen in years, and he tries to play it cool as they chat about the old days. But he’s only able to hold off on the question that’s haunting him until the last line of each verse: “Is the home team still on fire? Do they still win all the games? And by the way, did she mention my name?” In its understated tone, only hinting at all the regret beneath the surface, the song treads some of the same ground Dylan would explore a few years later with “If You See Her, Say Hello.” —S.V.L.Related
“If You Could Read My Mind” (1970)
“If You Could Read My Mind” is the Canadian cousin of “You’re a Big Girl Now”: a divorce dirge that’s a corkscrew to the heart, but you play it over and over again anyway, because that’s the power of a Lightfoot song. He barely takes a breath here, dropping each line drenched in imagery and sorrow. Anyone else would sound ridiculous comparing their pain to being “In a castle dark or a fortress strong/With chains upon my feet.” The song was such a hit that the album it was released off of — 1970’s Sit Down Stranger — was quickly renamed after it. It’s so beloved that everyone from Viola Willis to Gene Clark to Neil Young has covered it. The Replacements’ Paul Westerberg even joked that he wants it to be sung at his funeral. —A.M.
“Sundown” (1974)
One of the most ominously pretty songs about infidelity ever written, “Sundown” was Lightfoot’s sole Number One hit in the U.S. “We knocked Paul McCartney out of first place,” he later said. “That’s as close as I got to catching up to [the Beatles], because they were always there, and you always had to compete against them.” Lightfoot’s voice is warm and moody as he issues a warning to his erstwhile lover’s new companion: When he sings, “Getting lost in her lovin’ is your first mistake,” you can almost smell the night air rustling the folds of her satin dress. “It’s got a good beat to it,” Lightfoot has said, downplaying the classic. “It’s got interesting harmonic passages. It has a great arrangement and not too bad of a vocal. If I was going to do it again, I’d probably try to do the vocal again.” We’d have to disagree, but his willingness to tweak even his most popular song decades later speaks to an unmatched mastery. —B.E.
“Carefree Highway” (1974)
Lightfoot was “driving from Flagstaff to Phoenix, about 1:30 in the morning, trying to make it to catch a plane back to Toronto” when he saw the road sign that inspired this mid-Seventies hit. To desert commuters, Arizona State Route 74 is a useful 30-mile stretch of pavement; to Lightfoot, its poetic nickname evoked the story of a restless soul on the road, wandering the Southwest with an old flame named Ann on his mind. She’s way back in his rearview mirror — he can’t even quite remember her face anymore — but he can’t forget her, either, as the wistful chords roll on. “I saw ‘Carefree Highway’ and said to the bass player, ‘That sounds to me like a song title,’” he recalled years later. —S.V.L.
“Rainy Day People” (1975)
Part of Gordon Lightfoot’s genius was his ability to transform a simple idea into something beautiful. On “Rainy Day People,” he’s addressing true friends who don’t back away when times get tough. “Rainy day people always seem to know when it’s time to call,” he sings. “Rainy day people don’t talk, they just listen till they’ve heard it all.” The song peaked at Number 26 on the Hot 100, way below Freddy Fender’s “Before The Next Teardrop Falls,” Tony Orlando and Dawn’s “He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You),” and “The Immigrant” by Neil Sedaka. Many of those songs are long forgotten by now, but the universality of “Rainy Day People” has allowed it to endure. —A.G.Trending
“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” (1976)
A freighter carrying iron ore across Lake Superior sank, killing all 29 crew members, during a November 1975 storm. This tragedy inspired Lightfoot’s six-and-a-half–minute prog-folk story song. Amid swaying guitar and some tasteful keyboard lines, Lightfoot paints a full portrait of the disaster, singing about the lake, the ship, and its crew. His passion for the story resonated with listeners, and the song made it up to Number Two on Billboard’s Hot 100. The town of Superior, Michigan even made him an honorary citizen for drawing attention to the wreck’s victims. “It means a whole lot to me sharing that with the world, and meeting a lot of people that have related in one way or another … to shipping on the Great Lakes,” he told Rolling Stone. “It’s been an opportunity to meet with hundreds of people who in some way have identified with somebody or something that had to do with that unfortunate tragedy.” —K.G.
“Daylight Katy” (1978)
In the late Seventies, rock, country, pop, and disco were all melting together into a soft-serve swirl of easy-listening effluvia. Lightfoot found himself right at home in this gilded morass on “Daylight Katy.” In this song, he’s looking to end up on the winning end of the “Sundown” dynamic, playing the potential benefactor of a backstairs-creeping filly, who “walks to the sea where the seaweed is.” Gordo coolly holds Katy at bay with his casually resigned, take-or-leave-it baritone. “If you can’t follow me down/Daylight Katy go home,” he offers. Rolling Stone wasn’t super kind to Endless Wire: “Lightfoot’s latest LP lacks even the minor virtues that used to make him bearable.” But “Daylight Katy” is a keeper — the song is, we mean. As far as Katy herself….eh, let’s wait til daylight and see how it goes. —J.D.
FAQs
Did Bob Dylan like Gordon Lightfoot? ›
Bob Dylan once named Gordon Lightfoot one of his favorite songwriters, and called the musician “somebody of rare talent” while inducting him into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1986.
What is Gordon Lightfoot's biggest hit? ›Lightfoot's biggest hit to date is 'Sundown' from the 1974 titular album. It was the first and only to reach the Billboard top 100. 'Sundown' was, like all his records, recorded in his hometown of Toronto, where he lives to this day.
Where is Gordon Lightfoot buried? ›After the ceremony finished, Lightfoot's casket was loaded into a hearse and left the church grounds as a small crowd of people gathered to observe the proceedings from across the street. Lightfoot is to be laid to rest alongside his parents at St. Andrew's and St. James' Cemetery.
Did Gordon Lightfoot write If You Could Read My Mind? ›"If You Could Read My Mind." Song by Gordon Lightfoot. Written in 1969, "catches the cadences of a hurt lover unused to words that cut too close" (Maclean's, 1 May 1978). The song has been recorded more than 100 times, first in 1969 by the composer for his LP Sit Down Young Stranger.
Who was Bob Dylan's favorite singer? ›In his 2004 memoir Chronicles: Volume One, Bob Dylan wrote, "My favorite singer…was Karen Dalton. Karen had a voice like Billie Holiday and played guitar like Jimmy Reed… I sang with her a couple of times."
Who was Bob Dylan's greatest love? ›Susan Elizabeth Rotolo (November 20, 1943 – February 25, 2011), known as Suze Rotolo (/ˈsuːziː/ SOO-zee), was an American artist, and the girlfriend of Bob Dylan from 1961 to 1964. Dylan later acknowledged her strong influence on his music and art during that period.
What is the longest No 1 hit? ›"Old Town Road" holds the record for the longest stretch at No. 1 with 19 weeks. It also became the fastest song in history to be certified diamond. "The Box" charted at No.
Who has the #1 hit of all time? ›| Rank | Single | Artist(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blinding Lights" | The Weeknd |
| 2. | "The Twist" | Chubby Checker |
| 3. | "Smooth" | Santana featuring Rob Thomas |
| 4. | "Mack the Knife" | Bobby Darin |
1's. With the release of her single "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" in early '88, Whitney Houston set the record as the only artist ever to reach the milestone of seven consecutive No. 1 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100.
What is Gordon Lightfoot's net worth? ›He released the album Solo in 2020 and toured in 2022. However, Lightfoot canceled his 2023 tour. The years of making and selling records, writing popular and heavily covered songs, and touring behind his music paid off. Lightfoot amassed a $40 million net...
Did Gordon Lightfoot have a stroke? ›
That being said, Gordon did undergo surgery in 2002 due to a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. He even went into a coma for 6 weeks and it was unknown if he would survive. Despite this setback, Gordon resumed touring in 2003 and even signed new recording deals. He later suffered a stroke in 2006 but recovered fully.
What nationality was Gordon Lightfoot? › Does Gordon Lightfoot believe in God? ›And yet, Lightfoot said he was a Christian—and perhaps he got closer to religion as he grew older. “I can say one thing: It's faith in God that keeps me going,” he told Broadview in a 2013 interview, one conducted in St. Paul's United, the same church he attended as a child. “I go to church a lot more than I used to.
What does burned in a 3 way script mean? ›Here is the verse, again: "I'd walk away like a movie star who gets burned in a three-way script / Enter number two". You are saying that, figuratively, it means: There is a three-way love triangle (A: the singer; B: his rival; and C: the woman of the singer's affections). So, A is in love with C.
What did Gordon Lightfoot write sundown about? ›It was Lightfoot's most lucrative song and a No. 1 hit and was about his tumultuous relationship with a woman named Cathy Smith, who first worked for Lightfoot as a backup singer and then became his mistress in the 1970s.
Did paul McCartney like Bob Dylan? ›Paul McCartney was a fan of Bob Dylan's music, and he felt that meeting the American musician marked a turning point in The Beatles' career. Dylan has also expressed his appreciation for McCartney's music, even joking that he wished the former Beatle would retire because of his talent.
What's Bob Dylan's IQ? ›Bob Dylan, famous folk and rock musician had an IQ test score of 106.
Who did Bob Dylan say was the best guitarist? ›Bloomfield was one of the most lauded guitarists of the 1960s and after Dylan's seismic rise to prominence early in the decade, he had no question in his mind when picking out the guitarist he wanted to play alongside when recording his classic 1965 album, Highway 61 Revisited.
What song did Dylan say was the greatest ever written? ›What song did Bob Dylan say was the best ever written? One time, Dylan revealed what he thought was the best song out there. According to American Songwriter, Dylan said “Wichita Lineman” written by Jimmy Webb was “the greatest song ever written.”
Who was Bob Dylan's favorite band? ›The Oasis Brothers, I like them both, Julian Casablancas, the Klaxons, Grace Potter. I've seen Metallica twice. I've made special efforts to see Jack White and Alex Turner.
Who is Bob Dylan's closest friend? ›
And it belonged to Louie Kemp, Dylan's best friend since summer camp in Wisconsin in 1953. Keep in mind that Kemp at first had no intention of joining his pal Bobby on this trip, which marked Dylan's first tour since his '66 world tour back when The Band was still called The Hawks.
Who has had a #1 hit every decade? ›Cher's career as a recording artist spans seven decades and she is the only artist to have a number-one single on a Billboard chart in each of the past six decades.
What is the best-selling album of all time? ›Michael Jackson's Thriller, estimated to have sold 70 million copies worldwide, is the best-selling album ever. Jackson also currently has the highest number of albums on the list with five, Celine Dion has four, while the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Madonna and Whitney Houston each have three.
Who has written the most #1 songs? ›The most successful songwriters in terms of number one singles are John Lennon (1940-80) and Paul McCartney (b. 18 Jun 1942). McCartney is credited as the writer on 32 number one hits in the US to Lennons 26 (with 23 co-written), whereas Lennon authored 29 UK number ones to McCartney's 28 (25 co-written).
What is the best song of all time? ›- Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana (1991)
- Imagine - John Lennon (1971)
- One - U2 (1992)
- Billie Jean - Michael Jackson (1982)
- Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen (1975)
- Hey Jude - The Beatles (1968)
- Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan (1967)
- I Can't Get No Satisfaction - Rolling Stones (1965)
- As a musician, Paul McCartney has the most No. 1 albums, with 27. This includes 19 albums from his work with The Beatles, three solo albums and five albums as a part of his 1970s group Wings. ...
- Barbra Streisand is the only artist to have No. 1 albums in six different decades.
Gogi Grant, Who Knocked Elvis Off Top of Chart, Dies at 91 - The New York Times.
Who is the youngest artist to have a #1 song? ›When the track reached No. 1, Stevie became the youngest solo artist to have topped the Billboard Hot 100 – though another future Motown superstar, Michael Jackson, was aged just 11 years 155 days when The Jackson Five's “I Want You Back” topped the Billboard charts in January 1970.
What singer has the most consecutive number one hits? ›Music historians cite Whitney's record-setting achievements: the only artist to have seven consecutive number one Billboard Hot 100 hits ("Saving All My Love for You," "How Will I Know," "Greatest Love of All," "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)," "Didn't We Almost Have It All," "So Emotional" and "Where Do ...
How much is Willie Nelson's estate worth? ›
Willie Nelson's net worth is estimated to be $25 million. Nelson has earned that money mainly through his successful country music career.
What was Loretta's net worth? ›American country music superstar Loretta Lynn had a net worth of $65 million according to celebritynetworth.com.
What is Loretta's net worth? ›| Loretta Lynn's Net Worth | $65 million |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth: | April 14, 1932 |
| Birthplace: | Butcher Hollow, Kentucky |
| Gender: | Female |
| Height: | 5 ft 1 in (154.9 cm) |
In 2019 he suffered a hematoma in his left leg, requiring surgery. Lightfoot was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.
Did Gordon Lightfoot have Bell's palsy? ›Lightfoot has continued to tour heavily despite a number of health issues throughout his career. In 1972 he was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy, which often causes temporary paralysis of the muscles of the face. In 2002, he suffered a ruptured artery in his stomach, which forced him into a six-week coma.
What happened to Lightfoot and Thunderbolt and Lightfoot? ›The beating gradually paralyzes Lightfoot's leg (castration), complimenting Thunderbolt's damaged leg (we get a glimpse of his brace in the beginning). Once castrated, Lightfoot can only die. After another symbolic exchange of cigars, he expires, his face contorted in an ugly grin as he says he feels like a hero.
What health issues does Gordon Lightfoot have? ›Lightfoot has been a rigorous health nut (aside from smoking) with daily workouts since recovering from a September 2002 stomach aneurysm in his hometown of Orillia, Ont., while preparing for the second show of a two-night stand there.
Who had the biggest hit with Early Morning Rain? ›by Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Lightfoot wrote “Early Morning Rain” in 1964. The song was recorded and released in 1965 by Ian and Sylvia, a Canadian songwriting and performing duo. Peter, Paul and Mary, also folk revival stars, had a hit with Lightfoot's song that year, as it reached No. 91 on the Billboard Top 100.
Gordon Lightfoot died at Toronto's Sunnybrook Hospital on Monday evening. He was 84 years old. He had been suffering from emphysema and had recently cancelled his upcoming concerts. His family said he died peacefully of natural causes.
Who were some of Dylan's favorite artists? ›Bob Dylan has named Metallica, Leonard Cohen, Brenda Lee, and Eminem among his favorite artists, and revealed that his current playlist includes a festive track by Frank Sinatra, a blues-rock gem by Free, and an Ella Fitzgerald classic.
Did Jimi Hendrix like Bob Dylan? ›
Hendrix was already a huge fan of Dylan, and he was amazed to meet his idol in person. The two men struck up a friendship, and they would occasionally see each other when they were both in New York City. In 1967, Dylan went electric with his band, The Band, and Hendrix was blown away by their performance.
Did Bob Dylan like John Prine? ›Dylan was also asked about the beloved songwriter John Prine. Sadly, the singer passed away recently after contracting Covid-19 which has since heaped more praise on his work than ever before. But Prine hadn't escaped Dylan's attention. “Prine's stuff is pure Proustian existentialism,” said the freewheelin' Bob Dylan.
What was Dylan's biggest all time hit? ›| No. | Title |
|---|---|
| 1. | "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" (album Blonde on Blonde, June 1966) |
| 2. | "Blowin' in the Wind" (album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, May 1963) |
| 3. | "The Times They Are a-Changin'" (album The Times They Are A-Changin', Jan 1964) |
| 4. | "It Ain't Me Babe" (album Another Side of Bob Dylan, Aug 1964) |
It is true that he is not a dazzling guitar hero. For most of his career he has been playing with a band, with one or two solo guitarists to do the technically challenging groundwork. But still: he is actually quite good. And more importantly in our context, Dylan is probably the best guitar tutor you can get.
Is Bob Dylan's voice raspy? ›Bob Dylan's voice has been described as “scratchy” or “raspy” by many of his fans and critics. While some believe that his voice is an acquired taste, others believe that it adds to the singer's mystique.
Who is Bob Dylan's biggest influence? ›One of Dylan's biggest influences was folk legend Woody Guthrie. So much so, that in 1961, a young Dylan travelled to New York City in the hope that he could visit his ailing idol in the hospital. "I said to myself I was going to be Guthrie's greatest disciple," he wrote in his autobiography Chronicles: Volume One.
Who was Dylan's girlfriend? ›Suze Rotolo, Sally Kirkland, Dana Gillespie, Mavis Staples, Chris O'Dell, Ruth Tyrangiel, and Joan Baez have all been associated with Dylan.
Did Elvis like Jimi Hendrix? ›While there are conflicting reports on how Elvis felt about Hendrix, it is generally agreed upon that Elvis held Hendrix in high esteem. Hendrix's unique style of playing guitar and his electrifying stage presence reportedly made a deep impression on Presley.
Did Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan ever meet? ›Dylan remembers the only meeting he shared with the artist when he was “just the guitar player,” in a band and despite being more than a little drunk, recalls it fondly. In 1969, it was a sentiment that Hendrix reciprocated saying, “I only met him once, about three years ago… before I went to England.
Who is closest to Jimi Hendrix? ›- Stevie Ray Vaughan. is similar to...
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What did paul McCartney think of Bob Dylan? ›
Paul McCartney was a fan of Bob Dylan's music, and he felt that meeting the American musician marked a turning point in The Beatles' career. Dylan has also expressed his appreciation for McCartney's music, even joking that he wished the former Beatle would retire because of his talent.
Did George Harrison like Bob Dylan? ›“Bob Dylan is the most consistent artist there is,” George Harrison shared with British music paper Melody Maker in 1975. “Even his stuff which people loathe, I like,” the former Beatle enthused. Harrison was a lifelong fan of Dylan's music.
Did John Lennon and Bob Dylan get along? ›Bob Dylan and John Lennon were friends, but they were complete opposites in their approach to the media. Lennon was very revealing in interviews, particularly in the immediate aftermath of The Beatles' breakup. He spoke candidly about his relationship with Yoko Ono and his distaste for other artists.