Not only is this my favorite Gordon Lightfoot song, it's one of my Top 10 all time favorite songs. It moves me every time I hear it, and I'm now 67 years old. RIP Gordon, your music brought me many years of enjoyment.

@erichcapin3350

19 күн бұрын

Same here...I'm 56 and have always loved this song....so deep.

In my opinion, Gordon's best. and one of the most beautiful songs ever written.

@DavidB-2268

Жыл бұрын

I'd say that "Beautiful" is better, but this is a wonderful song.

@DanielFrost21

Жыл бұрын

@@DavidB-2268 thanks for the comment, I respectfully disagree.

@johnfriend9591

Жыл бұрын

Your reactions are so wonderful I appreciate all you do, cause your the best

@pubuapubua

Жыл бұрын

Old Dan's record is a toe tapper.

@DanielFrost21

Жыл бұрын

@@pubuapubua What are you talking about?

he is the definition of singer-songwriter, such a wonderful talent.

Canada rightfully and proudly claims Gordon Lightfoot, but he's one of the very best singer-songwriters of the entire English-speaking world. He wrote songs that disclosed emotional pain in poetic fashion. What a treasure he was.

@pjimmbojimmbo1990

5 ай бұрын

I was saddened when he passed in May of 2023

"Heroes often fail". True.

"...heroes sometimes fail. And you won't read that book again because the ending's just too hard to take...." Lyrical genius.

The song was basically stolen by one of Whitney Houston's songwriters. Gordon is total class; he sued and had the case won but dropped it at the last minute. He didn't want to hurt Whitney but just wanted to get the message across that theft isn't nice.

@oldmanghost219

Жыл бұрын

What? What song are you talking about..

@oldmanghost219

Жыл бұрын

Ok I understand now. He sued the original writer. Whitney did a cover of it. It's about 24 bars that starts with "I decided long ago never to walk in anyone's shadow."

@joemc1960

Жыл бұрын

@@oldmanghost219”The Greatest Love of All”

@dennisjacks7923

Жыл бұрын

The song was a George Benson song recorded in 1977. In 1987, Lightfoot sued Michael Masser who wrote the song with Linda Creed (who passed in 1986). The case was settled out of court, not dropped. It was settled out of court, because Lightfoot didn't want to bring negative attention to Houston.

@thomastimlin1724

Жыл бұрын

@@dennisjacks7923 To be clear: The song The Greatest Love of all was written and recorded to be the main theme of the 1977 film The Greatest, a biopic of the boxer Muhammad Ali, and is performed during the opening credits.

A master storyteller and he wrote all the music and lyrics 😀

Great song...one other is "The Last Time I Saw Her Face", stunningly beautiful and brilliantly written by Gordon. What an amazingly talented guy he was...

Gordon Lightfoot recently passed, the man played right till the end, a true musician, Canadian Pride❤

He wrote it about his divorce and the full bag of emotions it jumbled in his mind and heart! he was a great storyteller. A poet with a guitar who gave us classics for 20 plus years!

This song is about the breakup of his first marriage. You may have heard a lot of covers of his songs, they have been covered by Barbra Streisand, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Belinda Carlisle, Elvis, etc. etc.. Bob Dylan considers him one of his favourite songwriters. He said of him…..” The only trouble with a Gordon Lightfoot song, is you never want it to end “. Try his “ Sundown “ and “Beautiful “.

A brilliant songwriter sings of his pain and broken dreams-- Jim Croce's Operator is another great example of that genre.

Gordon Lightfoot had an amazing voice. Thanks for all the great music.

Thank you so few reactors to Gordon rarely listen to this song one of his best. Most reactors will touch The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald or Sundown and move on.

This is a very personal song about the break up of his first marriage.

This has always been my favorite of Gordon's songs - but he has so many great ones. He's a GOAT He's got a very distinctive voice...his intonation, vibrato and such is superb.

RIP, Gordon Lightfoot. Your music will bring us all happiness for years to come.

The reason it sounds familiar is because of copyright issues. This song was written long before The Greatest Love of All, which was made popular by Whitney Houston and also George Benson. The author of that song got into trouble for plagiarism because it sounded very much like Gordon Lightfoot's song. Aside from all of that, this is a very beautiful, yet sad song.

He was Bob Dylan's favorite singer/songwriter and he thought ALL his songs were top shelf!

This was written about the dissolution of his marriage. At the request of his children, he later changed the line "the feeling that YOU lacked" to "the feelings that WE lacked". This acknowledged that he bore a fair degree of fault in the breakup.

@Katmandu29

Жыл бұрын

This was clearly, "YOU lacked", however. Interesting though, thanks for that info. 😔 sad.

A haunting narrative of a breakup. One of the most moving saddest songs ever written.😪

His voice...thanks for going back to him. A songwriter's songwriter. Love the channel Angela! 🔥

I can't covay just how much I appreciate your not constantly pausing the video's, I've never understood how someone could react to something untill they've seen it, or heard it 😘

@manuelayala66

15 күн бұрын

Yes ! I love how she lets the song play out.

This song is so bitter sweet for me. This girl in 8th grade has such a crush on me and I had such a crush on her, but I was too shy to do anything about it. This song was on the radio at the time. Every time I heard it I thought of her and how stupid i was to not do something. Many years later I saw her on face book and messaged her. I asked her how life was treating her and her daughter responded that Sue( that was her name) had passed away the day before. I haven't listened to it for a long time.

@allendixon7700

Жыл бұрын

Dave Loggins at Kenny's brother Dave DAV Dave Diaz please please please please come to Boston that's what he idea Dave did it Dave largan's

This beautiful song is another of my childhood favorites ❤

Rip Gordon Lightfoot amazing guy he was

I love this song .

I love songs that make me feel, and sad songs tend to do that more than other songs. So, I tend to like sad songs. They affect me more deeply than a happy song does. I don't know why, but that's just the way it is.

Bob Dylan has always said that Gordon lightfoot was a reference to him as a composer and song writer 😁👌

A masterpiece of a song,

One of the best songs ever ,bittersweet

This is the song that brought Gordon Lightfoot to world attention both as writer and singer.

That voice, truly different. Rumours around the music industry had Frank Sinatra trying to record a cover and his voice cracked and he through the lyrics down in annoyance.

tears are streaming down my face, as i listen to this. I used to sneak into my parents car, late at night and listen to the radio. And this song would be playing in 1968 to 1969. As a pre Teen it was a wonderful song, even though it was about losing love, something i knew very little about at that time. A timeless classic. thanks for the memories.

There was a pop Disco version for the movie 54 (1998) by Stars on 54 which was about the infamous nightclub Studio 54 (Watch the uncut version. Different ending & a superior cut). But the best dance version was by the late Viola Wills (1980) released towards the end of the Disco era. Viola voice was superb and this version was a monster in the club scene & especially in Gay clubs. I still listen to that version today.

This song plays at the end of the movie called wonderland where Val Kilmer portrays John Holmes. You will never think of the song in the same way when you hear it in that context.

The song was "The wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald. It wasn't just a story, but a true story. It was a tribute to all of the people who lost their lives and their family members who lost brothers, husbands, and sons.

"SUNDOWN" classic Gordon Lightfoot............Great vocals and Harmonies

You’re a legitimate reactor and you always have been. Gordon was excellent, back in that day there were other incredible talents such as Croce, Al Green, Billy Joel, Elton John, Marvin Gaye, Van Morrison, John Denver, Phil Collins, Jackson Browne. They all brought something different to the table. Different times, hate to say but more talent than today. Love your channel, your head & shoulders above the rest !!

@mrnobody3161

Жыл бұрын

Cat Stevens, Donavan.

This was one of my mom’s favorite songs. She passed away in her sleep 7 years ago. I keep this song on my play list.

Great song, great singer songwriter

The familiarity is at 2:48 where you can hear the same chord progression as Whitney Houston singing Greatest Love Of All.

No one like Gordon. He was a prolific singer song writer. Every song told a beautiful story. Simply fantastic 😊

One of the greatest love songs ever written.

Too answer all the doubters and EXPERTS down below; "If You Could Read My Mind" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. Lightfoot wrote the lyrics while he was reflecting on his own divorce. It reached No. 1 on the Canadian Singles Chart on commercial release in 1970 and charted in several other countries on international release ...

What a voice!!!

28 years later an uplifting Eurodance version was made by the same song from a group called Stars on 54 for the movie soundtrack '54' featuring freestyle artist Jocelyn Enriquez. However, my favorite Gordon Lightfoot song is 'Carefree Highway' 🙂

Possibly the best storyteller songwriter of all time. His analogies in the verses convey his feelings of sadness, regret, and disappointment. The song is about his divorce due to in his infidelity while on tour (with backup singer). He is the hero who fails as he alludes in his lyrics. He also knows there is no going back to the way his marriage was before…..he is now just a ghost that his wife will never see the same way again.

It gets played in and many department stores. Sometimes called elevator music. Most people in the U.S. have heard it. They just may not recognize it if they heard it as subliminal background music. Other artists have sang his songs as well. Elvis Presley did "Early Morning Rain," Anne Murray did "Cotton Jenny," and many did "If you could read my mind," including Kenny Rogers.

Can't go wrong with Gordo! Had the pleasure of seeing him in concert twice. He used to put on a hell of a show. 👍👍👏👏👏👏👏RIP Gordon😇

One of the great Canadian folk singers. Love this song! Thank you

One of my favorite songs in early 1970s. Next big hit was "Sundown" 1974 - about a relationship that brought jealousy to Lightfoot. It grabbed me at a time when I had a volatile relationship - and jealousy - about the same time. I played this song so many times in 1974-75. Here is a fragment... In the early 1970s, Lightfoot was involved with Cathy Smith; their volatile relationship inspired his songs "Sundown" and "Rainy Day People," among others. "Cathy was a great lady," Mr. Lightfoot told The Globe and Mail after her death. "Men were drawn to her, and she used to make me jealous. But I don’t have a bad thing to say about her."

He is a Canadian treasure and is still performing in his 80's

It may be familiar because the chord progression was copied in Whitney Houston’s The Greatest Love of All - Gord dropped the lawsuit against George Benson as it was creating some negative publicity for Whitney. Pure class. It was also turned into a dance club hit in the 2000’s

Gordon is the quintessential singer songwriter.....Been a fan since the 70s.....fantastic song....

Okay Angela, you owe ME a box of Kleenex after this one! 🤣😂 Jokes aside, this was a beautiful selection, thank you 🌹🎸🕊️

This song, Sundown and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald are my favs.

"Sundown" by Gordon Lightfoot is a great song as well!

That is one of the most heartbreaking and beautiful songs ever.

I can honestly tell you this is exactly what it’s like when love has tragically died in a marriage.

They have mentioned not just my favorite Whitney Houston song but one of my all time favorites. it seems that Gordon sued the writer of "The greatest Love Of All" which was written in 1977. 10 tears later Whitney did a cover and when Gordon heard it, he recognized 24 bars beginning with the words "I decided long ago never to walk in anyone's shadow.". I love that message.

You take me back, I always love it.

How I miss the radio. This song was on my mom's station like a lot of good music. I liked this song a lot and his subsequent outings. A giant for sure.

This song has been re recorded almost more than any song in history. But yes this is the original

Saddest song of all time

One of the very first songs I can remember ever hearing when I was very young , I'm thinking of my youth , not because of the lyrics , but just because it's one of my earliest memories , now I'm sixty 😌 I miss my mom when I hear these songs 😢

We live in "Brave new world" mariage is not to be put assunder. Thats what lightfoof sang about. He wasnt singing "empty love songs" that he disdained. He refused to listen to the beatles until jony mitchel forced him to listen. "Tatoo" is one of the great examples of his intensity and fidelity.

Thanks for this very thoughtful, very sensitive response -- you commented on just the things you needed to -- the acoustic guitar, the lyrics, the sparing use of violins, and above all, Lightfoot's voice. This is why we watch you.

He and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull are some of the last of the true Bards. True story tellers and singers who really are out to Entertain any way they can.

Was privileged to have seen Lightfoot , in a very small venue , outside Philly more than 50 years ago ...Great talent , storyteller , . thanks for bringig his music to those who weren't privileged to have heard it before .

The melody of the song was used in Whitney Houston’s song “ The Greatest Love Of All “. Btw, you’re looking absolutely beautiful as usual.

RIP OLD FRIEND...A TRUE CANADIAN ICON

It’s a tearjerker. Well done.

I didn't know this was the original. In fact I didn't know it was covered in the late 90s. That's the version I remember when I was little, the dance hit. Actually the first time hearing the original surprisingly! I like it, nice gentle & mellow.

His double album Gord's Gold is amazing. Not a bad song on it. Song For A Winters Night is my favorite.

he is still performing today, was at the re-opening, after renovations, of Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada. He also has a large catalogue of sons , such as: Sundown , Carefree Highway, Rainy Day People , If I Could, and so many more.

Good analysis! This is not a song you dance to. This is a song you relax and meditate over. Haunting, morose and beautiful.

Bob Dylan called Gordon Lightfoot his favorite songwriter.

Wonderful song

This came out in 1970. A "disco" version by Viola Wills was released in 1980.

A lyrical masterpiece, like so many of his songs are.

I know of almost a dozen name-recognizable artists that have covered this song.

Another one of Canada’s greatest exports ❤️much love Mr. Lightfoot

Gordon is one of Canada’s greats! Has written over 400 songs. My compliments to you for your format and insight. Love that you let the song play through before reacting. So many other reactors ruin the rhythm of the song with constant usually inane interruptions! Kudos to you!

To me, Gordon was partially inspired by the movie, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

He is a Canadian hero.

Gordon wrote that song!! One of the best Canadian songwriters along with Leonard Cohen the Creator of "Hallelujah"

One of the best songs ever written

If you want to hear the true beauty in his voice, his song "Circle of Steel" is a masterpiece!

The "familiar" feeling is probably because you've heard 'The Greatest Love of All' by, I think, George Benson, but popularised by Whitney Houston. It features the same melodic line as this song.

Thank you! This has been one of my favorite songs for years. “Gord’s Gold” album has more.

Rest in Peace Gordon. You touched so many people in person and over the radio. One of the great singer songwriters of our time, and this song is perfect evidence. Try Canadian Railroad Trilogy, where Lightfoot tells another very stirring story.

Brings back memories of am radio. I love this song.

A group called "Studio 54" had a dance version that was actually pretty good. Came our in 1998. Check it out.

@gregoryh9048

Жыл бұрын

Viloa Wills did the cover

Rest in peace Gordon, and thank you for the music legacy...

I think he did this when he was going through a divorce. So beautiful and sad.......

RIP Gordon and Godspeed. You'll be missed!

Gordon Lightfoot is really good. There are more songs by , "Early Morning Rain" , Every Highway" Sundown . and the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

A country and western singer covered this song a few years ago and so did a pop singer. Gordon Lightfoot wrote our history in songs and recorded so many heartfelt songs, great words, great voice, great tune