Boats,Lakes,Mountains,Ships,Hills,Sunshine,Masters ,Maidens,Life,Love,Illusions,Losers,Winners...

In my opinion the evocative,fine,imagary of GL lyrics are one of the reasons his songs are the best.

'Listen to the pictures flow
Across the room into your mind they go'.

'How long said she can a moment like this belong to someone'.

'When the green dark forest was to silent to be real'.

Which is his greatest or most profound lyric?
Which is your personal favourite?
Which is the one that will be remembered more than others?

Frank v.

Boats,Lakes,Mountains,Ships,Hills,Sunshine,Masters ,Maidens,Life,Love,Illusions,Losers,Winners...

In my opinion the evocative,fine,imagary of GL lyrics are one of the reasons his songs are the best.

'Listen to the pictures flow
Across the room into your mind they go'.

'How long said she can a moment like this belong to someone'.

'When the green dark forest was to silent to be real'.

Which is his greatest or most profound lyric?
Which is your personal favourite?
Which is the one that will be remembered more than others?

Frank v.

Hi Frank V. -

excellent thread ... Gord has written an amazing number of deeply poetic lyrics and has displayed a unique craft in creating genuine poetry on all aspects of life, but I am (still) somewhat of a romantic so I go for the lines he wrote on love and passion like

"The last time I walked with her
her laughter was the steeple bells
that ring to greet the morning sun
a voice that called to everyone
to love the ground we walked upon...
those were the good days"

from one of my faborite GL tunes.

I mean, everybody who´s ever revisted a place he (or she) has walked hand in hand with that someone special lost a long time ago (like I did this Saturday) will feel that song running through his/her veins eventually.

Hi Frank V. -

excellent thread ... Gord has written an amazing number of deeply poetic lyrics and has displayed a unique craft in creating genuine poetry on all aspects of life, but I am (still) somewhat of a romantic so I go for the lines he wrote on love and passion like

"The last time I walked with her
her laughter was the steeple bells
that ring to greet the morning sun
a voice that called to everyone
to love the ground we walked upon...
those were the good days"

from one of my faborite GL tunes.

I mean, everybody who´s ever revisted a place he (or she) has walked hand in hand with that someone special lost a long time ago (like I did this Saturday) will feel that song running through his/her veins eventually.

Some of my favorites:

"See the soldier with his gun
who must be dead to be admired." - Don Quixote

"Now will you try and tell us, you been too long at school
That knowledge is not needed, that power does not rule
That war is not the answer, that young men should not die
Sit down young stranger, I wait for your reply" - Sit Down Young Stranger

"Forgiving is to lovers as trusting is to fools" - Too Much To Lose

------------------
Valerie Magee

Chriistian,

Bravo! I am of the opinion that no more powerful a love song exists than 'The Last Time I Saw Her.' The first time I heard it I was blown away, and I am moved each time I hear it again.

potter

'...and if time could heal the wounds, I would tear the threads away, that I might bleed some more.'

GL

[This message has been edited by potter (edited April 03, 2000).]

Chriistian,

Bravo! I am of the opinion that no more powerful a love song exists than 'The Last Time I Saw Her.' The first time I heard it I was blown away, and I am moved each time I hear it again.

potter

'...and if time could heal the wounds, I would tear the threads away, that I might bleed some more.'

GL

[This message has been edited by potter (edited April 03, 2000).]

Great reply Christian.
Amazing classical overtones on that song.
Almost as good as a great German composer.

Its the richness,clarity and depth of his lyrics that strike me.
The style is also different.
To a non Canadian like myself it seems exotic
Not in the hot sense if you know what i mean.
The romantic side is realistic and reflective.Natural and sincere.

I Just cant get enough of it...

Great reply Christian.
Amazing classical overtones on that song.
Almost as good as a great German composer.

Its the richness,clarity and depth of his lyrics that strike me.
The style is also different.
To a non Canadian like myself it seems exotic
Not in the hot sense if you know what i mean.
The romantic side is realistic and reflective.Natural and sincere.

I Just cant get enough of it...

This is as hard as choosing a favorite Lightfoot song. But here are some of the lines that never fail to make my spine tingle. Oh, and they tend to be the ones that paint a big picture with relatively few words - so here goes:

"When the autumn wind goes singing through the trestle we would climb
Like brave mountaineers" (Brave Mountaineers).

"When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck saying
Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya
At seven PM a main hatchway caved in, he said
Fellas, it's been good to know ya" (The Wreck).

"But the sands run out within her heart
A tiny spark glows red
It smoulders through the evening
There's laughter overhead" (Yarmouth Castle).

"Deck The Halls was the song they played
In the flat next door where they shout all day
She tips her gin bottle back till it's gone
The child is strong" (Circle Of Steel).

"Fortune will not find you in your mansion or your truck
Brothers will desert you when you're down and shit out of luck" (Seven Island Suite).

"And if you meet him you must be
The victim of his minstrelsy" (Minstrel Of The Dawn).




------------------
"some people join the party, and others say goodnight"

This is as hard as choosing a favorite Lightfoot song. But here are some of the lines that never fail to make my spine tingle. Oh, and they tend to be the ones that paint a big picture with relatively few words - so here goes:

"When the autumn wind goes singing through the trestle we would climb
Like brave mountaineers" (Brave Mountaineers).

"When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck saying
Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya
At seven PM a main hatchway caved in, he said
Fellas, it's been good to know ya" (The Wreck).

"But the sands run out within her heart
A tiny spark glows red
It smoulders through the evening
There's laughter overhead" (Yarmouth Castle).

"Deck The Halls was the song they played
In the flat next door where they shout all day
She tips her gin bottle back till it's gone
The child is strong" (Circle Of Steel).

"Fortune will not find you in your mansion or your truck
Brothers will desert you when you're down and shit out of luck" (Seven Island Suite).

"And if you meet him you must be
The victim of his minstrelsy" (Minstrel Of The Dawn).




------------------
"some people join the party, and others say goodnight"

Painter
Circle of steel conjures up images of a small Canadian town where it snows all day.
`Everybodys in step its the season.
[Which season i wonder.]

Painter
Circle of steel conjures up images of a small Canadian town where it snows all day.
`Everybodys in step its the season.
[Which season i wonder.]

Hi Frank v,

What a great topic idea!
(and some new ideas for my Spotlight on Lyrics! section).

Let's go, here are some of my favorite lyrics (~259 others to follow soon http://www.corfid.com/ubb/smile.gif)

Did She Mention My Name, The Way I Feel:
But as she walks, she waits for him
the pavement is a shoulder for her tears
But in her heart she knows there is no way
She can hope to change him

Carefree Highway, Sundown:
Turnin' back the pages to the times I love best
I wonder if she'll ever do the same
Now the thing that I call livin' is just bein' satisfied
With knowin' I got no one left to blame

If Children Had Wings, Endless Wire:
With a smile on my face and a tear in my eye
Everything will be fine by and by

Christian Island, Don Quixote:
I'm sailing down the summer wind
I got whiskers on my chin
And I like the mood I'm in
As I while away the time of day
In the lee of Christian Island

Fine As Fine Can Be, Cold On The Shoulder:
Like the rain is for the crops
You're like food for my thoughts
You're like true is for knowin' what's not
You're like leaves are for trees
You're like bees are for buzzin'
You're as fine as fine can be

Great topic!!!

Here's one of my favorites:

"They say that people don't try, thats just a lie, they work miracles, you do something to me that my eyes cannot see at a glance, you do something to me when we talk about love and romance". Romance (Salute)

------------------
Ever Onward...

[This message has been edited by Chuck Darling (edited April 04, 2000).]

Great topic!!!

Here's one of my favorites:

"They say that people don't try, thats just a lie, they work miracles, you do something to me that my eyes cannot see at a glance, you do something to me when we talk about love and romance". Romance (Salute)

------------------
Ever Onward...

[This message has been edited by Chuck Darling (edited April 04, 2000).]

Christian,

You were not by any chance named after the song Christian Island, were you?

potter

'I knew a man from Windsor
Who went to Detroit every night
And stateside of the tunnel
Customs agents gave him flight
He threw his stash in the river
And his bedroll on the ground
And when they finally got there
A sleeping man was all that they found

He just let it ride
Ride let it ride
Leavin' on the evenin' tide
Just let it ride'

Let It Ride from East of Midnight

GL

Christian,

You were not by any chance named after the song Christian Island, were you?

potter

'I knew a man from Windsor
Who went to Detroit every night
And stateside of the tunnel
Customs agents gave him flight
He threw his stash in the river
And his bedroll on the ground
And when they finally got there
A sleeping man was all that they found

He just let it ride
Ride let it ride
Leavin' on the evenin' tide
Just let it ride'

Let It Ride from East of Midnight

GL

Here's some lyrics that stick in my mind;

Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours.
the Wreck

Reality brings mystery and ne'er the twain shall meet
Hey You

Here's some lyrics that stick in my mind;

Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours.
the Wreck

Reality brings mystery and ne'er the twain shall meet
Hey You

No, I was not named after "Christian Island", as I had already been around for 11 years or so by the time Gord cut the record.

I traveled Canada extensively in 1989, though, to Gordon´s tunes blasting off the rented-car stereo, and had a chance of visiting the roots of Gordon´s creative roots - including the beautiful lakes of Ontario and Orillia (which proudly displays a huge wooden "Hometown of Gordon Lightfoot" billboard).

Thanks Potter - please excuse my sloppy typing which is usually done in a candle-lit attic way after midnight (with GL playing on a small portable stereo).
And thanks Frank V - even though I´m more into Canadian or American balladeers than German classic composers.

A heavy rain has just started pounding on my roof here, so...
"I wish you good spaces
in the far-away places you go
If it rains or it snows
May you be safe and warm
and never grow old.."

It´s great to be in touch with all of you.

Cheers,
Christian

No, I was not named after "Christian Island", as I had already been around for 11 years or so by the time Gord cut the record.

I traveled Canada extensively in 1989, though, to Gordon´s tunes blasting off the rented-car stereo, and had a chance of visiting the roots of Gordon´s creative roots - including the beautiful lakes of Ontario and Orillia (which proudly displays a huge wooden "Hometown of Gordon Lightfoot" billboard).

Thanks Potter - please excuse my sloppy typing which is usually done in a candle-lit attic way after midnight (with GL playing on a small portable stereo).
And thanks Frank V - even though I´m more into Canadian or American balladeers than German classic composers.

A heavy rain has just started pounding on my roof here, so...
"I wish you good spaces
in the far-away places you go
If it rains or it snows
May you be safe and warm
and never grow old.."

It´s great to be in touch with all of you.

Cheers,
Christian

I have a few more masterful lyrics to throw out there. With so many wonderful lyrics, this thread could go on forever!
From Tattoo:
Time has been wasting away, you know time doesn't
Wait for nobody to find what they're after
It just keeps on rolling on down the deep canyons
And through the green meadows into the broad ocean, good night
From 10 Degrees and Getting Colder:
He was standing by the highway
With a sign that just said Mother

I have a few more masterful lyrics to throw out there. With so many wonderful lyrics, this thread could go on forever!
From Tattoo:
Time has been wasting away, you know time doesn't
Wait for nobody to find what they're after
It just keeps on rolling on down the deep canyons
And through the green meadows into the broad ocean, good night
From 10 Degrees and Getting Colder:
He was standing by the highway
With a sign that just said Mother

Here is yet another lyric which I enjoy:

'I'm sailing down the summer day
Where the fish and seagulls play
I put my troubles all away
And when the gales comes up I'll fill my cup
With the whiskey of the Highlands
She's a good old ship and she'll make the trip
From the lee of Christian Island'

potter

Here is yet another lyric which I enjoy:

'I'm sailing down the summer day
Where the fish and seagulls play
I put my troubles all away
And when the gales comes up I'll fill my cup
With the whiskey of the Highlands
She's a good old ship and she'll make the trip
From the lee of Christian Island'

potter

and so it goes.............
it's an endless list of life and feelings and I can't for the life of me choose a lyric, a phrase or thought that would be my favourite! It is such an emotional, heartfelt grab on my very soul each and every time I hear a Lightfoot song that I am too weak to even verbalize how I feel.
Mostly I want to weep at the beauty of it all. It's been like that for almost 3 decades and I hope I never get over it. Bless you Gordon Lightfoot.
Char

One of my faves: "the house you live in will never fall down
if you pity the stranger who stands at your gate"

If only we could remember that, and treat each other more kindly.

One of my faves: "the house you live in will never fall down
if you pity the stranger who stands at your gate"

If only we could remember that, and treat each other more kindly.

You know, one of the interesting things about this song is that originally - back in the late 70s when he first released it - Gord would occasionally say in concert that this song was about US immigration policy. He never says that today; he just says that it was his mother's favorite song. But you really hit on the key lines in it.

quote:Originally posted by Simone:
One of my faves: "the house you live in will never fall down
if you pity the stranger who stands at your gate"

If only we could remember that, and treat each other more kindly.





------------------
Valerie Magee

quote:Originally posted by Florian:
Hi Frank v,

What a great topic idea!
(and some new ideas for my Spotlight on Lyrics! section).

Let's go, here are some of my favorite lyrics (~259 others to follow soon http://www.corfid.com/ubb/smile.gif)

Did She Mention My Name, The Way I Feel:
But as she walks, she waits for him
the pavement is a shoulder for her tears
But in her heart she knows there is no way
She can hope to change him
Florian,fyi,I think the above lyrics are from the song "Go Go Round"Regards,Jay K

Carefree Highway, Sundown:
Turnin' back the pages to the times I love best
I wonder if she'll ever do the same
Now the thing that I call livin' is just bein' satisfied
With knowin' I got no one left to blame

If Children Had Wings, Endless Wire:
With a smile on my face and a tear in my eye
Everything will be fine by and by

Christian Island, Don Quixote:
I'm sailing down the summer wind
I got whiskers on my chin
And I like the mood I'm in
As I while away the time of day
In the lee of Christian Island

Fine As Fine Can Be, Cold On The Shoulder:
Like the rain is for the crops
You're like food for my thoughts
You're like true is for knowin' what's not
You're like leaves are for trees
You're like bees are for buzzin'
You're as fine as fine can be

quote:Originally posted by Florian:
Hi Frank v,

What a great topic idea!
(and some new ideas for my Spotlight on Lyrics! section).

Let's go, here are some of my favorite lyrics (~259 others to follow soon http://www.corfid.com/ubb/smile.gif)

Did She Mention My Name, The Way I Feel:
But as she walks, she waits for him
the pavement is a shoulder for her tears
But in her heart she knows there is no way
She can hope to change him
Florian,fyi,I think the above lyrics are from the song "Go Go Round"Regards,Jay K

Carefree Highway, Sundown:
Turnin' back the pages to the times I love best
I wonder if she'll ever do the same
Now the thing that I call livin' is just bein' satisfied
With knowin' I got no one left to blame

If Children Had Wings, Endless Wire:
With a smile on my face and a tear in my eye
Everything will be fine by and by

Christian Island, Don Quixote:
I'm sailing down the summer wind
I got whiskers on my chin
And I like the mood I'm in
As I while away the time of day
In the lee of Christian Island

Fine As Fine Can Be, Cold On The Shoulder:
Like the rain is for the crops
You're like food for my thoughts
You're like true is for knowin' what's not
You're like leaves are for trees
You're like bees are for buzzin'
You're as fine as fine can be

quote:Originally posted by char:
and so it goes.............
it's an endless list of life and feelings and I can't for the life of me choose a lyric, a phrase or thought that would be my favourite! It is such an emotional, heartfelt grab on my very soul each and every time I hear a Lightfoot song that I am too weak to even verbalize how I feel.
Mostly I want to weep at the beauty of it all. It's been like that for almost 3 decades and I hope I never get over it. Bless you Gordon Lightfoot.
CharCha

Char, you spoke my thoughts exactly. It is an impossible task. The man is a genius, long may he continue to move us, excite us and bring us his own very special kind of beauty.
And it is so good to be among so many others who feel the same way.

quote:Originally posted by char:
and so it goes.............
it's an endless list of life and feelings and I can't for the life of me choose a lyric, a phrase or thought that would be my favourite! It is such an emotional, heartfelt grab on my very soul each and every time I hear a Lightfoot song that I am too weak to even verbalize how I feel.
Mostly I want to weep at the beauty of it all. It's been like that for almost 3 decades and I hope I never get over it. Bless you Gordon Lightfoot.
CharCha

Char, you spoke my thoughts exactly. It is an impossible task. The man is a genius, long may he continue to move us, excite us and bring us his own very special kind of beauty.
And it is so good to be among so many others who feel the same way.

Silver Heels...you said it best. Hearing and feeling the voice, overlays, inspiration, lyrics and heart, at one of
Gordons concerts, causes one to hold on to
every second wishing you could remain there
for eternity. I find myself wondering how many in attendance share the same thought
and feelings.

I love all of Gordo's lyrics but I especially get a chuckle out of "I wish that I could love them one by one" from
"All The Lovely Ladies"

Silver Heels...you said it best. Hearing and feeling the voice, overlays, inspiration, lyrics and heart, at one of
Gordons concerts, causes one to hold on to
every second wishing you could remain there
for eternity. I find myself wondering how many in attendance share the same thought
and feelings.

I love all of Gordo's lyrics but I especially get a chuckle out of "I wish that I could love them one by one" from
"All The Lovely Ladies"

I can't remember ever leaving Massey Hall right after a Lightfoot show. I always am planted in my seat by some unseen force and I literally have no power to get up. I don't want to leave. The lights are on and the set is dismantled, the usher has come by and given me the "time to leave" look a couple of times but I can't focus on getting up and leaving. My head is so full of "Lightfoot" that I can't stand the idea that it's over for another 12 months or 18 months - I sense a slight panic start and I feel my husband tap me on the shoulder, saying, "come on they want us to leave." I get up reluctantly, looking back at the stage several times. I hesitate in the lobby and slowly leave throught the huge doors and out into the night. I walk to the marquee and look at Gord's name there and sigh. It takes me until I am almost home to realize that it is over and I have once again heard the finest singer/songwriter/poet that Canada (and probably any other country for that matter) has ever had. I smile and give thanks for the beauty of it all and wish Gord a silent prayer of safety so we can do it all again the next time.
Char

Let us all keep him in our prayers as, for sure, it is not too late.

I love the flow of "Dreamland" and the lyrics
that jumps out at me are:

"you make me do what you want me to do then you ran the rules on me"

"you could rap me around your finger till it
caused my heart to break"

I think we've all experienced the above at one time or another. His lyrics take us from the valleys to the peaks and it's such a nice journey.



------------------
She was all dolled up like a rainbox trout...

Let us all keep him in our prayers as, for sure, it is not too late.

I love the flow of "Dreamland" and the lyrics
that jumps out at me are:

"you make me do what you want me to do then you ran the rules on me"

"you could rap me around your finger till it
caused my heart to break"

I think we've all experienced the above at one time or another. His lyrics take us from the valleys to the peaks and it's such a nice journey.



------------------
She was all dolled up like a rainbox trout...

Let us all keep him in our prayers as, for sure, it is not too late.

I love the flow of "Dreamland" and the lyrics
that jump out at me are:

"you make me do what you want me to do then you ran the rules on me"

"you could rap me around your finger till it
caused my heart to break"

I think we've all experienced the above at one time or another. His lyrics take us from the valleys to the peaks and it's such a nice journey.



------------------
She was all dolled up like a rainbox trout...