Gordon Lightfoot Forums - Same Old Obsession

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWGuinn (Post 154001)

Amazon.com: Old Dan's Records: Gordon Lightfoot: c

Just buy the whole thing. For $8.75 you also get Worth beleivin', mother of a miner's child, Hi'way songs, ODR, and everything else.

A very good point Roger but you did not answer the man's question fully

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicksanjuanisland (Post 153997)

Why is it so hard to find a MP3 of Gordon's Same old Obsession for purchase. Is there a story behind the song?

checking the much abused old Newsgroup after adificult and lengthy search I refound a thread from 2008
the thread has this handy and most relevant subject title:-
"Message from discussion Story behind "That Same Old Obsession"?"
and the opening message is at:-
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.m...121db96f?hl=en
A reply from the erudite Mr Harrison, he who Gord was so patiently cajoling into getting the volume corrected in that superb Red Rocks concert "Recording Of Independant Origin":-

On Nov 13, 10:16 pm, "Richard Harison" <r...@noway.invalid.com> wrote:
> Gord told me that he thought Elvis might take a crack at it, and wrote it
> with Elvis' style in mind.
> --
> Regards,
> Richard Harison<lightfoot...@rogers.com> wrote in message

I too have loved that song deeply since I first heard it
Interesting that it should be linked now to a possible target of Elvis
I had always thought that it would have been a good vehicle for old
blue eyes himself the guy from Hoboken NJ who was in effect Gord's
boss in the Reprise days.
As for a meaning there was an earlier theory presented by a one time
Newsgrouper who departed to start his own web site with three
succesful and vibrantly active meaningful discussion forums.
The guy from Vienna Austria who used the screenname "corfid" in his
posting at:-
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.music.lightfoot/msg/1065be80e600c0[/u]]Corfid on the Newsgroup

AND Florian's impressive interpretation was:-
> any idea which 'same old obsession' is meant?
> --
> art

Here's what Gordon Lightfoot said about that song in the Songbook-booklet:
"The 'Same Old Obsession' is probably another person, maybe a triangle, or
maybe it's just about a person's need to be free. Anything that lurks out
there to detract from or to try to destroy a relationship is painted as evil
in this song - evil personified as a creature."
Now for my personal interpretation:
I imagine her to be a very shy and insecure person. She might have been
deeply hurt in a previous relationship and therefore has built protective
walls around her.
In the beginning of their relationship - when a certain distance was still
separating them and keeping her safe - they had happy times "I long to
recall every kiss, every kind word", and "I remember the taste of her lips
close to mine".
But as they spent more time together and the relationship intensified, they
came more and more closer. Their relationship went in a direction she wasn't
willing or capable to handle.
She had to make a decision - either open her heart completely to him or
withdraw. The fear of being unprotected and of getting hurt again began
creeping her heart. What if he indeed hurt her? Could she bear that a second
time? What if he weren't true to her?
"The Creatures of Evil" returned, and they "captured her heart".
She withdrew from the relationship, maybe she was even rude to him, they got
separated.
He is devastated by having lost her - "I miss her so much I could die". But
this is not the only thing that tortures his soul. He is unsure of whether
he could have done more to help her break the walls that surround her - "I
could do much better, If I could be strong".
But it seems as if he has lost the fight against the "Creatures of Evil" and
that he is not strong enough to help her overcome "That Same Old Obsession".
I guess many other interpretations will do just as well as mine -
but then that is part of the beauty that lies within the lyrics - this song
will mean a lot of different things to different people.
BTW, "That Same Old Obsession" is my favorite track on Old Dan's Records
(closely followed by It's Worth Believin')
--
-Corfid
______________________
** Florian BODENSEHER **
** f-bodense...@gmx.net **
Note that our Florian was using the screenname "corfid" with that posting Just about 10 wonderful years ago on Sep 2 1999, 3:00 am
18 days later he returned to the Newsgroup to say
"I set up a Gordon Lightfoot website and I hope it will attract new fans to
the music of Gordon Lightfoot as well as benefit current fans.
The website includes lyrics to all songs, a discussion forum, a quiz, tour
dates, a collection of press articles and more...
The url is: www.corfid.com
I kindly ask all of you to participate in the interactive sections of the
website, like submitting new questions for the quiz, telling us of misheard
lyrics etc.
I know that many posters in this newsgroups are experts about Gordon
Lightfoot and his work, so please support me to keep this website helpful,
entertaining and resourceful to Gordon Lightfoot fans.
-Florian Bodenseher
--
'Freedom's just another word / For nothin' left to lose'
Check out this new Gordon Lightfoot Homepage!
~~~ www.corfid.com ~~~
All lyrics, discussion forum, tour dates, press articles and All lyrics, discussion forum, tour dates, press articles and more

I joined here the very same day 20 SeptemberI think I recall correctly member number 2
albeit using my original screen name of John Fowles see "my space" (I was way ahead of the game!!!
The posting is preserved for posterity under the catchy subject title
"Someone has to be second " at:-
http://www.corfid.com/vbb/showthread...3004#post73004