×
×
homepage logo
LOGIN
SUBSCRIBE

The quiet genius of Gordon Lightfoot: Canada’s enduring legend

By Paul Collins - For The Telegraph | May 27, 2023

FILE - Singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, strums backstage at the Westbury Music Fair on Sept. 8, 1987, in Westbury, N.Y. Canada's legendary folk singer-songwriter, whose hits include “Early Morning Rain” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," died on Monday, May 1, 2023, at a Toronto hospital, a representative of his family said. He was 84. (AP Photo/Cyrena Chang, File)

In a storied career that spanned across six decades, the music of the late, and legendary, Canadian troubadour Gordon Lightfoot touched millions of people across multiple generations. There was a quiet and resonant quality to his music and lyrics that was, and still is, so powerful in its simplicity. Across his portfolio of international hit songs, that were largely autobiographical, his emotions always came through to all of us in a deep and smooth singing voice that was as rich as maple syrup poured over warm pancakes.

For me, there was, and still is, a feeling of magical tranquility to be found, if only for a little while, in closing the door on the chaos of the outside world and finding refuge in the serenity of the words and music that he left behind. Be it listening to ‘Early Morning Rain,’ ‘Carefree Highway,’ ‘Did She Mention my Name,’ or ‘Rainy Day People’ on Spotify while in the car, or again getting lost in ‘Sundown’ or ‘She’s Not the Same’ on a CD in the comfort of my living room, it never gets old. His timeless song catalogue has so often provided this writer with that precious little pocket of “me time.”

For decades, Lightfoot was that unique artist whose music offered listeners a whisper-soft safe harbor that was found in a few precious moments of splendid isolation. He exited this world in his beloved home town of Toronto, Canada on May 1st at 84 years old. I am still saddened by his passing as I try to capture what he meant to me, and to so many other long-time fans. Truth be told, it is a daunting task. So, if this piece appears to ramble, please forgive me.

Born in 1938 in Orillia, Canada, Gordon Meredith Lightfoot came out of Ontario in the 1960’s as an unknown folk singer. He died having often been referred to as “the Canadian Bob Dylan.” As it turned out, Dylan became a friend and fan. Across the years he publicly stated his admiration for Lightfoot’s talent as a singer-songwriter. Lightfoot proved to have staying power with fans across the world; many of whom were not yet born when he broke into the music scene. He weathered the gusty gales of fickle popular music fads and trends becoming a musical architect who played a pivotal role in defining the folk-pop sound of the 1960’s, 70’s and beyond.

As I say, across a wide gulf of years, I was touched deeply by his musical stylings and by his bottomless well of creative talent. His songs will always be a virtual treasure trove of timeless lyrics that never fade or go out of vogue. For those who had followed him through the years, it’s difficult to believe that his voice has now been stilled forever. Given the fact that nothing in this life is forever, perhaps, this is the underlying reason why I want to share my thoughts on him at this particular time. For several generations, the passing of Lightfoot tends to reinforce to them their own mortality. There is indeed, much to be said about what people leave behind them when they bid their final farewell to this plain of existence. Gordon leaves us with a rich musical legacy that transcends the bonds of time.

Looking back on his final years, they stood as a proof point of the fact that time is, indeed, a ruthless biographer of the human face. Age, and a wild lifestyle, took a powerful toll on him. His once-resonant honey-smooth baritone voice that used to wrap itself around you like a warm and comfortable old sweater, had become a bit thin and reedy with age. However, he had managed to make adjustments through the decades to where he often let the melodies, rather than the vocals, carry the weight. In the face of this, Lightfoot’s songs still took listeners on a journey across the human condition as he drew them into his own personal experiences that were rich in emotion, and were without the vaguest trace of electronic deception or studio trickery. What his songs were all about was life. He wrote lyrics that captured the myriad of the emotions that exist inside all of us.

Sitting here at the keyboard and trying to capture and share my thoughts on him is, as I say, a daunting task. It is an exercise that has the faded sounds of his well-worn songbook meandering softly down the hallway of my mind. They carry with them that same serene sense of deep solitude and quiet introspection. His songs, now more than ever, still make me feel a bit like I’m standing all alone in the milky half-light of the early dawn while the rest of the world is still sleeping. He was a highly prolific writer weaving a musical tapestry that is stitched together in a tender and personal way that is eternal.

‘The Watchman’s Gone,’ is but one example of how he painted pictures with words. The imagery of his lyrics is steeped in the dreamy mystique and allure of a time that is now lost in the fog of railroad history. However, it still has the power to reach out, take you gently by the hand, and lead you away. In my mind, there is no other songwriter whose music captured and embodied the wild mystery of Canada’s rugged North Country as his did through the years. His musical brushstrokes painted a vivid mental canvas of the fabled and unspoiled Canadian wilderness in our collective mind.

Love lost, loneliness, sailing ships and railroad trains were often the common threads that made up the fabric of his songs. His themes often carried a sense of melancholy; a mixture of regret, heartbreak and wanderlust. Perhaps it is these ingredients in his creative recipe that saved Lightfoot from being relegated to the oldies radio stations or pushed out of the way by auto-tuned divas, flavor of the month hip-hop artists, and big beat producers. He was one of the very few artists from the generation of singer-songwriters who came up in the 60’s and 70’s who remained relevant and revered for his contributions across time.

Perhaps one mark of his musical genius is found in the deep ranks of noted artists who have covered his songs over time. In their way, they have secured Lightfoot’s place in the music pantheon. The list is seemingly endless and includes the likes of Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, fellow Canadian icon Neil Young, Judy Collins, Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, and Barbara Streisand.

In his native Canada, Gordon Lightfoot became a national hero. However, he was never comfortable with that august label. In 2008, he told the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, “Sometimes I wonder why I’m being called an icon, because I really don’t think of myself that way. I’m a professional musician and I work with very professional people. It’s how we get through life.” That being said, the man was an iconic artist who always shared the experiences of his own personal life in the songs that we wrote. As for me, well, I’m one who still draws such simple pleasure from listening to his gentle songs within the secure confines of a self-imposed pocket of splendid isolation. Thanks for that, ‘Gord,’ and for sharing your gift with the world.

Paul Collins is a freelance writer from Southborough, Massachusetts.

Newsletter

Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter.

Interests
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *