Gordon Lightfoot passed away this evening.
One of the greatest poets to grace the realm of folk music and I’m thankful that I was able to discover his emotional songwriting through a gateway from the hard-driving bluegrass I was obsessed with. His library of songs always seemed nearly inexhaustable.
You can’t jump a jet plane
Like you can a freight train
So I’d best be on my way
In the early morning rain
Those of us in our 50s or older grew up in such a fabulous time in “all things music”.
All of our parents listened to Gordon, Croce, Credence, John Prine, The Band, Tony Rice, Roy Clark, etc…just to name a few. Heavy metal was rearing its head, pop, sweat rock, disco…all kinds of music.
Gordon will be missed. I love a good story…and he sure could tell them. Stories that stand the test of time.
He’ll never leave us; he’ll always be here.
There is a good documentary on Gordon Lightfoot on the Amazon Prime streaming service.
Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind
They say “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” The number of other artists who have recorded a Gorden LIghtfoot song is incredible. And there will be new people covering one of his songs for decades as they discover the power of his words and the beauty of his melodies.
Almost a Celtic twist on this classic.
Living by one of the Great Lakes, these lyrics still chill my spine.