Followed him for over 50 years. Saw him live more than 20 times. It hurts that he's left us behind. Miss you, Gordon. Thank God we still have his music!
I saw him perform in a local school gym when I was around that age. He was already well-known but still doing tours across Canada playing in cities where any concert was a big deal.
This song is pure emotion. It is about the failed marriage to his ex wife. Matter of fact, there is a line that states "I'm just trying to understand the feelings that you lack." That line so bothered his daughter, that during the live performances he modified it slightly to "I'm just trying to understand the feelings that we lack."
Which is unfair because the 2 verses above he talks about what he lacked, and he figured that out, so now he is trying to figure out what she lacks to see if they can adjust and carry on together.
As a young teen in L.A. in 1977, I listened to Gordon Lightfoot, Cat Stevens, Simon and Garfunkel, Carol King, etc., on my tape recorder every night. Beautiful angsty times...
There a photos of him jamming in his old house in Toronto if you look, Dylan was also trying to get into Robbie Robertsons The Band , but they did not want to be over powered by him. He also was inducted by Dylan for the Canadian awards >> ruclips.net/video/-AKz23pbOFg/видео.html
Another outstanding song by the LEGEND Gordon Lightfoot. Im 60 years old and Gordon, Jim Croce, Carol King, Cat Stevens, The Carpenters and James Taylor. Bar none were the best story tellers of my generation. There were far more but this group stood out from the rest. All tho they are all gone now their music will live on for Eternity. It is absolutely Timeless! May they all RIP!
All Jim Croce songs are excellent. Discovered him when I was 13 when I could decide for myself what I like and then he died when I was 15. My first heartbreak.
One of my all-time favorite songs…by one of my all-time favorite singers. Gordo is greatly missed! I never tire of Gordon Lightfoot, Dan Fogelberg, Bob Seger, David Gates and Meat Loaf…
One of the most beautiful ( and haunting) songs ever recorded - and by far my fave of Gordon's. He was one of a kind, had his own style and his songs are really timeless. Great reaction!
Your comment “pain demands to be felt” made me immediately cry. All the pain I seem to hide to others is just there under the surface demanding to be felt. Thank you.
Pain is rough. I've had a lot of it, too, starting when my sister was randomly murdered when I was 10. I have my Faith now, but still use numbing sometimes because of some ongoing pain that has yet to be remedied - so there is no healing from it as yet. I hope and pray your hidden pain can be healed and that you find true happiness.
Gordon Lightfoot is probably one of the most famous Canadian Singer/Songwriters of all time who was able to cross over from folk to folk-rock with ease. I grew up in Toronto, ON during the 50s and 60s and Gordon Lightfoot was a big part of the Canadian music scene. Sundown is my favorite song of his.
Emotional, poetic, heartfelt, an enduring song for those of us who were there when it was released and absolutely knew we were hearing an instant classic. "When the heartaches come the hero would be me. But heroes often fail." What a gut punch. This was the first song I heard from GL, but I became a lifelong fan and still listen to his music regularly. There is so much genius to discover - Don Quixote, Canadian Railroad Trilogy, Edmund Fitzgerald, Sundown, Early Morning Rain. But not sure if these can top the deep emotion of If You Could Read My Mind.
The greatest string arrangement in the history of Pop is on ANOTHER Gordon Lightfoot song, called "The Last Time I Saw Her Face" which was also done spectacularly by the great Glen Campbell. It is one of the saddest and most beautiful and enchanting love songs ever written, and its not just me who says so. The strings give me Chills.
The 'Hanier Family' and 'MerchantOfAlba' did The Last Time I Saw Her on their reaction channels and both were VERY impressed. It has been my favourite Lightfoot song for about fifty-five years or so. Thank you for mentioning it! I love how it goes from a perceived mono to an explosion of stereo and the lyrics are devastating.
Gordon Lightfoot is so nostalgic and melancholy to me. My mother was a folk musician and wonderful singer. She introduced me to so much great music back in the 70s. Every time I hear any of his songs, I immediately miss her... But it's happy memories. She would be going about our big ol house singing while she cleaned, cooked, painted or gardened. Thanks for this one! ❤😎
Great song! I was so sad to hear of Gordon Lightfoot's passing away recently. Loved his music. One of the best songwriters & storytellers. He was a Canadian legend. Gordon Lightfoot has had many hits through his long career such as "Sundown", "Early Morning Rain", "Steel Rail Blues", "Ribbon Of Darkness", "Carefree Highway", "Rainy Day People", "Cotton Jenny", "Black Day In July", "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" etc.
Please check out Rick Beato and his analysis of this song. Beato is well known in the music world as a multi instrumentalist, music producer, and educator. He goes through this song and the parts his band plays in the background, as well as Lightfoot the composer. You'll get great insight into the song itself. I love how he frames his personal background story to this song. You (or anyone) won't be disappointed.
This song was Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot's very first Top 40 hit in America. The song peaked at the #5 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the spring of 1971. No doubt about this song is awesome and beautiful indeed. RIP Gordon Lightfoot
The nostalgia is heavy. I lost the love of my life 14 years ago to a serious illness. We listened to music like this all the time. After he passed away l didn't listen to music at all for several years.
This song will always hit me and take me to a place back in time .. its hauntingly beautiful. The gift of music - making you feel things - whether you want to or not sometimes .. Love him
I have been a fan of Mr. Lightfoot since I was 11. I was fortunate to see him countless times in concert and own all but one of his albums. (Someday I'll find it). I'm currently 64years old and even with his passing I listen and hear the poetry and passion in his voice. He is Canada.
As to Gordon, I fell in love with his music/poetry in '75. He spoke years later about his alcoholism. He was always chasing the perfect song, the perfect words. He thought the bottle would help. Unfortunately. Still, he is without peer. Dan Fogelberg is close. TY TY
Gordon lived in Toronto and so did I in the 70s. After touring, when he came home, he would perform 5 concerts at Massey Hall Concert Hall and only there because of the acoustics. It's small, 3000 people, and a delightful experience. I was lucky enough to hear Gordon 4 times in that setting. He sounded just the same. The most moving experience from that amazing troubadour. Who is carrying on this tradition?
Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian national treasure, and we have always been so proud to claim him as our own in Canada. I recommend that you make a deep dive into his music just for your own enjoyment even though you can't possibly do reaction videos to all of them.
Gordon was ethereal on the guitar. His playing never failed him…right until the end of his life. God bless him, I hope he has found the peace he was searching for. ❤️🔥🇨🇦
A true Canadian legend that not only created incredible music, he continued to live in the country he loved all his life. When he sadly passed away he was still living in the Rosedale home (very nice part of Toronto) he bought in the ‘70s. We grew up with his musical poetry. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was used in grade school history classes when I was young and it was a powerful teaching tool. His words, voice, emotion & musical arrangement made you feel the story and want to learn. My personal favourite has always been If You Could Read My Mind, so beautiful and emotional. The arrangement, words and his one of a kind voice combine to make this song haunting in all the best ways.
What a Beautiful tribute to an Amazing Artist & Songwriter Gordon Lightfoot...I am a product of the mid 70's, 1975 graduate & this brought back a Million Meaningful Memories & I thank You ❤ 67yrs young & haven't heard Gordon's music in years & plugging Him in for the rest of the weekend & it's only a Thursday evening. Legends & Ballads & always Truth in his Music. The 70's were Priceless! I know! I was Lucky enough to be there & Still Alive & Kicking!!! God Bless The Best! Gordon Lightfoot ❤
I'm the same age and this was the first song I heard by him back then. He was one of the very top song writers of the 20th century (and the early 21st). I have all his albums and every song is perfection. I had eclectic taste back then,my first album purchases were Led Zeppelin, Cat Stevens, Chicago, and Gordon Lightfoot. I would have bought Joni Mitchel and Creedence Clearwater Revival if my sisters hadn't.
@@slabriprock5329 I had Led Zeppelin, Bread, Queen, Dan Fogelburg, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, to name a few. I love that we had such a variety of good music back then.
I'm a boomer. This song helped me through my 1st love and 1st divorce with 2 kids. No one knows what it's like going through this unless they go through it themselves. Anyway, I like the way you reviewed it. Everyone goes through a divorce in a different way; different person; different pain; etc. But with this song, everyone can relate. And my divorce was in 1983. Ok bro, thank you!
I always thought of Gordon Lightfoot as a wandering minstrel... I can see him wandering the streets singing his songs and telling his tales. It was my impression as a young man.
I think that’s true and what an exceptional way to describe it. He was true and honest. As long as it was carthartic for others as it was for him. Bleeding for everyone to see. Quite a connection he made.
The love of my life walked away from me in college and i cried every time I i heard this song. I still do sometimes. That was back in the early 70s. I use to swipe my brother's Gordon Lightfoot albums in 1969-1970. I've always loved his music.
I bought the album Gord's Gold when it came out and I was a freshman in college. I was 1,000 miles from my home and I listened to it every night. RIP Gordon thanks for the music.
Sebs, there's a Midnight Special of Gordon Lightfoot singing this song (and that's my favorite rendition of the song) and my favorite Gordon Lightfoot songs are "Song for a Winter's Night" and "Don Quixote!"
Sebs ~ Charismatic Voice, Rick Beato, Wings of Pegasus and Professor of Rock have all done incredible deep dives into this song…I very much recommend their vids to all true music aficionados…this song and Gordon truly merit it!
Yes, Rick Beato's focus on the way the strings swell and reach that high note made me appreciate, or have more of an understanding of why I appreciate, this arrangement so much. It gets me every time.
Thank you, you often ask us to comment on why we are here watching your reaction videos, this is the perfect example. You have an amazing way to genuinely describe how the music makes you feel. As someone that grew up with this amazing music, it helps us to reconnect with the music and remind us of how we felt. Over time those feelings can fade but you help bring it back. Also, seeing and hearing about your relationship with Ali and by extension, your daughters gives me comfort that you both are good souls and we need to see more of that. ❤
One of my fav. Folk artist along with Jim Croce, Harry Chapin. I had albums from each one of them back in the '70s. I also loved Neil Diamond early stuff.
This is a favorite, brings tears every time. My dad was a mariner…he had so many stories. I feel so blessed that he made it through that tough occupation. Such an incredible masterpiece of music and story.
There are songs I call "adult songs" that go deeper than typical pop fare and this is one for me. Fire and Rain by James Taylor, That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be by Carly Simon, Taxi by Harry Chapin, several Jimmy Webb songs (Phoenix, Wichita Lineman, Galveston, Didn't We, All I Know), Alfie by Dionne Warwick, Landslide - Fleetwood Mac, Hurt - Johnny Cash, Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd, She's Gone - Hall and Oates, I Can't Make You Love Me - Bonnie Raitt, I Can Let Go Now - Michael McDonald... I have them all and more in a playlist. Glad you covered this.
Sunday Morning Coming Down....Plus just on my list is My Foolish Heart by Bill Evans. That starts my day and ends each day. Great list you have.The Jimmy Webb stuff is burnt into my mind as a 7 or 8 years old. I went to sleep every night with a record player that would play the Witchita album over and over. Harry Chapin and Steve Goodman I listen to as well. I feel very blessed to have grew up in a family that always had music on the AM radio. Plus I happened to be a kid in the greatest musical era ever.
I have seen Gordon many times. His was the first concert I went to in Vancouver when I was 10. I saw him the year before he died. One of my favorites is Don Quixote and the Canadian Railroad Trilogy. You already listened to the Edmond Fitzgerald.
Gordon Lightfoot has so many wonderful songs. He was an awesome storyteller. One of my favorites by him is Alberta Bound. It's one of those songs that can get stuck in your head in a good way.
Mr. Lightfoot was a great singer- songwriter. No voice in the world like his! If you listen to The Last Time I Saw Her, you will cry. Guaranteed. And The Canadian Railroad Trilogy off of the Gord's Gold album is a masterpiece. I highly recommend both! RIP our Canadian friend.
People are making wonderful suggestions here. I’d like to add another, “Song for a Winter’s Night”. Beautiful song- it captures the feeling of sleigh bells.
WOW, just the mention of this song in the intro brought back such a flood of memories! It was instant emotions from heart felt memories and the angst of teenage uncertainties. When i first heard this song, I wasn't even ten years old, but i knew there was such a deep haunting sorrow coming from the soul of the man singing it. Later, as I learn to play the guitar as a teenager, Gordons songs were a part of my literal play list , along with James Taylor, John Denver, Jim Croce, Eagles etc. Being able to watch and listen to your reactions has stirred something deep within me in regards to my love of "meaningful music",
Thank God for the internet and the tech of the day so that we can go back there and remember ... not only because it is beautiful and takes a lot of thought, but to be thankful we've learned to appreciate real music. There is a reason for it. It is easier to swallow than some realities.
Thank you for taking the time to review this one! Your reaction is one of a true musician - we can tell how painful it was for you to stop this song to comment, and you’re not wrong! There’s 2 masterpieces within this - his beautiful vivid lyrics, and the story the strings are telling us. He was a true Canadian treasure!
This was absolutely the most heart wrenching song - my favorite by far of Gordon Lightfoot. My heart breaks every time I hear it and it never gets old. It is in a class by itself.
Dear Sebs. I just stumbled onto your videos. Fabulous. I love your vibe. I love your appreciation of music, and I love your appreciation of Gordon Lightfoot. As so many of your commentators have indicated, Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian icon and legend. There was and still is something truly unique about his music. It sounds so simple when you listen to it - till you attempt to play it. At which point one immediately comes to understand how complex his music is. I am a life long guitar player and have made many attempts to learn and master his songs. its no easy task. Keep up the great work. from a new fan.
So, my first comment ever. I'm a 72 year old former radio DJ and station manager during the 70's. I'm doing the opposite journey from you. I've been listening to today's music to stay relevant. And occasionally I come across a cover that moves me as much as the original. Such it is with Gordon's "If You Could Read My Mind." Seven years ago, another Canadian signer/songwriter, Rose Cousins, recorded her version of this song and actually caused me to stop and appreciate that today's musicians can pull from the past and create a new future for the song. Search for Rose and the song. Share with Ali. You'll be amazed.
Love Gordon Lightfoot especially this song.❤ Exactly how I feel after 30 yrs of marriage and 4 kids 😢. I can't get it back. New to your channel love it.
Golden Lightfoot a Canadian icon. First time I heard him was in Montreal at Expo67. The Worlds fair. Sadly he passed away last year 2023 at the age of 83yo. At Sunnybrook Hospital here in Toronto.
Another mandatory is "Early Morning Rain", by GL. Another sad, desperate, trying to make up for all of my misgivings, drinking myself to death instead of correcting. That one has always made me feel like I was in Canada, trying to get home but couldn't. Oh .... and I don't drink, but do remember the days.
10:36 "You can't hit that on the guitar". Well, if you're GL, you can. Gord loved playing around with different tunings. He'd have several guitars on the go in a concert tuned different ways. They allowed him to get sounds and chord changes that just aren't possible in a traditionally tuned guitar. I his house he had a "guitar room" that was humidity controlled but there were also humidity cabinets he'd put the guitars into daily to give them extra moisture. He had a special name for it. He mentions it in the Documentary "If You Could Read My Mind".
Gordon Lightfoot played a 12 string guitar. I am 73 and remember the exact moment I first heard this song. It hit me so hard. When I hear this I immediately can see the traffic around me as I am driving west on Sunrise Blvd. in Sacramento. It totally takes me back. His voice, the guitar, the strings wove a fabric of sound around me that has stayed with me all these years. Thank you for your reaction. It is exactly what I needed you to feel.
I also love his guitar work on Song for a Winter's Night. It's such a beautiful son and what's even more beautiful is how others have taken the song and made new arrangements. Contrast Gordon's version with that of Sarah McLachlan or Glass Tiger. All three versions so different and all bring chills.
I lived it. Was married for 23 years. For 7, he was clean and sober. After a house fire, he went into a downward spiral. Father of our 3 kids. Drank himself to death about 10 years after the divorce. This song still gets to me.
@@goosebump801 Booze and drugs are substitutes for what is gone from their lives. Nothing ever fills that empty space. I know. Scars inside and out to prove it.
Even Dylan said that when he listened to a Gordon Lightfoot song that he "wished it would last forever". Exactly how I feel about this one - a true masterpiece
The thing that I'm most enamored by is not just the music but his way of conveying the deep emotion in his lyrics. You're feeling what he felt. Relationships are delicate things made stronger only if both people create a strong bond. It's not enough if you show love and respect. The one you love has to feel and show it, too. God bless you, Gorden. There's no one else like you. You can sing with the angels now.
My favourite is Early Morning Rain. Reminds me of road trips to visit my parents' families back in the early 70s. It was often on the radio back then. I love these reactions! So much nostalgia for me. Thank you!
My first truly passionate relationship with a man who, after repeatedly staring at me at any college function, asked me if he could sing something to me, broke out his guitar and sang this to me beautifully. I was engaged to another and pretty much just ignored him every time he tried to talk to me before that night. Of course as he sang I immediately fell for this gorgeous and talented man. Who wouldn’t? Now we are both elderly and don’t know one another yet when I hear this song, I’m an impressionable teenage girl again who fell in love over a song.
That is his natural vibrato. There is a documentary (titled the same as this song) that is excellent. There is a recording of him singing as a child and that vibrato is there too. It's a part of him. I miss him a great deal. We listened to him a LOT back in the day.
I've been a Lightfoot fan since I was in my '20s, and this is one of my favorites of his. Red Shea was Lightfoot's lead guitarist between 1965 and 1975, and is responsible for the lead riffs on some of Lightfoot's best known songs, including If You Could Read My Mind, and others like Don Quixote or Song For A Winter's Night. You can hear him from the early recordings (from The Way I Feel) right up through Gord's Gold.
I was in my teens when Gordon lightfoot's music came out. He is incomparable. A Canadian national treasure. There will never be another songwriter like him.
Gordon Lightfoot was a master storyteller with his music. He cannot be replaced.
Truth 😊
Absolutely!
Bob Dylan said on Gordon's death, "Gord died without ever having written a bad song. Whenever I listened to them, I wanted them to last forever."
Listen to Beautiful
Bob Dylan introduced Gordon Lightfood into the Canadian Songwriter's Hall of Fame ❤🎉
@@wilhelmbeermann2424 I love that Dylan did that!
Listen to Gordon’s list of songs I cannot disagree with
@@James-cr3psyou said it best!
Followed him for over 50 years. Saw him live more than 20 times. It hurts that he's left us behind. Miss you, Gordon. Thank God we still have his music!
I’m 64 and I’ve been a Gordon Lightfoot fan since I was 14. He was a master at his craft and there will never be another like him.
Here, here, brother. Same for me.
I didn't have money for albums. Babysitting paid .50 hour then. I still have my 45s
@@lorriechavez2073 Wow, that's just great !
I saw him perform in a local school gym when I was around that age. He was already well-known but still doing tours across Canada playing in cities where any concert was a big deal.
This song is pure emotion. It is about the failed marriage to his ex wife. Matter of fact, there is a line that states "I'm just trying to understand the feelings that you lack." That line so bothered his daughter, that during the live performances he modified it slightly to "I'm just trying to understand the feelings that we lack."
and heroes often fail!
Which is unfair because the 2 verses above he talks about what he lacked, and he figured that out, so now he is trying to figure out what she lacks to see if they can adjust and carry on together.
@@stevegraham3817I hate that change as it turned the song from just being HIS emotions to his daughter's!
Thank you 😅
But really it's okay, it's all about Your babies ❤@@debrachewning1311
As a young teen in L.A. in 1977, I listened to Gordon Lightfoot, Cat Stevens, Simon and Garfunkel, Carol King, etc., on my tape recorder every night. Beautiful angsty times...
Harry Chapin!!!
Me too.
The Bee Gees!
Bread!
I was doing the same in the mountains, on a record player. I knew all the words, sang along to them all.
When Gordan passed, Bob Dylan commented that Gordan died without ever having made a bad song. Pretty high praise.
There a photos of him jamming in his old house in Toronto if you look, Dylan was also trying to get into Robbie Robertsons The Band , but they did not want to be over powered by him. He also was inducted by Dylan for the Canadian awards >> ruclips.net/video/-AKz23pbOFg/видео.html
Bob Dylan's right - Lightfoot wrote and sang amazing songs. I hope you get to listen to them all.
Another outstanding song by the LEGEND Gordon Lightfoot. Im 60 years old and Gordon, Jim Croce, Carol King, Cat Stevens, The Carpenters and James Taylor. Bar none were the best story tellers of my generation. There were far more but this group stood out from the rest. All tho they are all gone now their music will live on for Eternity. It is absolutely Timeless! May they all RIP!
We've lost one of the most talented and beautifull singers of our time . Rest in peace my friend❤
Amen!
Time in A Bottle from Jim Croce is another great song to check out if you haven’t already
Operator is another Jim Croce song that is really well written.
Agree!
Another great story teller,,with an outstanding backup singer/guitarist
All Jim Croce songs are excellent. Discovered him when I was 13 when I could decide for myself what I like and then he died when I was 15. My first heartbreak.
In today's music that carries on like the old singer song writers - I'm listening to Zach Bryan, Passenger and Ben Howard
One of my all-time favorite songs…by one of my all-time favorite singers.
Gordo is greatly missed!
I never tire of Gordon Lightfoot, Dan Fogelberg, Bob Seger, David Gates and Meat Loaf…
Great list. May I add Jackson Brown ❣
This has always been one of my favorite songs. Hundreds of years after we're gone, it will still be a great song. Simply timeless
One of the most beautiful ( and haunting) songs ever recorded - and by far my fave of Gordon's. He was one of a kind, had his own style and his songs are really timeless. Great reaction!
The poetry of GL! He is Canada's national treasure. RIP Gordon.
😂😂😂
@@davelabrum2694 One of........... :) We have many ............................. :)
Your comment “pain demands to be felt” made me immediately cry. All the pain I seem to hide to others is just there under the surface demanding to be felt. Thank you.
Your comment touched my heart. You hide it because you're supposed to be the strong one - but tears are not a sign of weakness.
Pain is rough. I've had a lot of it, too, starting when my sister was randomly murdered when I was 10. I have my Faith now, but still use numbing sometimes because of some ongoing pain that has yet to be remedied - so there is no healing from it as yet. I hope and pray your hidden pain can be healed and that you find true happiness.
I understand.
Gordon Lightfoot is probably one of the most famous Canadian Singer/Songwriters of all time who was able to cross over from folk to folk-rock with ease. I grew up in Toronto, ON during the 50s and 60s and Gordon Lightfoot was a big part of the Canadian music scene. Sundown is my favorite song of his.
Emotional, poetic, heartfelt, an enduring song for those of us who were there when it was released and absolutely knew we were hearing an instant classic. "When the heartaches come the hero would be me. But heroes often fail." What a gut punch. This was the first song I heard from GL, but I became a lifelong fan and still listen to his music regularly. There is so much genius to discover - Don Quixote, Canadian Railroad Trilogy, Edmund Fitzgerald, Sundown, Early Morning Rain. But not sure if these can top the deep emotion of If You Could Read My Mind.
The greatest string arrangement in the history of Pop is on ANOTHER Gordon Lightfoot song, called "The Last Time I Saw Her Face" which was also done spectacularly by the great Glen Campbell. It is one of the saddest and most beautiful and enchanting love songs ever written, and its not just me who says so. The strings give me Chills.
The 'Hanier Family' and 'MerchantOfAlba' did The Last Time I Saw Her on their reaction channels and both were VERY impressed. It has been my favourite Lightfoot song for about fifty-five years or so. Thank you for mentioning it! I love how it goes from a perceived mono to an explosion of stereo and the lyrics are devastating.
Gordon was absolutely amazing. One of the best writer/performers ever.
Gordon Lightfoot is so nostalgic and melancholy to me. My mother was a folk musician and wonderful singer. She introduced me to so much great music back in the 70s. Every time I hear any of his songs, I immediately miss her... But it's happy memories. She would be going about our big ol house singing while she cleaned, cooked, painted or gardened.
Thanks for this one! ❤😎
Great song! I was so sad to hear of Gordon Lightfoot's passing away recently. Loved his music. One of the best songwriters & storytellers. He was a Canadian legend. Gordon Lightfoot has had many hits through his long career such as "Sundown", "Early Morning Rain", "Steel Rail Blues", "Ribbon Of Darkness", "Carefree Highway", "Rainy Day People", "Cotton Jenny", "Black Day In July", "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" etc.
Please check out Rick Beato and his analysis of this song. Beato is well known in the music world as a multi instrumentalist, music producer, and educator. He goes through this song and the parts his band plays in the background, as well as Lightfoot the composer. You'll get great insight into the song itself. I love how he frames his personal background story to this song. You (or anyone) won't be disappointed.
One of the great things about Gordon Lightfoot is his unusual vibrato. It works with every song he sings.
That is quiver of emotion because he feels the words every time he sings them and relives what happened. It's golden but sucks for the poet.
This song was Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot's very first Top 40 hit in America. The song peaked at the #5 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the spring of 1971. No doubt about this song is awesome and beautiful indeed. RIP Gordon Lightfoot
The nostalgia is heavy. I lost the love of my life 14 years ago to a serious illness. We listened to music like this all the time. After he passed away l didn't listen to music at all for several years.
This song will always hit me and take me to a place back in time .. its hauntingly beautiful. The gift of music - making you feel things - whether you want to or not sometimes .. Love him
takes me back to my youth every time. ❤
Gordon Lightfoot "Railroad Trilogy" Wonderful story.
I have been a fan of Mr. Lightfoot since I was 11. I was fortunate to see him countless times in concert and own all but one of his albums. (Someday I'll find it). I'm currently 64years old and even with his passing I listen and hear the poetry and passion in his voice. He is Canada.
'Sundown' another great song from the man...RIP bro
One of the most talented singer, songwriter, performers in history. Sorely and highly underrated.
As to Gordon, I fell in love with his music/poetry in '75. He spoke years later about his alcoholism. He was always chasing the perfect song, the perfect words. He thought the bottle would help. Unfortunately. Still, he is without peer. Dan Fogelberg is close. TY TY
Gordon lived in Toronto and so did I in the 70s. After touring, when he came home, he would perform 5 concerts at Massey Hall Concert Hall and only there because of the acoustics. It's small, 3000 people, and a delightful experience. I was lucky enough to hear Gordon 4 times in that setting. He sounded just the same. The most moving experience from that amazing troubadour. Who is carrying on this tradition?
Gordon Lightfoot's voice has such a lovely resonance. It rings like a bell.
Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian national treasure, and we have always been so proud to claim him as our own in Canada. I recommend that you make a deep dive into his music just for your own enjoyment even though you can't possibly do reaction videos to all of them.
Canada has produced MANY top musicians and poets . Please keep it going .
Gordon was ethereal on the guitar. His playing never failed
him…right until the end of his life. God bless him, I hope he
has found the peace he was searching for. ❤️🔥🇨🇦
@@JackDaniels85-4x4Vandura Alliterative word, actually sounds like its meaning, don’t you agree?
A national day of mourning when Gordon passed. 🇨🇦
Truly sad day indeed! We lost one of the greatest!
My 2 favorite Gordon Lightfoot songs....Don Quiote and Circle of Steel. Lesser known but absolutely fabulous.
As a Canadian i cannot think of a better singer and storyteller...thank you for promoting Canadian talent
A true Canadian legend that not only created incredible music, he continued to live in the country he loved all his life. When he sadly passed away he was still living in the Rosedale home (very nice part of Toronto) he bought in the ‘70s. We grew up with his musical poetry. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was used in grade school history classes when I was young and it was a powerful teaching tool. His words, voice, emotion & musical arrangement made you feel the story and want to learn. My personal favourite has always been If You Could Read My Mind, so beautiful and emotional. The arrangement, words and his one of a kind voice combine to make this song haunting in all the best ways.
What a Beautiful tribute to an Amazing Artist & Songwriter Gordon Lightfoot...I am a product of the mid 70's, 1975 graduate & this brought back a Million Meaningful Memories & I thank You ❤
67yrs young & haven't heard Gordon's music in years & plugging Him in for the rest of the weekend & it's only a Thursday evening. Legends & Ballads & always Truth in his Music. The 70's were Priceless! I know! I was Lucky enough to be there & Still Alive & Kicking!!! God Bless The Best! Gordon Lightfoot ❤
I'm the same age and this was the first song I heard by him back then. He was one of the very top song writers of the 20th century (and the early 21st). I have all his albums and every song is perfection. I had eclectic taste back then,my first album purchases were Led Zeppelin, Cat Stevens, Chicago, and Gordon Lightfoot. I would have bought Joni Mitchel and Creedence Clearwater Revival if my sisters hadn't.
@@slabriprock5329 I had Led Zeppelin, Bread, Queen, Dan Fogelburg, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, to name a few. I love that we had such a variety of good music back then.
I, too, am a product of the 70's 6:46 love this song. .
I'm a boomer. This song helped me through my 1st love and 1st divorce with 2 kids. No one knows what it's like going through this unless they go through it themselves. Anyway, I like the way you reviewed it. Everyone goes through a divorce in a different way; different person; different pain; etc. But with this song, everyone can relate. And my divorce was in 1983. Ok bro, thank you!
His voice was one of a kind! Thanks for reacting to him again!!!❤
I always thought of Gordon Lightfoot as a wandering minstrel... I can see him wandering the streets singing his songs and telling his tales. It was my impression as a young man.
I think that’s true and what an exceptional way to describe it. He was true and honest. As long as it was carthartic for others as it was for him. Bleeding for everyone to see. Quite a connection he made.
Songs like "The Minstrel of the Dawn" and "I'd Do it Again" have always made me feel he saw himself much the same way.
"Sundown" amazing harmonies. Acoustic
Yes but right now its this one......
The love of my life walked away from me in college and i cried every time I i heard this song. I still do sometimes. That was back in the early 70s. I use to swipe my brother's Gordon Lightfoot albums in 1969-1970. I've always loved his music.
Gordon Lightfoot is a true Bard in every sense of the word.
I bought the album Gord's Gold when it came out and I was a freshman in college. I was 1,000 miles from my home and I listened to it every night. RIP Gordon thanks for the music.
Sebs, there's a Midnight Special of Gordon Lightfoot singing this song (and that's my favorite rendition of the song) and my favorite Gordon Lightfoot songs are "Song for a Winter's Night" and "Don Quixote!"
Sebs ~ Charismatic Voice, Rick Beato, Wings of Pegasus and Professor of Rock have all done incredible deep dives into this song…I very much recommend their vids to all true music aficionados…this song and Gordon truly merit it!
Yes, Rick Beato's focus on the way the strings swell and reach that high note made me appreciate, or have more of an understanding of why I appreciate, this arrangement so much. It gets me every time.
Rick Beato is the truth. One of the best music RUclipsrs, a fully formed musician and brilliant interviewer
Thank you, you often ask us to comment on why we are here watching your reaction videos, this is the perfect example. You have an amazing way to genuinely describe how the music makes you feel. As someone that grew up with this amazing music, it helps us to reconnect with the music and remind us of how we felt. Over time those feelings can fade but you help bring it back. Also, seeing and hearing about your relationship with Ali and by extension, your daughters gives me comfort that you both are good souls and we need to see more of that. ❤
One of my fav. Folk artist along with Jim Croce, Harry Chapin. I had albums from each one of them back in the '70s. I also loved Neil Diamond early stuff.
This is a favorite, brings tears every time. My dad was a mariner…he had so many stories. I feel so blessed that he made it through that tough occupation. Such an incredible masterpiece of music and story.
OMG the memories, want to instantly cry hearing this again. I love Gordon Lightfoot!
There are songs I call "adult songs" that go deeper than typical pop fare and this is one for me. Fire and Rain by James Taylor, That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be by Carly Simon, Taxi by Harry Chapin, several Jimmy Webb songs (Phoenix, Wichita Lineman, Galveston, Didn't We, All I Know), Alfie by Dionne Warwick, Landslide - Fleetwood Mac, Hurt - Johnny Cash, Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd, She's Gone - Hall and Oates, I Can't Make You Love Me - Bonnie Raitt, I Can Let Go Now - Michael McDonald... I have them all and more in a playlist. Glad you covered this.
Sunday Morning Coming Down....Plus just on my list is My Foolish Heart by Bill Evans. That starts my day and ends each day. Great list you have.The Jimmy Webb stuff is burnt into my mind as a 7 or 8 years old. I went to sleep every night with a record player that would play the Witchita album over and over. Harry Chapin and Steve Goodman I listen to as well. I feel very blessed to have grew up in a family that always had music on the AM radio. Plus I happened to be a kid in the greatest musical era ever.
I have always loved this song. So heartbreakingly beautiful. ❤
I have seen Gordon many times. His was the first concert I went to in Vancouver when I was 10. I saw him the year before he died. One of my favorites is Don Quixote and the Canadian Railroad Trilogy. You already listened to the Edmond Fitzgerald.
Gordon Lightfoot has so many wonderful songs. He was an awesome storyteller. One of my favorites by him is Alberta Bound. It's one of those songs that can get stuck in your head in a good way.
Mr. Lightfoot was a great singer- songwriter. No voice in the world like his! If you listen to The Last Time I Saw Her, you will cry. Guaranteed. And The Canadian Railroad Trilogy off of the Gord's Gold album is a masterpiece. I highly recommend both! RIP our Canadian friend.
The next Gordon Lightfoot song you need to react to should be “Beautiful.” It is one of the most perfect love songs you will ever hear. ❤
I had the 45 and sadly, I sold it to a record collector. He didn't get my, 'If You Could Read My Mind' though.
People are making wonderful suggestions here. I’d like to add another, “Song for a Winter’s Night”. Beautiful song- it captures the feeling of sleigh bells.
Being alive and loving music in the 70's was a great time to be alive. He has a great voice and I loved listening to him.
The 70's were the BEST!!
Being a kid in the 70s was the best. No helicopter parenting then. Be home when the street lights come on. And Gordon was on the radio all the time.
@@JL-is9rg Outside all day and we rarely if ever got sunburned.
One of my all time favorite songs. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
WOW, just the mention of this song in the intro brought back such a flood of memories! It was instant emotions from heart felt memories and the angst of teenage uncertainties. When i first heard this song, I wasn't even ten years old, but i knew there was such a deep haunting sorrow coming from the soul of the man singing it. Later, as I learn to play the guitar as a teenager, Gordons songs were a part of my literal play list , along with James Taylor, John Denver, Jim Croce, Eagles etc.
Being able to watch and listen to your reactions has stirred something deep within me in regards to my love of "meaningful music",
Thank God for the internet and the tech of the day so that we can go back there and remember ... not only because it is beautiful and takes a lot of thought, but to be thankful we've learned to appreciate real music. There is a reason for it. It is easier to swallow than some realities.
I believe this is my favorite Gordon Lightfoot song. And that is saying something, because he has so much great music.
Gordon was a masterful story-teller with a rich and velvety voice. This is my favorite of his songs. Just beautiful.
Carefree Highway is another great song from this legend
So very grateful that I got to see himive in a small venue
It was magical!
Thank you for taking the time to review this one! Your reaction is one of a true musician - we can tell how painful it was for you to stop this song to comment, and you’re not wrong! There’s 2 masterpieces within this - his beautiful vivid lyrics, and the story the strings are telling us. He was a true Canadian treasure!
Oh, this one takes me back. 50+ years later, it still gives me feels. Thank you.
His voice is so beautiful! There is no denying that! ❤️
This was absolutely the most heart wrenching song - my favorite by far of Gordon Lightfoot. My heart breaks every time I hear it and it never gets old. It is in a class by itself.
The canadian bard! Went and visited his hometown and his bust outside of the Orillia theater in orilla ontario!
Dear Sebs. I just stumbled onto your videos. Fabulous. I love your vibe. I love your appreciation of music, and I love your appreciation of Gordon Lightfoot. As so many of your commentators have indicated, Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian icon and legend. There was and still is something truly unique about his music. It sounds so simple when you listen to it - till you attempt to play it. At which point one immediately comes to understand how complex his music is. I am a life long guitar player and have made many attempts to learn and master his songs. its no easy task. Keep up the great work. from a new fan.
So, my first comment ever. I'm a 72 year old former radio DJ and station manager during the 70's. I'm doing the opposite journey from you. I've been listening to today's music to stay relevant. And occasionally I come across a cover that moves me as much as the original. Such it is with Gordon's "If You Could Read My Mind." Seven years ago, another Canadian signer/songwriter, Rose Cousins, recorded her version of this song and actually caused me to stop and appreciate that today's musicians can pull from the past and create a new future for the song. Search for Rose and the song. Share with Ali. You'll be amazed.
Thank you. I just searched and listened to Rose's version. Truly beautiful. Impactful. Wow.
There has never been a cover that holds the same meaning and passion as the original...
This touched my heart when it first came out and it still does So glad he’s touching you.❤
Has the voice of a great story teller and you can understand every word.
Can I two thumbs up this comment?
Love Gordon Lightfoot especially this song.❤ Exactly how I feel after 30 yrs of marriage and 4 kids 😢. I can't get it back. New to your channel love it.
This is one of those songs which I could listen to the music/instrumentals on loop for hours…so soothing
Golden Lightfoot a Canadian icon. First time I heard him was in Montreal at Expo67. The Worlds fair. Sadly he passed away last year 2023 at the age of 83yo. At Sunnybrook Hospital here in Toronto.
Another mandatory is "Early Morning Rain", by GL.
Another sad, desperate, trying to make up for all of my misgivings, drinking myself to death instead of correcting. That one has always made me feel like I was in Canada, trying to get home but couldn't. Oh .... and I don't drink, but do remember the days.
Yes!
Love it! The Circle is Small is also soo Good!
One of The Best Songs Ever Written!!!
10:36 "You can't hit that on the guitar". Well, if you're GL, you can. Gord loved playing around with different tunings. He'd have several guitars on the go in a concert tuned different ways. They allowed him to get sounds and chord changes that just aren't possible in a traditionally tuned guitar.
I his house he had a "guitar room" that was humidity controlled but there were also humidity cabinets he'd put the guitars into daily to give them extra moisture. He had a special name for it. He mentions it in the Documentary "If You Could Read My Mind".
Yup. That was what I was wondering. If he was tuned down.
He was wonderful! His music puts me right back to the late 60's-early 70's. My father listened to him all the time.
Gordon Lightfoot played a 12 string guitar. I am 73 and remember the exact moment I first heard this song. It hit me so hard. When I hear this I immediately can see the traffic around me as I am driving west on Sunrise Blvd. in Sacramento. It totally takes me back. His voice, the guitar, the strings wove a fabric of sound around me that has stayed with me all these years. Thank you for your reaction. It is exactly what I needed you to feel.
Red Shea on lead acoustic. A true master of the guitar.
Gordon is a master song writer! No one is like him. In Canada he is a god.
Best story teller of our time. And a perfectionist when it came to arranging his music. And a proud Canadian!
I also love his guitar work on Song for a Winter's Night. It's such a beautiful son and what's even more beautiful is how others have taken the song and made new arrangements. Contrast Gordon's version with that of Sarah McLachlan or Glass Tiger. All three versions so different and all bring chills.
I lived it. Was married for 23 years. For 7, he was clean and sober. After a house fire, he went into a downward spiral. Father of our 3 kids. Drank himself to death about 10 years after the divorce. This song still gets to me.
💐💐💐💐💐
@@goosebump801 Booze and drugs are substitutes for what is gone from their lives. Nothing ever fills that empty space. I know. Scars inside and out to prove it.
❤❤❤❤ hugs…
Sending love and a prayer.
I love this song ❤ if you like his music, I think you would enjoy Jim Croce.
Jim would absolutely have been the American Lightfoot...but for that damn tree off the end of that runway...
That trees about an hour from me
Even Dylan said that when he listened to a Gordon Lightfoot song that he "wished it would last forever". Exactly how I feel about this one - a true masterpiece
Gordon Lightfoot was one of my favs out of the 70s…. He truly was a talented poet….excellent!!!!!
Dan Fogelberg: Old Lang Syne. Amazing lyrics and music.
The thing that I'm most enamored by is not just the music but his way of conveying the deep emotion in his lyrics. You're feeling what he felt. Relationships are delicate things made stronger only if both people create a strong bond. It's not enough if you show love and respect. The one you love has to feel and show it, too. God bless you, Gorden. There's no one else like you. You can sing with the angels now.
My favourite is Early Morning Rain. Reminds me of road trips to visit my parents' families back in the early 70s. It was often on the radio back then.
I love these reactions! So much nostalgia for me. Thank you!
My first truly passionate relationship with a man who, after repeatedly staring at me at any college function, asked me if he could sing something to me, broke out his guitar and sang this to me beautifully. I was engaged to another and pretty much just ignored him every time he tried to talk to me before that night. Of course as he sang I immediately fell for this gorgeous and talented man. Who wouldn’t? Now we are both elderly and don’t know one another yet when I hear this song, I’m an impressionable teenage girl again who fell in love over a song.
One of the first songs I ever learned. I was the biggest Lightfoot fan in 1973. My friends thought I was weird. But I was just grown up lol.
Neil Diamond’s Stones and Carol King’s Tapestry remind me of this era, too.
That is his natural vibrato. There is a documentary (titled the same as this song) that is excellent. There is a recording of him singing as a child and that vibrato is there too. It's a part of him. I miss him a great deal. We listened to him a LOT back in the day.
I've been a Lightfoot fan since I was in my '20s, and this is one of my favorites of his. Red Shea was Lightfoot's lead guitarist between 1965 and 1975, and is responsible for the lead riffs on some of Lightfoot's best known songs, including If You Could Read My Mind, and others like Don Quixote or Song For A Winter's Night. You can hear him from the early recordings (from The Way I Feel) right up through Gord's Gold.
I was in my teens when Gordon lightfoot's music came out. He is incomparable. A Canadian national treasure. There will never be another songwriter like him.
It still makes my hair stand on end 50 years later.
Mine as well.
Very well said.its the memories...I think