A Painter Passing Through: The Hidden Gems of Gordon Lightfoot
/As a child, I was quite taken with aspects of days past - music, movies, and the world in general. Anything that had faded into obscurity or no longer held relevance was of great interest to me, especially in the case of music. The soundtrack of my life at the time was played out through the speakers in my father’s study. I would spend many an hour enjoying folk tunes of all kinds, from the sea shanties of Stan Rogers to the powerful anthems of The Men They Couldn’t Hang. However, one artist has stayed with me for longer than most, his songs weaving together with memories and moments that, for better or worse, I will never forget.
That artist is none other than Gordon Lightfoot, Canada’s greatest songwriter and a living legend in the folk genre. His legacy is a lengthy and enduring one, but not all of his music has been given the proper credit and recognition that it rightfully deserves. While he was undoubtedly at the top of his game throughout the 1960s and 1970s, he also produced several amazing albums during the 1980s and 1990s, which - in my opinion - are criminally underrated, and deserve some time in the spotlight.
As a tribute to these forgotten gems, here are four of my favourite tracks from them.
In My Fashion — Shadows
In my fashion, I have been a good man
I have loved, and I have lost
And ever after, I will be remembered
In my fashion, in my way
In My Fashion preaches a simple yet effective message - carry on, no matter what life throws at you. It manages to strike a balance between the perspective of someone thinking about where their life is headed, and someone looking back on their life and contemplating the impact that they had. In his fashion, Gordon has created an excellent, versatile, catchy and upbeat tune.
Whispers of the North — Salute
The sound is like a song to me
It takes away the pain
The river is the melody
And the sky is the refrain
Whispers of the North makes up for in atmosphere what it lacks in complexity by way of imagery and immersion. As with many of his other songs, Gordon took inspiration from nature for the lyrics - in this case, the beauty of the northern wilderness. Opening with the sound of gently lapping water and distant loon calls, it smoothly transitions into a melodic tune that perfectly captures the feeling of serenity that one experiences in the remote reaches of Canadian nature.
East of Midnight — East of Midnight
The road is paved with moonbeams
There are faces that I knew
They all came back to haunt me
But that ain't fair to the folks like me and you
East of Midnight sounds radically different from anything else that Gordon has produced, both before and after its release. Combining a quintessentially 80s rock sound with some of his deepest lyrics, it feels like the kind of song that you would put on while driving down a barren stretch of highway in the dead of night, the neon blaze of a distant cityscape slowly fading into an ambient glow as you contemplate your place in life. Profound and beautiful, this is one of his best works to date.
Drink Yer Glasses Empty — Waiting For You
Drink yer glasses, girls and boys
It's time to hit the sky
To the tune of thunder
There’s no time to wonder why
Drink Yer Glasses Empty is a haunting yet strangely hopeful tune that depicts the lasting effects of World War II on the people at home who watched and waited as it happened, rather than the valiant soldiers who fought overseas. The simple synth sound that hums away in the background lends itself well to the ambling pace of the guitar and Gordon's gentle voice, which creates a rather soothing feeling that allows you to immerse yourself in the kind of world that he describes.
I grew up to the gentle melodies of Carefree Highway and Minstrel of the Dawn, overcame the trials and tribulations of high school with the legendary Don Quixote, celebrated the life of my father over a round of drinks and the energetic tones of Endless Wire, mended a broken heart with the help of Now and Then, and charted a course for my future plans to the hectic tune of Crossroads.
These songs - and many others like them - are truly dear to me, and have become more than just the soundtrack to my life. They have carved out a place in the very bedrock of my identity and existence, so as far as I’m concerned, they are as good as gold.
The Conductor
The Conductor is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. Elusive, reclusive, and an old soul through and through, he enjoys going on excursions into the wilderness, listening to classic folk music, drinking good scotch, and yelling at clouds.
