Nice selection Brett. Excellent video. It was difficult picking my top 10 songs. I have so many honourable mentions that I'm not going to list them. Doing a top 15 or 20 would have been easier for me. 1) Canadian Railroad Trilogy 2) Summer Side Of Life 3) Did She Mention My Name 4) Wherefor & Why 5) Race Among The Ruins 6) Black Day In July 7) Affair On 8th Avenue 8) Softly 9) Endless Wire 10) The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
Great list Brett!!! Gord had so many great songs. He is one of my all time favorites! You could easily do a top 30 of all his great songs. Some other great ones are second cup of coffee, ghosts of cape horn, hangdog hotel room , endless wire, the circle is small ,wherefore and why, cotton jenny, circle of steel, I'm not supposed to care , race among the ruins, high and dry, summertime dream, and last but not least sit down young stranger (to wear the crown of peace you must wear the crown of thorns ) best line ever. I agree start with his greatest hits and then start exploring .
Top 30 wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility *lol* Your list for possible additions is full of classics too, my friend. I'm Not Supposed To Care *almost* made my list, it's such a haunting song. Thank you for your input!
I heard your top 10 list of Gord’s songs, and I’m glad that not one hit was on the list. I’m really tired of hearing some of his hits. Particularly the Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald. That being said. I too made a list of top 10 Gordon Lightfoot songs, and mind you, I prefer his story songs over his “lovey dovey” ballads. My top 10 are as follows: #1. Cherokee Bend: A story about an indigenous boy losing his father who a group of white immigrants who planned to have him hanged. The boy had to do whatever he needed to survive, and ended up adapting to the white man’s leadership. #2. Hi’Way Songs: A song that’s biographical. It’s tells about traveling around from New York to Toronto, and living the lifestyle of a typical musician, but settling back on Canadian soil to relax for a bit. #3. Rich Man’s Spiritual: A gospel-folk song about planning a life. It’s a really good upbeat song. #4. Cold Hands From New York: A morbid ballad about being alienated in a town that you don’t live in. #5. Brave Mountaineers: A bluegrass toe-tapper, about life in the country. #6. Canadian Railroad Trilogy: Yes I’m breaking the rules here putting this 1966 “hit” on my list, but you got to admit. There’s a great history behind that song as Gord was commissioned by the CBC to write a song for a tv special commemorating Canada’s 100th Anniversary, and representing the building of the Canadian Railroad. It really paints a picture of the exhausted sweating workers hammering the spikes into the tracks. #7. Circle Of Steel: A winter ballad about a woman about to lose her home and is on welfare and drinking a ton of booze. #8. Nous Vivons Ensemble: A French song about uniting Quebec with the rest of Canada. #9. Ballad of The Yarmouth Castle: A shipwreck song about a cruise ship in Florida I think. Or is it a vessel? All I know is that it’s going down in flames #10. Approaching Lavender: I can’t really figure out what this song is about, but it’s a great melody. Well that’s my top 10. May not be yours, but if there are people who are interested in Gord’s deeper cuts, I recommend they give them a listen. Cheers.
You dug very deep there, friend, I love it! The no-hits rule only applies to me, anyone is free to say the six I mentioned are their favorites lol Your song descriptions are a nice touch, I hope it inspires others to delve deeper. Gord's storytelling abilities were fantastic.
The Watchman's Gone has long been my favourite Gord song of all time beside If You Could Read My Mind. I agree with list and am not familiar with the last two. Song for a Winter's Night is Fiona's favourite as a new convert to Gord. I'd add Bitter Green, The Circle is Small, Baby Step Back and Endless Wire. Man, the guy has a staggering number of great songs, any number of which could be in a Top 10. Glad I had a premonition about this ;).
That's spooky, my friend! I'm glad you did, too, though. She clearly has good taste if that's her favorite :) You're right - we could almost put the names of all songs in a hat, draw ten, and they'd be amazing. Picking this was difficult but fun.
I was able to pull a top 8, just from the top of my head after you eliminated 6 and before you started your list: The Pony Man Circle of Steel Endless Wire Beautiful Cotton Jenny Old Dan's Records Cherokee Bend Christian Island
I only added that for me, everyone else is free to add them :) They're amazing songs! But I'm biased, I think most of his songs were great. Excellent list, friend!
Nice selection Brett. Excellent video. It was difficult picking my top 10 songs. I have so many honourable mentions that I'm not going to list them. Doing a top 15 or 20 would have been easier for me.
1) Canadian Railroad Trilogy
2) Summer Side Of Life
3) Did She Mention My Name
4) Wherefor & Why
5) Race Among The Ruins
6) Black Day In July
7) Affair On 8th Avenue
8) Softly
9) Endless Wire
10) The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
Great list Brett!!! Gord had so many great songs. He is one of my all time favorites! You could easily do a top 30 of all his great songs. Some other great ones are second cup of coffee, ghosts of cape horn, hangdog hotel room , endless wire, the circle is small ,wherefore and why, cotton jenny, circle of steel, I'm not supposed to care , race among the ruins, high and dry, summertime dream, and last but not least sit down young stranger (to wear the crown of peace you must wear the crown of thorns ) best line ever. I agree start with his greatest hits and then start exploring .
Top 30 wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility *lol* Your list for possible additions is full of classics too, my friend. I'm Not Supposed To Care *almost* made my list, it's such a haunting song. Thank you for your input!
I heard your top 10 list of Gord’s songs, and I’m glad that not one hit was on the list. I’m really tired of hearing some of his hits. Particularly the Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald. That being said. I too made a list of top 10 Gordon Lightfoot songs, and mind you, I prefer his story songs over his “lovey dovey” ballads.
My top 10 are as follows:
#1. Cherokee Bend: A story about an indigenous boy losing his father who a group of white immigrants who planned to have him hanged. The boy had to do whatever he needed to survive, and ended up adapting to the white man’s leadership.
#2. Hi’Way Songs: A song that’s biographical. It’s tells about traveling around from New York to Toronto, and living the lifestyle of a typical musician, but settling back on Canadian soil to relax for a bit.
#3. Rich Man’s Spiritual: A gospel-folk song about planning a life. It’s a really good upbeat song.
#4. Cold Hands From New York: A morbid ballad about being alienated in a town that you don’t live in.
#5. Brave Mountaineers: A bluegrass toe-tapper, about life in the country.
#6. Canadian Railroad Trilogy: Yes I’m breaking the rules here putting this 1966 “hit” on my list, but you got to admit. There’s a great history behind that song as Gord was commissioned by the CBC to write a song for a tv special commemorating Canada’s 100th Anniversary, and representing the building of the Canadian Railroad. It really paints a picture of the exhausted sweating workers hammering the spikes into the tracks.
#7. Circle Of Steel: A winter ballad about a woman about to lose her home and is on welfare and drinking a ton of booze.
#8. Nous Vivons Ensemble: A French song about uniting Quebec with the rest of Canada.
#9. Ballad of The Yarmouth Castle: A shipwreck song about a cruise ship in Florida I think. Or is it a vessel? All I know is that it’s going down in flames
#10. Approaching Lavender: I can’t really figure out what this song is about, but it’s a great melody.
Well that’s my top 10. May not be yours, but if there are people who are interested in Gord’s deeper cuts, I recommend they give them a listen.
Cheers.
You dug very deep there, friend, I love it! The no-hits rule only applies to me, anyone is free to say the six I mentioned are their favorites lol Your song descriptions are a nice touch, I hope it inspires others to delve deeper. Gord's storytelling abilities were fantastic.
The Watchman's Gone has long been my favourite Gord song of all time beside If You Could Read My Mind. I agree with list and am not familiar with the last two. Song for a Winter's Night is Fiona's favourite as a new convert to Gord. I'd add Bitter Green, The Circle is Small, Baby Step Back and Endless Wire. Man, the guy has a staggering number of great songs, any number of which could be in a Top 10. Glad I had a premonition about this ;).
That's spooky, my friend! I'm glad you did, too, though. She clearly has good taste if that's her favorite :)
You're right - we could almost put the names of all songs in a hat, draw ten, and they'd be amazing. Picking this was difficult but fun.
I was able to pull a top 8, just from the top of my head after you eliminated 6 and before you started your list:
The Pony Man
Circle of Steel
Endless Wire
Beautiful
Cotton Jenny
Old Dan's Records
Cherokee Bend
Christian Island
I only added that for me, everyone else is free to add them :) They're amazing songs! But I'm biased, I think most of his songs were great. Excellent list, friend!
I have album cold on the shoulder on vinyl , no sign of it on c d
His best, in my opinion, but I don't have the CD, either :)