Here in Australia, most of the music that gets on to the radio comes from the English speaking world, and most of that is from Britain and the United States. Strangely, it’s rare to hear music from Canada, even though many great acts have come from there.
The title of Canada’s greatest musical export would be hotly contested, but Gordon Lightfoot is a strong contender. He was one of the finest songwriters of the modern era, a man blessed with an extraordinary gift for creating songs, and the vocal and guitar skills to deliver those songs in ways that transcended place and time.
Bob Dylan, no slouch as a songwriter, said that when he heard a Lightfoot s0ng, he wished it would go on forever. Gordon wrote songs about trains and shipwrecks, rivers and highways, lovers and loneliness. Those sangs had the power of truth in them, often drawn from Gordon’s life and loves.
Many big names covered Gordon Lightfoot songs, and he had gold and platinum records and was a popular touring artist. Gordon died in May. He was 84.
