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Gordon Lightfoot, RIP

Mike Rapkoch

May 3, 2023

34 19

Canada has produced some of finest singers ever to take the stage. From Jodi Mitchell to Celine Dion, to Burton Cummings (lead singer for The Guess Who), to Anne Murray and Michael Buble, our neighbors up north seem to produce voices with a unique set of sounds that tear at the heart.

But in me estimation Gordon Lightfoot, with his deep and haunting voice, sits atop the leaderboard. Lightfoot’s blend of folk and rock was the unique, beautiful, and yes, manly. A rare commodity in today’s garbage pop.

Among my favorites is “The Ballad of the Yarmouth Castle.” While less known than “The Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald,” the former will stir the soul in ways that will never be excelled.

Here it is:

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Tags: Gordon Lightfoot

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BDB
@BDB

10:17 PM EDT ⋅ May 3, 2023

Steven Seward (View Comment):

Mike Rapkoch:

But in me estimation Gordon Lightfoot, with his deep and haunting voice, sits atop the leaderboard. Lightfoot’s blend of folk and rock was the unique, beautiful, and yes, manly.

Despite being a Zeppelin fan, I really appreciate rock and pop singers with manly voices. To me, they stand out among the multitude of girly-sounding male castrati-type rock singers. A few come to mind – Johnny Cash, Jim Morrison, Tom Jones, Barry White, Leonard Cohen, Isaac Hayes, Elvis sometimes, even Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart(!)

Hoyt Axton, baby.
- #31

Coolidge
ToryWarWriter
@ToryWarWriter

6:50 PM EDT ⋅ May 4, 2023

OldPhil (View Comment):

My wife’s favorite is If You Could Read My Mind.

I have left instructions to have this song play at my funeral. That and Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce.
- #32

Coolidge
ToryWarWriter
@ToryWarWriter

7:09 PM EDT ⋅ May 4, 2023

When I was a little kid, I had a tape of Simon and Garfunkle that I played endlessly. My mom convinced me to listen to Gordon Lightfoot and Jim Croce by saying they were friends of the first pair.

At my mothers house where I mostly grew up, there was a cottage owned by an old couple named the Woodwarks. They had a huge sprawling family that kept in touch and in one year in the early 70s (before my time) they had a family reunion where 80 people came to the cottage. Among the visitors was the distant cousin Gordon Lightfoot.

I have a 4 disc special box set plus numerous albums and best ofs. I can sing early morning rain word for word. Still love my Yellow Canoe.

I went to a concert with a friend of mine (later murdered by Phizer), in the fall of 2019. We saw him perform with a very large band. A good solid show, but he certainly didn’t have his baritone anymore. But he could still yodel very well for one last round and gambling his last dollar away.

Of course we sung a song that united the country with the Railroad Trilogy.

But I am going to leave you with instead. Seems fitting for the occassion.
- #33