Maybe you've already resolved this one but I haven't seen it...
What ARE the lyrics? I've heard "with a pain that ever grows", "where the cold wind blows", "where the cold winds blow" and "where the pavement never grows" (which I first thought was a joke but it kept showing up).
Thanks to anyone who can enlighten me on this one.

Maybe you've already resolved this one but I haven't seen it...
What ARE the lyrics? I've heard "with a pain that ever grows", "where the cold wind blows", "where the cold winds blow" and "where the pavement never grows" (which I first thought was a joke but it kept showing up).
Thanks to anyone who can enlighten me on this one.

Here are the original lyrics from LIGHTFOOT!:

In the early morning rain
With a dollar in my hand
With an achin' in my heart
And my pockets full of sand
I'm a long way from home
And I miss my loved ones so
In the early morning rain
With no place to go
Out on runway number nine
Big seven-o-seven set to go
But I'm stuck here in the grass
Where the cold wind blows
Now the liquor tasted good
And the women all were fast
Well there she goes my friend
Well she's rollin' down at last

Hear the mighty engines roar
See the silver bird on high
She's away and westward bound
Far above the clouds she'll fly
Where the mornin' rain don't fall
And the sun always shines
She'll be flyin' o'er my home
In about three hours time

This old airport's got me down
It's no earthly good to me
'Cause I'm stuck here on the ground
As cold and drunk as I can be
You can't jump a jet plane
Like you can a freight train
So I'd best be on my way
In the early morning rain
You can't jump a jet plane
Like you can a freight train
So I'd best be on my way
In the early morning rain

Mind you, this song has been covered by a zillion other artists, some of whom approximate the lyrics. Gord himself occasionally plays with the words while performing live, and has noted specific changes (e.g from "If You Could Read My Mind" he changed "And if you read between the lines / You'll know that I'm just tryin' to understand / The feelin's that YOU lack" to "the feelin's that WE lack" for his daughter Ingrid.)

BTW if you go to the home page, there's a link for "songs" which will give you an alphabetical list; click on the title and it will bring you to the lyrics.

That lyric as I see it written in the corresponding songbook to the original "LIGHTFOOT!" recording, although it doesn't give the date, I recall it being 1965, reads as follows: "Where the cold wind blows" as Annie has indicated above. Gord seems to alter lyrics from time to time but when he does, it is always in a very subtle manner. I like this version of "Early Mornin'Rain" best of all mainly because of it's rawness and I never tire of listening to the way he pounds out the strumming effect on the guitar. Takes me way back to the old Steele's Tavern, Riverboat days. Cheers, Ron J.

I checked the versions I have on my computer...Gord says "where the cold wind blows" on the Songbook version...Ian & Sylvia, Tony Rice, Judy Collins, Eva Cassidy all say "where the cold winds blow"...Peter Paul & Mary say "where the pavement never grows" and then J.P. Cormier does too. Where that wording came from I can't imagine but obviously that's where I heard it.

On Canadian Idol the young girl, Elena that performed it in front of Gord sang 'with a pain that never goes'. Just watched/lsitened again..

Gord seemed very pleased with her rendition....

This was the best performance of EMR, I ever heard. Following night she was booted off. Never did understand that one.




Hey Char, did you notice a younger Meredith, sitting next to Daddy, on that show..

[ October 15, 2006, 17:39: Message edited by: Jesse -Joe ]

Ok here are some more:
Kingston Trio say "where the cold winds blow"
And Gord on Gord's Gold says "with a pain that ever grows"
!!!! So now I know where THAT one came from. I accused someone who sang it like that of making it up.

On Gord's Gold, as I recall, Gord sings the "pain" version. And in a late 60s live appearance released on an obscure CD a few years ago, he sang the "pavement" version. I remember winning a few bets on that one! I have always wondered whether he created that line as a playful bit of humor and used it on multiple occasions, or whether it was a one time thing. I don't even know what he sings these days; all versions sound right to me!

Meredith was a huge Kalan Porter fan....

I thought she was an Elena fan - she was holding a sign that said Elena-or was she holding the sign to get her booted? j/k

[ October 15, 2006, 13:37: Message edited by: brink- ]

Val, do you remember which CD it was?

Of course I do. Whether you can find it is another matter. It was called ... mmmm ... San Francisco Live, and contained what they called "psychodelic" music. The recordings (many different artists; just the one of GL) are all live, mostly if not totally from performances on college campuses. The sound quality left a lot to be desired, but the recording was quite something to hear, with Red Shea and John Stockfish. Red had almost a bluegrass sound; quite breathtaking, actually. I always wondered if the CD was "authorized"; wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't.

OK.

The story I read, from the Songbook booklet, I think, was that Gord heard Elvis sing the line, "with a pain that ever grows." And has sung it that way ever since. He also recently changed the line,"as cold and drunk as I can be," to "as cold and drunk as I might be."

I've often wondered if he'd change seven oh seven to seven four seven, or something similar, too.

Of course, there's that whole airport security thing now too.

I have that one, Val. I just have never opened it. The one with the Chambers Brothers, Grateful Dead, Janis, Boz etc.? Maybe it is time to listen to it.
On the back cover it says the recordings were taken from performances for College Campus Radio.

Sounds like it, Deb. Open it and listen. You will be glad you bought it.

I'd love to hear the GD Chamber's Brothers version of ERM. I only know Time and their version of I Can't Turn You Loose.

I'd love to hear the GD Chamber's Brothers version of ERM. I only know Time and their version of I Can't Turn You Loose.

this is lovely - I think it's Paul Weller:

and a snippet of Elvis:
http://www.amazon.com/Elvis-Now-Presley/dp/B000002...
[ October 16, 2006, 06:37: Message edited by: charlene ]

It is indeed Paul Weller, Charlene, and it is lovely, but I prefer Gord's chording of the song.

OK continuing my survey...
Elvis says where the pavement never grows...
Paul Weller says where the cold wind blows...
You could make a very interesting CD, all Early Morning Rain!

Can anyone tell me the date and place of this performance? It's incredible!

I do believe that's from "Live In Reno" in early 2000. (Taped late 1999? Someone correct me if I'm mistaken.) :redface:

I am sure you're right Borderstone.

Taped April 19, 2000.

At the Ottawa shows I went to in November, Gord told us about Elvis' cover of EARLY MORNIN' RAIN.

"I heard [Elvis] sing this song, once. I liked it, except for one thing. He changed a lyric.
The line was originally 'As cold and drunk as I can be' He changed it to 'As cold and drunk as I might be.' Yeah - one little word. But, I liked the change and I've been singing his version ever since."

One little word? I found that hysterical.

Elvis' version is on YouTube somewhere.

Simpson.

I don't need to go to You Tube for that,my brother has all of Elvis' 70s concerts either on cassette or video! :rolleyes:

I live with him so,not being that big on 70s E.P. myself,I pretty much react like
this ----> :rolleyes:

But But Char that snippet is only 1:29 long.
a bit more searching at youtube produces:-
billed as
Elvis Presley - Early Morning Rain
03:00
1973 Aloha From Hawaii
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/images/elvis_EMR.jpg
As previously mentioned to save any youtube video for your own use please follow my tutorial at:-
http://youtubetutorial.notlong.com
(I continue to have problems most of the time with
yuoutube grabber
and youripper so now I only use
the more comprehensive if oddly entitledyou sucker
Now I was never a great Elvis fan, my class at school in England was solidly Buddy Holly fans because lets face it a guy with
outsize specs was no match for the girl appeal of ol' swivel hips!! but I still enjoy the very early "Sun sessions" recordings
http://img.stern.de/_content/26/93/2...ession_305.jpg
which have IMHO a wonderful rawness and honesty that was largely lost in his later output and of course the succession of generally dreadful "Colonel"
Tom Parker manipulated films

But, but Sir John-that's what a "snippet" means..
;)


At the March 3 show in Niagara Falls he didn't eve do a 'snippet' of EMR with our without the change Elvis made...

;0

I know that my dear. My point was that the other youtube video was no "snippet" but the full 3 minute whole kit and caboodle and therefore a better one to pass on to the punters here.
John BT

Very good Sir John & Lady Char, {lol} But, but the Peter Paul & Mary version, is a real treasure.



All 2:57 of it... :D CLICK ON THE PHOTO !!! :)

[ March 18, 2007, 13:56: Message edited by: Jesse-Joe ]

I wonder if they did it when they were here a few weeks ago..??

I know P.P. & M. tried releasing "EMR" as a single but unlike "For Lovin' Me",it did not make the top 40.
In fact it barely stayed on the Billboard Hot 100. :rolleyes:

OK OK the PePaMar version
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/images/PPM_EMR.jpg

http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/images/PPM_EMR2.jpg

screenshots from the video
That video is superb but one must give recognition to the "other" version that also helped get Gordon on the road to stardom
Fortunately this is also available on youtube at:-
complete with a surprise guest

http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/images/...ia_and_Ian.jpg

from the 1986 Ian and Sylvia reunion special
during which Sylvia keeps looking at Gord with the air of somebody who knows something we don't!!
and Gord in return keeps winking at somebody

http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/LIGHTFOOT/glwink.gif
(Actually in the video he uses a right eye wink not the left eye as in the nice little animated gif above and that gif appears on this archived page on my site:-
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/LIGHTFOOT/bdcard2.htm
from page 2 of the complete 809 entry 60th birthday card from 1998 see:-
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/LIGHTFOOT/60thcard.htm)
As the video uploader said
"The video quality is not perfect but hey this is history!!"
I have no doubt that the redoubtable Jessie-Joe has the complete VHS tape of that concert in which case he will already know that immediately after EMR Gord resplendant in THAT iconic white suit solos on Knotty Pine
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/images/knotty_pine.jpg
NOTE
youtube videos of course are really only watchable on line if you have broadband or as Bruna silverheels does are prepared to watch in annoyingly brief 2 second chunks on a dial up then replay after it has fully downloaded. Better still save it as exhaustively explained on my fantastic and fully featured tutorial at:-
http://www.youtubetutorial.notlong.com
John Bt
I mean no one no harm

[ March 21, 2007, 16:56: Message edited by: johnfowles ]

Sir John,
leave me alone, I am too stressed out! :D
I am having phone problems today ... !!

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/images/knotty_pine.jpg


The video quality is not perfect but hey this is history!!"
I have no doubt that the redoubtable Jessie-Joe has the complete VHS tape of that concert in which case he will already know that immediately after EMR Gord resplendant in THAT iconic white suit solos on Knotty Pine

Yes indeed Sir John, I do have it in it's entirety. Great find on You Tube.

I always thought Gord looked great in this one. And when he sang his solo, I remember his teeth being bright white & shiny, on the close up. Must have had a cleaning from his dentist not long before the show...
:D

This reunion as Im sure you know John was taped in Hamilton Place. Hamilton Ontario, CANADA...


I think the wink was at Ian Tyson for the long friendship, they had. :)

Other entertainers on that show were Judy Collins, Emmylou Harris and Murray McLauchlan.


Hey Sir John, I will give you one penny, if you can find Gord doing CRT on The Johnny Cash Show, must have been early 70's.

I found this one where he does a snippet as Char would say, of Steel Rail Blues... :)


[ March 21, 2007, 16:03: Message edited by: Jesse-Joe ]

Not forgetting of course these three young men
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/images/...s_And_Rain.jpg
Bob Shane,John Sewart and Nick Reynolds
The Kingston Trio
with a very nice medley about Flowers and Rain at:-


[ March 21, 2007, 20:39: Message edited by: johnfowles ]

If it wasn't for Elvis' version of "Early Morning Rain", I'd have never discovered Lightfoot! Thank god for Elvis!