[charlene]

re: "American anything" - the "anything" referred to the genre of music..nothing disparaging meant at all to Gord, the song or America/American fans.

I don't consider it to be "American" regardless of what genre it is slotted in by a music critic.
And I'm sure no disrespect was meant by the critic nor did I think it was disrespectful or in any way an effort to steal a Canadian away.
It's nice that folks love songs so much they take them as their own like some people in Arizona might feel about Carefree Highway, possibly because they don't delve into details.
That does not make it so however.

If I say that Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land' is a classic Canadian Folk song it doesn't mean it is.
And if a music critic wrote that Gordon Lightfoot does justice to that "classic Canadian folk" song I imagine eyebrows would be raised. On both sides of the border..lol
It's not a Canadian folk song - even with Canadian locations replacing American ones in the lyrics.
It is a classic American folk song, beloved around the world that has been lyrically adapted by countries to make it more country-centric but it is definitely a classic American folk song.

I would assume that a music critic would know where a songwriter was from. The ordinary bloke out there might not feel the need to know details about a singer/songwriter of a song they like.
The issue being discussed isn't if a songwriter feels complimented or not when their music becomes part of local culture, wherever that may be..I'm sure they are and I'm sure Gordon is thrilled all these years later.

Football? There's football on??????
lol
It's baseball playoffs and hockey season!
lol