Which Gordon Lightfoot song makes you cry?

tiffany · 11-29-2006, 08:16 PM

I don't mean to be depressing gang.But I'm curious.How many of you can't sing all the way through one of Gordons' songs without crying?
Which one(s)? Personally,I can't make it all the way through Gords version of 'Changes'(Yes,I know it was written by Phil Ochs).There just something about that song that makes me loose it everytime
I hear it.
patybear

[ December 01, 2006, 19:04: Message edited by: patybear ]

patybear · 11-29-2006, 08:16 PM

I don't mean to be depressing gang.But I'm curious.How many of you can't sing all the way through one of Gordons' songs without crying?
Which one(s)? Personally,I can't make it all the way through Gords version of 'Changes'(Yes,I know it was written by Phil Ochs).There just something about that song that makes me loose it everytime
I hear it.
patybear

[ December 01, 2006, 19:04: Message edited by: patybear ]

joveski · 11-30-2006, 12:34 AM

dont make me cry, but the A passing ship comes close

formerlylavender · 11-30-2006, 08:19 AM

For me it's Looking at the Rain. Don Quixote is in my car right now, and when I hear that song, I can tear up on the spot.

Yuri · 11-30-2006, 10:25 AM

Any closing song that makes the CD eject and brings silence to a room moments ago flooding my world with Lightfoot. It's the following silence that brings tears to my eyes!

...but seriously folks, I agree with 'formerlylavender' above and 'Looking At The Rain" puts a lump in my throat each time.

I shared the story of my connection to this song with this group years ago.

GJA · 11-30-2006, 10:30 AM

"Now and Then"

Melody · 11-30-2006, 11:06 AM

"Song for a Winter's Night" about missing someone you truly love & "Home from the Forest" about a drunk, homeless man who lost his wife & children to his addiction(the "forest"). At the end, before he dies, a vision of her and his children appears to him, those he lost(to the "forest", the booze)....That's how I interpret that one. Just my opinion...
Melody

charlene · 11-30-2006, 11:12 AM

Home From the Forest makes me cry sometimes as does Sit Down Young Stranger...When he did SDYS at Massey it was jaw droppingly spectacular...
it's a heartbreaker of a song... Both songs evoke such vivid images/emotions of true loneliness...

Melody · 11-30-2006, 11:34 AM

Very true Charlene...

I meant to add that I interpret the "long forgotten Soldier" as lonley, forgotten "Man", who has lost his way...due to his addiction. The "forest" is a beautiful place initially, "where the wild flowers did bloom" but the man takes the wrong path in his life and the forest becomes a dark, sinister place. Again, my own interpretation...
Melody

MaryO · 11-30-2006, 11:35 AM

Too late for prayin' is the one that tugs at my heart. m.

Shutup and Deal, I'm Losin' · 11-30-2006, 12:14 PM

Circle Of Steel, Drifters, and Looking At The Rain can make me come pretty close when I'm in the correct mood.

Old Folkie · 11-30-2006, 12:49 PM

Song for a Winter's Night
I Heard You Talking in Your Sleep (heartbreaking!)

charlene · 11-30-2006, 01:24 PM

Quote:

BEAUTIFUL

BEAUTIFUL always did make me cry for sentimental reasons...now when I hear it in concert it's because he just soars when he sings it....it took a while to get used to the 'new' version but unless I play a CD I don't really remember it...The new version is truly beautiful...

Clouds of Loneliness can choke me up and "In My Fashion" can too....along with APPT....I hurt for him when I hear him sing such sad lyrics....

SilverHeels · 11-30-2006, 02:45 PM

'I'm not s'posed to care' is the biggie for me.
'Clouds of Loneliness' - that one hurts!
'Home from the Forest' so, so sad.

seahawk11 · 11-30-2006, 03:03 PM

Canary Yellow Canoe...

Just kidding. How's about Tattoo, Home from the Forest, Miguel, If Children had Wings? They all come close...

BILLW · 11-30-2006, 03:14 PM

None yet !

Bill

Even his "sad" songs make me smile, go figure.

Shutup and Deal, I'm Losin' · 11-30-2006, 07:20 PM

Pussywillows Cattails also can make me come close to crying. The lyrics are not that sad but the tune reminds me of days gone by (the ones that you cannot get back, and wish like h*ll you could)

Borderstone · 11-30-2006, 07:59 PM

Not as many as before. The only one that still can pierce my cool (no matter how hard I try )is "Too late For Prayin'".

*sniff!

Some come close but I hold it together to the end.

Shutup and Deal, I'm Losin' · 11-30-2006, 08:14 PM

Talking about "Too Late For Prayin", watch this film (kind of long) and then give that song a listen.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-103525950...

For each child with eyes that smile
They'll be 10 more cryin'

jeffyjo · 11-30-2006, 08:53 PM

If Children Had Wings... also, oddly, Welcome To Try comes close... it leaves a lump in my throat.

Station Master · 11-30-2006, 10:18 PM

hmmm, well, when Gord opened in Hamilton with Spanish Moss, unaccompanied, just his pluckin and strained vocal ...oh boy, that was a throat lump moment, that tune hit like never before

...whenever i hear that decending "so I'm rolling north thinkin' of the ways things might have been..." well, as usual, the seamless blend of lyric, reality, chord progression and melody make the eyes gloss up a bit ...not sure if it's joy or sorrow

but ditto to a prior post, too late for prayin - well, i cannot remember exactly weeping during or following a good listen but still, such impact (up there with 'not supposed to care', eh, bru? ...killer stuff, also)

i think one reason may also be the association i have given it to my first exposure and listening to some of the net gang picking away and singing this tune at a char-b-que

kenyon 'shea' did some smooth, gentle soloing

i later remember getting out the axe, cockily and giving that tasty solo a go myself

ok, now THAT's when, not the song, but my entire butchered attempt led to the good wail ...heh

but back to serious, the lyric "for each child with eyes that smile there'll be ten more crying" hits hard

all interesting pics... so many neat threads to catch up on

Gord's last lyric(s) to us left me hanging and got me right down especially during that first long awaited listening, quite a damper

"...you're leaving right now..."

can't wait for a new album or more releases from the vaults... 'stone cold sober' certainly no to tapper either

cheers,
jimmy

brink- · 12-01-2006, 12:22 AM

It has always been Home From the Forest. Tom's video of that chokes me up.

Gitchigumee · 12-01-2006, 11:58 AM

Well when I was at a GL concert in Sept., Early Morning Rain made me cry. It was emotional, not because of the lyrics or melody, but just because it was my first Lightfoot concert and it's the opening song on a CD I play every day in my car, and it just hit me hard (but good) that I was actually seeing and hearing Gordon Lightfoot live, in person, the real thing, FINALLY! They were happy tears!

Andrea · 12-01-2006, 08:50 PM

Clouds of Loneliness gets to me. I don't think there's really a song out there that makes me cry. But the emotions in that song are so potent.

Ginny · 12-18-2006, 04:51 PM

Hi Friends. First of all let me say that it's great to be able to come here and connect with all the wonderful folks again. This topic has lots of latitude for discussion about just what kind of sensation gets generated when we become so emotionally involved that we're brought to tears by a piece of artistic work. This happened to me recently at a symphonic performance here at the Orpheum theatre(Gord played there in 1999) in Vancouver. My wife asked me why I was crying and I told her I was overcome with joy. How else could it be explained? But the topic does tend to make one think a little more deeply as it's not just your average cry shall we say over the death of a family pet as an example. It's very different and when I tried to gather the thoughts going on at the time, a whole bunch of stuff kicked in beginning with the anticipation factor of getting ready for the concert and how lucky I was to live within a twenty minute walk to a beautiful well preserved old theatre and being able to sit there and absorb the cacophony of symphony musicians getting ready to play their beautiful acoustic instruments while waiting for the conductor to come out and then hearing that very first note. I guess it's all about being able to have this as part of your life's experience and how thankful and fortunate one really is. This could go on and on but getting back to Gord's songs; yes, "In My Fashion" can well me up pretty good. There's something about a recitation during a song that finds it's way into the emotional core and ingites a spasm that only a cryful episode seems to be able to contain. The first line: "Now Take A Look At Me." That's a powerful statement and a fearless one also. How many times has he sung that song, and in front of thousands of people? He's not hiding anything. The man is baring his soul in that one line. That does it for me. Of course being a guy who's gone through similar experiences as he has during his life registers pretty well also. You've done it, the very best you could do, and the home fires are still burning. So why not sing it out? It's a fantastic piece of work and I can still hear it ringin'in my head. For me it's another great experience that has come my way in life for which I am very thankful. Bring on the throat constrictors and the tear wellers. Ron J.


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