Doomsday Song

Back in 1969 I and a friend saw Gord at the first annual University of North Carolina at Charlotte Folk Festival (I think also the last.) We heard some great new stuff that evening including a song he sang I can not find anywhere by any artist. I believe it was called the "Doomsday Song" and it talked about walking acrossed Lake Erie.

I have talked to seven of my friends that were also there, and while we can not agree on a name, we all agree we heard it.

Can anyone shed some light?

Back in 1969 I and a friend saw Gord at the first annual University of North Carolina at Charlotte Folk Festival (I think also the last.) We heard some great new stuff that evening including a song he sang I can not find anywhere by any artist. I believe it was called the "Doomsday Song" and it talked about walking acrossed Lake Erie.

I have talked to seven of my friends that were also there, and while we can not agree on a name, we all agree we heard it.

Can anyone shed some light?

[johnfowles]

The Doomsday Song is fairly well known about but it was never issued see Wayne's site at:-

http://www.lightfoot.ca/unresngs.htm under 1970
for available details nothing exciting really just "THE DOOMSDAY SONG
Has been performed live."


------------------
My Gordon Lightfoot webring
starts at
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot

[This message has been edited by johnfowles (edited November 25, 2004).]

[johnfowles]

The Doomsday Song is fairly well known about but it was never issued see Wayne's site at:-

http://www.lightfoot.ca/unresngs.htm under 1970
for available details nothing exciting really just "THE DOOMSDAY SONG
Has been performed live."


------------------
My Gordon Lightfoot webring
starts at
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot

[This message has been edited by johnfowles (edited November 25, 2004).]

[Suzi]

I'm not exactly sure what you are asking for. (...shed some light.)

I can tell you that I know that "The Doomsday Song" was sung live many times in 1969.

Here are the first few lines:

While walking along thru the garbage one day,
All down by Lake Erie where the dead fishes lay.
I spied a young maiden with a tear in her eye,
Out breathing the smoke from a factory close by,
Waiting for Doomsday to come.

She offered her hand, and I offered mine.
And we ran down the beach for a dip in the slime.
When a body came floating right up to my feet.
Oh, one that the mob...

[Tyler]

Hi Suzi .

[brink]

Hi Suzi .

[Suzi]

Hi Brink!

Hi Suzi!

Hi Brink!

Hi Suzi!

Hi Brink!

[Tyler]

mmmwwwwaaaahhhhh (a big kiss for you!)

[brink]

mmmwwwwaaaahhhhh (a big kiss for you!)

Thanks, I needed that today.

Thanks, I needed that today.

[Borderstone]

Now that's what I call a morbid/depressing song! ( sniff* )

[Roy Strachan]

Originally Posted by jkoller@carolina.rr.com

Back in 1969 I and a friend saw Gord at the first annual University of North Carolina at Charlotte Folk Festival (I think also the last.) We heard some great new stuff that evening including a song he sang I can not find anywhere by any artist. I believe it was called the "Doomsday Song" and it talked about walking acrossed Lake Erie.

I have talked to seven of my friends that were also there, and while we can not agree on a name, we all agree we heard it.

Can anyone shed some light?

Waiting for the doomsday to come??

I heard Gord sing a bit of this at a concert at the Queen Elizabeth theater in Vancouver, BC in the late sixties. I think he said the song contained something like 180 verses and that he had written it to sing as the ultimate protest song at American Universities. I don't remember too much about the song except that it was one of the funniest things I ever heard; the audience was literally rolling in the aisles. I have searched for this song occasionally ever since but sadly Gord never recorded it, at least that I could find. I guess it would have taken up one side of a vinyl album, but hey, Arlo Guthrie did it (Alice's Restaurant) and it made him famous.

[Roy Strachan]

Originally Posted by Borderstone

Now that's what I call a morbid/depressing song! ( sniff* )

Nope, wrong guess! One of the funniest songs ever written... It started at the beginning and protested anything and everything. Probably Gord's biggest mistake was not releasing it on an album. Really a sad loss for the world.

[Auburn Annie]

Please lord he has a demo tape hidden away among the tons of snippets of songs he's worked on or completed but never felt were fit for recording. He has said that while working on a song (years ago) he'd use a tape recorder, and we know he can transcribe music. There must be scores of "almost rans" hidden away - I imagine the U of Toronto getting his archives and scholars spending years going through it.

[charlene]

Originally Posted by Auburn Annie

Please lord he has a demo tape hidden away among the tons of snippets of songs he's worked on or completed but never felt were fit for recording. He has said that while working on a song (years ago) he'd use a tape recorder, and we know he can transcribe music. There must be scores of "almost rans" hidden away - I imagine the U of Toronto getting his archives and scholars spending years going through it.

That's probably exactly what he doesn't want to happen...
lol