Stemming Gold

[Wes Steele]

My family and I and two friends waited for Gord after the Akron concert this past Saturday.

There was quite a few people waiting for him.

I had three goals on this night....

1) Take a bunch of pics....
2) introduce Gord to our two family friends (one of them is 14 years old and loves Gord's music)..
3) Ask Gord what does "Stemming Gold" mean.

Now if you do a search here at Corfid, a number of you went into great investigations and details on what "stemming gold" means.... and they were great and interesting posts. I enjoyed them all. i myself, questioned for many years, what "stemming gold" meant.

From some of those old posts, it seems like there was/is a reluctance among us, to ask Gord what it means.

Years ago, after a number of concerts, I would wait around for Gord and maybe say hello. He was a bit more "under the gun" back then, and he needed his space. Two years ago in West Virginia, we spent about twenty minutes with him and he was quite relaxed. I did not see him as a Folk Icon...A world known singer/songwriter... or someone whose music will last as long as this earth spins.

I saw him then... and I see him now.... as a friend. This gentleman, through his music, has made my life better.... he has gotten me through some very bad emotional times with relationships and even deaths. His music has literally changed my life. He is a personal friend of mine, though he doesn't know it... Gord wouldn't remember me if he saw me today. But through his music, his writings, I feel like I know him. Even this last Saturday night, when I approached him, I said "hello my friend".... So, I am not "afraid" of him or intimidated (not that I don't respect him)... this Gordon Lightfoot is my best buddy... he helped me get through many bad times in my life. When I meet him, it's like seeing or meeting someone you have talked on the phone with many times.... or emailed... or sent letters to over the years. It is a very nice, relaxing feeling I have with him.

While we were taking pics this last Saturday night, I asked him...

I spouted off the line "...see the drunkard in the tavern, stemming gold to make ends meet.. Gord, what does stemming gold mean?"

In a split second he responded... "begging for gold".... I must have had a puzzled look on my face (like, Thats All?) and I asked... "is this a British word...a British background?"

Gord said "No, didn't you ever hear of someone "stemming cigarettes"?...meaning begging for cigarettes. It's a western word" (Now did Gord mean west as in North America, or west as in western Canada?)

Now two names came up... He mentioned Red Shea and he mentioned another name who Gord said was a guitar player who I never heard of...it may have been someone he had known many years ago....not someone who played in the band... I would have recognized if it was someone who Gord played with before... but whoever it was, I did not recognize the name. Gord said they used the phrase all the time... Gord's exact words were..."He was stemming cigarettes all day"... "He likes to stem cigarettes..." Gord said it was like a slang word. A slang word "to beg".

So thats it.... something very simple. I did searches but I could not find anything relating stem to beg, but thats what the man told me and I have to believe him.

If you ever have the opportunity to stick around after the show, by all means. Gord is a treat to be around.

Someone special.

A special friend.

[charlene]

Stemming - I've heard somewhere along the way that it meant begging or even stealing. - I read about it here-HOBO folks use it.

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=115686

[charlene]

from Wes:

[RM]

Thanks Wes.....I'm neither disappointed nor surprised with the answer.

Your remarks about your relationship with Lightfoot's music express the thoughts of many.

[Wes Steele]

Char, you're a genius...

Did a search for "hobo lingo"... this is what I got.

http://www.hobonickels.org/alpert04.htm

stemming - panhandling in cities

[Jesse Joe]

All very much interesting & educational. The man is "SMART" a true genius.

[Mr. Moon]

Absolutely facinating Wes. Thanks so much for the explaination. I had to pop "Gords Gold" in the CD player on the way to work this morning and listen to that passage again (no, I'm ashamed I had something else in the CD player at the time Lol!...JD). "Stemming Gold To Make Ends Meet". I thought to myself, maybe stemming meant he was selling gold to make ends meet...then I thought a drunkerd doesn't normally have any gold..duh!

Wow, I didn't realize you could wait around after the concert to meet Gord!!!! Oh man, did I miss out!! May not ever get a chance like that again! Darn. If I only would have spent more time here, I probably would have found out about that before the concert.

I agree, Wes, and can relate to your feelings about Gord's music. It has done the same for me as well. Thanks again!

[Patti]

[QUOTE=Mr. Moon;163016]

Wow, I didn't realize you could wait around after the concert to meet Gord!!!! Oh man, did I miss out!! May not ever get a chance like that again! Darn. If I only would have spent more time here, I probably would have found out about that before the concert.

QUOTE]

I didn't realize that either. I thought they had to buy passes or something.

[Wes Steele]

I wanted to comment on the one picture above...

The picture on the left...

On the left are my two boys, Joey & Rusty...then Gord.... then my boys friend Jake.

Joey and Jake are 14. Joey, of course grew up with GL... Jake has taken a strong liking to his music this past year and a half and wanted every GL cd there was for Christmas. Jake's mother obliged... (Now come on... what would you rather listen to... Rap or GL?...) So Jakes mother was estatic that he likes GL.

Believe it or not... Joey and Jake KNOW THE NAME OF EVERY GL SONG AND FROM WHAT ALBUM IT COMES FROM.... When questioned about a particular song on what album... they can have the answer in less than two seconds.

Gordon Lightfoot's music is timeless and can be appreciated by all. They just have to be exposed to it.... and with this pitiful, corrupt music/radio industry and their hate filled garbage on the radio, exposure to good music is not going to happen anytime soon.

[jj]

Originally Posted by Wes Steele

Now if you do a search here at Corfid, a number of you went into great investigations and details on what "stemming gold" means.... and they were great and interesting posts.

yeah, and hey, it was Rob's first hunch back in 2000 + Lousie's back in 2006

http://www.corfid.com/vbb/showthread...highlight=gold

very nice pics and post, Wes....and what does 'stem the tide' mean?

[Wes Steele]

JJ,

YIKES... we have been talking about "stemming gold" since 2000?

I must have joined this group when I was a teenager ;-)

Thanks for finding that... fun to read again... I will send you a snow cone!

[TC]

[QUOTE=Wes Steele;163050]
Believe it or not... Joey and Jake KNOW THE NAME OF EVERY GL SONG AND FROM WHAT ALBUM IT COMES FROM.... When questioned about a particular song on what album... they can have the answer in less than two seconds.
.................................................. .................................................


Wow, that's impressive. I can't even do that and I've been listening fairly hardcore since the mid-seventies. Of course I probably did other things in the seventies leading to my not being able to remember which songs come from which albums.

Nice photos Wes. I like the suit and tie. Adds a bit of class and respect to a classy and respectable affair. I have one nice suit that I bought for my daughters wedding a couple of years ago. Never have the opportunity to wear it. Perhaps I will don my suit at the next GL concert I attend THIS YEAR IN CALIFORNIA OR NORTHERN NEVADA...hint hint!

[Wes Steele]

TC,

Thanks for the response... I am a hard core fan too...and it takes me awhile to remember songs from what albums... Those two kids have really locked onto Gordon. It is neat.

Suits.... The reason we started wearing them is you get a bit more respect. As you may know, I take a ton of pics and the ushers don't seem to mess with you.... They think I am somebody but I am really just a jerk.

But they are bit "classy" to a VERY classy event.