Lightfoot's songs, including "For Lovin' Me", "Early Morning Rain", "Steel Rail Blues", "Ribbon of Darkness"—a number one hit on the U.S. country chart with Marty Robbins's cover in 1965—and "Black Day in July," about the 1967 Detroit riot, brought him wide recognition in the 1960s. Canadian chart success with his own recordings began in 1962 with the No. 3 hit "(Remember Me) I'm the One", followed by recognition and charting abroad in the 1970s. He topped the US Hot 100 or AC chart with the hits "If You Could Read My Mind" (1970), "Sundown" (1974); "Carefree Highway" (1974), "Rainy Day People" (1975), and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (1976), and had many other hits that appeared in the top 40.
Several of Lightfoot's albums achieved gold and multi-platinum status internationally. His songs have been recorded by renowned artists such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Jr., The Kingston Trio, Jerry Lee Lewis, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Herb Alpert, Harry Belafonte, Sarah McLachlan, Eric Clapton, John Mellencamp, Peter, Paul and Mary, Glen Campbell, The Grateful Dead, Nico, and Olivia Newton-John.
Robbie Robertson of the Band described Lightfoot as "a national treasure". Bob Dylan, also a Lightfoot fan, called him one of his favorite songwriters and, in an often-quoted tribute, Dylan observed that when he heard a Lightfoot song he wished "it would last forever". Lightfoot was a featured musical performer at the opening ceremonies of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Trent University in Spring 1979 and was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in May 2003. In November 1997, the Governor General's Performing Arts Award, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts, was bestowed on Lightfoot. On February 6, 2012, Lightfoot was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. June of that year saw his induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. On June 6, 2015, Lightfoot received an honorary doctorate of music in his hometown of Orillia from Lakehead University.
As an individual, apart from various awards associated with his albums and singles, Gordon Lightfoot has received sixteen Juno Awards—for top folk singer in 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969,[67] 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977, for top male vocalist in 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973, and as composer of the year in 1972 and 1976. He has received ASCAP awards for songwriting in 1971, 1974, 1976, and 1977, and has been nominated for five Grammy Awards. In 1974 Lightfoot's song "Sundown" was named pop record of the year by the Music Operators of America. In 1980 he was named Canadian male recording artist of the decade, for his work in the 1970s.
Lightfoot was chosen as the celebrity captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the NHL's 75th anniversary season in 1991–1992.
Lightfoot was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. He was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 1998. In May 2003 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honour. Lightfoot is a member of the Order of Ontario, the highest honour in the province of Ontario. In 1977, he received the Vanier Award from the Canadian Jaycees. In 2007 Canada Post honoured Lightfoot and three other Canadian music artists (Anne Murray, Paul Anka, and Joni Mitchell) with postage stamps highlighting their names and images. On June 24, 2012, Lightfoot was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in a New York City ceremony, along with Bob Seger.
Between 1986 and 1988, Lightfoot's friend Ken Danby (1940–2007), the realist painter, worked on a large (60 × 48 inches) portrait of Lightfoot dressed in the white suit he wore on the cover of the album East of Midnight. The picture was backlit by the sun, creating a visually iconic image of the singer.
On June 16, 2014, Lightfoot was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by SOCAN at the 2014 SOCAN Awards in Toronto.
On October 23, 2015, Lightfoot was honoured with a 4-metre tall bronze sculpture in his hometown of Orillia, Ontario. The sculpture, called Golden Leaves—A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot, features Lightfoot sitting cross-legged, playing an acoustic guitar underneath an arch of golden maple leaves. Many of the leaves depict scenes from Lightfoot's 1975 greatest hits album, Gord's Gold.
In 2017, he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society
He was the subject of Martha Kehoe and Joan Tosoni's 2019 documentary film Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind.
Gordon passed away on May 1st, 2023 at the age of 84.
Minstrel of the Dawn
Gordon Lightfoot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To make you laugh and bend your ear
Up the steps you?ll hear him climb
All full of thoughts, all full of rhymes
Listen to the pictures flow
Across the room into your mind they go
Listen to the strings
They jangle and dangle
The minstrel of the dawn is he
Not too wise but oh so free
He'll talk of life out on the street
He'll play it sad and say it sweet
Look into his shining face
Of lonelines you?ll always find a trace
Just like me and you
He's tryin? to get into things
More happy than blue
A minstrel of the changin? tide
He'll ask for nothing but his pride
Just sit him down upon that chair
Go fetch some wine and set it there
Listen to the pictures flow
Across the room into your mind they go
Listen to the strings
They jangle and dangle
While the old guitar rings
A minstrel of the dawn is near
Just like a step ?n fetchit here
He's like an old time troubador
Just wanting life and nothing more
Look into his shining eyes
And if you see a ghost don?t be surprised
Like me and you
He's tryin? to get into things
More happy than blue
The minstrel boy will understand
He holds a promise in his hand
He talks of better days ahead
And by his words your fortune?s read
Listen to the pictures flow
Across the room into your mind they go
Listen to the strings
They jangle and dangle
While the old guitar rings
The minstrel of the dawn is gone
I hope he?ll call before too long
And if you meet him you must be
The victim of his minstrelsy
He'll sing for you a song
The minstrel of the dawn
In "Minstrel of the Dawn," Gordon Lightfoot paints a vivid picture of a wandering minstrel and his guitar, moving from town to town and spreading his musical message. The minstrel's role is to entertain but also to share his thoughts, stories, and emotions with the people he encounters. The minstrel of the dawn is described as someone who is not too wise but free, able to talk of life on the streets and play it both sad and sweet. His shining face suggests a bit of loneliness, but he's trying to be happy rather than blue.
The minstrel is someone who seeks connection and understanding, and with his music he creates a space for people to come together and share in something larger than themselves. The singer and the minstrel are kindred spirits, and the singer recognizes the minstrel's importance as a sort of voice of the people. In a way, the song is a tribute to the power of music to bring people together and to communicate feelings that might be hard to put into words.
Line by Line Meaning
The minstrel of the dawn is here
The wandering musician has arrived at your door to entertain and share his unique experiences
To make you laugh and bend your ear
His storytelling abilities will bring joy to your heart and captivate your attention
Up the steps you'll hear him climb
The sounds of his footsteps will echo throughout your home as he makes his way to you
All full of thoughts, all full of rhymes
His mind is overflowing with ideas and poetic expressions
Listen to the pictures flow
Pay attention to his vivid descriptions that paint a mental picture in your mind
Across the room into your mind they go
His words have the uncanny ability to transcend physical boundaries and enter your thoughts
Listen to the strings, they jangle and dangle while the old guitar rings
His skills on the guitar accompany his singing and will enthrall you with their lively sounds
The minstrel of the dawn is he, not too wise but oh so free
He is a carefree poet who chooses to live his life on his own terms
He'll talk of life out on the street, he'll play it sad and say it sweet
His stories will reveal the good and the bad experienced by those living on the streets, expressed in a way that can be both melancholic and uplifting
Look into his shining face, of loneliness you'll always find a trace
Although he appears quite content, his face conveys an underlying feeling of being alone in the world
Just like me and you, he's trying to get into things more happy than blue
Just like anyone, he is simply seeking happiness and positivity, regardless of life's challenges
A minstrel of the changing tide, he'll ask for nothing but his pride
He is the type of performer who values his pride above all else, and adapts to changing times and cultural values
Just sit him down upon that chair, go fetch some wine and set it there
Make him welcome in your home, and offer him a drink to make him feel comfortable
The minstrel of the dawn is near, just like a Step 'n Fetchit here
He is always present, and will work diligently to share his talents wherever he goes
He's like an old-time troubadour, just wanting life and nothing more
He considers himself similar to the wandering troubadours of past centuries, and lives a simple life, free from material pursuits
Look into his shining eyes, and if you see a ghost don't be surprised
Although he appears jovial, he carries the burdens of the past, like we all do
The minstrel boy will understand, he holds a promise in his hand
It is easy for him to understand and empathize with others, and feels it's his duty to fulfill a promise he has made
He talks of better days ahead, and by his words your fortune's read
He believes in the power of positive thinking, and believes that the future is in your own hands
The minstrel of the dawn is gone, I hope he'll call before too long
Although he will inevitably have to move on from your home, you hope that he will come back soon to brighten your mood once again
And if you meet him, you must be the victim of his minstrelsy, he'll sing for you a song
If you happen to cross paths with him, you will be charmed by his musical abilities and wit
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ben - Moderator
on Is There Anyone Home
We have now corrected this above
Glenn
on Is There Anyone Home
The note state that this song ("Is there anyone home?") was released in 1998 on the album "A Painter Passing Through". That is not correct, the song doesn't even appear on that album at all. The original release date was 1974 on "Sundown" album. Easily verified on Wikipedia or a hundred other websites.