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.
Morning Glory
Gordon Lightfoot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A few hard cases stop and stare
They've got charm that is not right
Pretty faces late at night
Morning Glory what's the story?
Will it ever end?
I've been all the way to Biscayne Bay
All the way back again
I remember our old rendezvous
The key was kept inside a shoe
Those moments will remain frozen in time
Morning Glory's on my mind
What's the story Morning Glory?
Will it ever end?
I've been all the way to Biscayne Bay
And all the way back again
All the way back again
It seems like only yesterday
She married me and carried me away
I found out what life was all about
Morning Glory threw me out
Hey, Morning Glory what's the story?
Will it ever end?
I've been all the way to Biscayne Bay
And all the way back again
All the way back again
Alimony, Palimony, puts a dent in me
I've been all the way to Biscayne Bay
For a dip in the shining sea
A dip in the shining sea
Pretty faces everywhere
A few hard cases stop and stare
Even when I know it ain't my day
A lot of good faces anyway
Morning Glory what's the story?
What is it to be?
I've been all the way to Biscayne Bay
For a dip in the shining sea
A dip in the shining sea
What's the story Morning Glory?
Will it ever end?
I've been all the way to Biscayne Bay
And all the way back again
All the way back again
Morning Glory what's the story?
Will it ever end?
I've been all the way to Biscayne Bay
And all the way back again
All the way back again
In Gordon Lightfoot's song "Morning Glory," he sings about pretty faces he encounters everywhere he goes, but some of them seem suspicious and dangerous. The lyrics suggest that these pretty faces are possibly part of some criminal world. Yet, despite this, Lightfoot can't help but be drawn to them late at night.
In the chorus, Lightfoot asks what the story is with Morning Glory, and whether it will ever end. He reminisces about a past rendezvous where he had a secret key kept inside a shoe, and those moments are frozen in time for him. But, despite these fond memories, he also remembers that Morning Glory ended up putting him through a lot, eventually leading to their breakup and her throwing him out.
Towards the end of the song, Lightfoot brings up the financial repercussions of their break up, including alimony and palimony, that have put a dent in his life. Despite all of this, Lightfoot seems to hold on to the memory of Morning Glory, and can't help but wonder what the story is with her, even though it has caused him so much trouble.
Line by Line Meaning
Pretty faces everywhere
There are beautiful people around me.
A few hard cases stop and stare
However, a few rough-looking folks are staring at me disapprovingly.
They've got charm that is not right
The pretty faces seem to have an unsettling quality that doesn't feel quite right.
Pretty faces late at night
These beautiful people show up even at night.
Morning Glory what's the story?
The artist addresses the titular ‘Morning Glory’ and asks for an answer to what is happening.
Will it ever end?
The singer wants to know if the situation will ever change or end.
I've been all the way to Biscayne Bay
The singer recounts a journey to Biscayne Bay, a place quite far away.
And all the way back again
The artist has fully completed the long journey.
I remember our old rendezvous
The artist recalls a past meeting or appointment with someone.
The key was kept inside a shoe
The artist reminisces about the method of hiding a key inside a shoe for that meeting.
Those moments will remain frozen in time
The moments of the aforementioned rendezvous were meaningful and unforgettable for the singer.
Morning Glory's on my mind
The thought of Morning Glory, the subject of the song, is preoccupying the artist's thoughts.
It seems like only yesterday
This memory was still fresh in the singer's mind.
She married me and carried me away
The singer had a significant relationship with someone who took him away from his past life.
I found out what life was all about
Through this experience, the singer gained a better understanding of life in general.
Morning Glory threw me out
However, the relationship ended badly, and Morning Glory left the artist.
Hey, Morning Glory what's the story?
The artist calls out to Morning Glory again and asks for an explanation for the end of their relationship.
Alimony, Palimony, puts a dent in me
The singer mentions the financial struggles of paying for alimony and palimony, which impacts his well-being.
For a dip in the shining sea
Despite the problems the singer faces, he still enjoys indulging himself by going for a swim in the sea.
Even when I know it ain't my day
The artist admits that some days are just not good for him, yet he still tries to maintain a positive outlook.
A lot of good faces anyway
There are still a lot of good-looking people surrounding him.
What is it to be?
The artist seems lost and confused and wonders what his future holds.
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.