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.
Romance
Gordon Lightfoot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why take a chance on anyone
You're so beautiful too
I can tell by the way that you dance
They say that people don't change
Why rear range the original
You do something to me
Signs of a new beginning
Signs of a life worth living
The better to forget than to be all that upset
It's the time to taste the wine
And maybe someday things will change
And come with in range and be laughable
Everything is okay
I can tell by the way that you dance
They say that people don't try
That's just a lie, they work miracles
It's a gift from above
When we talk about love and romance
Signs of a new tomorrow
Signs of a life without sorrow
The better to forget than to be all that upset
It's the time to taste the wine
And maybe this time you will be
Romantic like me when I'm with you
And I think you might say
I can tell by the way that you dance
They say that people don't change
Like 'Home On The Range', it's original
You do something to me
That my eyes cannot see at a glance
You do something to me
When we talk about love and romance
In Gordon Lightfoot’s song “Romance,” the song’s protagonist confronts his love interest about her reluctance to pursue a romantic relationship. The song begins with the woman telling the singer that she has given up on romance, asking him why he would take a chance on someone so hesitant. However, the singer insists that the woman is beautiful and he can sense her allure through the way she dances.
Throughout the rest of the song, the singer encourages the woman to take a chance on love and to believe that people can change. He sees thoughts of new beginnings and a life without sorrow in her eyes, and he imagines that the two of them will one day be laughing together, enjoying each other’s company. The song ends with the singer confessing that there is something about the woman that captivates him, something he can’t see but that he can feel when they talk about love and romance.
Overall, “Romance” is a song about the hope for love and change, and the power that these two forces can have in our lives. It encourages listeners to take risks and to believe in the transformative power of love, even if it seems daunting or uncertain at first.
Line by Line Meaning
You said you were through with romance
You declared that you have terminated your involvement in romantic relationships
Why take a chance on anyone
Why risk giving your heart to just anyone
You're so beautiful too
I also recognize your beauty
I can tell by the way that you dance
Your dance movements reveal a lot about you
They say that people don't change
According to popular belief, people are not capable of changing
Why rear range the original
Why attempt to modify what is already there
You do something to me
You induce profound feelings within me
That my eyes cannot see at a glance
That are not immediately evident to my visual perception
Signs of a new beginning
Indications of a fresh start
Signs of a life worth living
Signs that life has value and purpose
The better to forget than to be all that upset
It's preferable to dismiss negative emotions rather than dwell on them
It's the time to taste the wine
It's an opportune moment to enjoy the finer things in life
And maybe someday things will change
Perhaps one day, situations will become different
And come within range and be laughable
And then appear amusing or comical
Everything is okay
At present, everything is satisfactory
They say that people don't try
It's said that individuals don't make an effort
That's just a lie, they work miracles
That's a falsehood, they are capable of achieving the impossible
It's a gift from above
It's a blessing from a higher power
When we talk about love and romance
When we discuss the emotions of love and romance
Signs of a new tomorrow
Signs that tomorrow brings promise
Signs of a life without sorrow
Indications that life will be joyous and pain-free
And maybe this time you will be
And perhaps now you will become
Romantic like me when I'm with you
As tender and passionate as I am when I am in your company
And I think you might say
And I believe you might express
I can tell by the way that you dance
I can deduce from your dancing style
They say that people don't change
It's commonly held that individuals cannot transform
Like 'Home On The Range', it's original
Like a classic song such as 'Home On The Range', it's unique and unaltered
You do something to me
You produce a certain effect on me
That my eyes cannot see at a glance
That is not obvious at a quick glance
You do something to me
You stir something within me
When we talk about love and romance
Whenever we converse about the emotions of love and romance
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.