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.
Shadows
Gordon Lightfoot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let me hold you for awhile?
I been all around the world
Oh, how I long to see you smile
There's a shadow on the moon
And the waters here below
Do not shine the way they should
Let it go
Let it happen like it happened once before
It's a wicked wind and it chills me to the bone
And if you do not believe me
Come and gaze upon the shadow at your door
Won't you lie down by me, baby
Run your fingers through my hands?
I been all around the town
And still I do not understand
Is it me or is it you?
Or the shadow of a dream?
Is it wrong to be in love?
Could it be the finest love I've ever seen?
Set it free
Let it happen like it happened once before
It's a wicked wind and it chills me to the bone
And if you do not believe me
Come and gaze upon the shadow at your door
Please kiss me gently, darling
Where that river runs away
From the mountains in the spring time
On a blue and windy day
Where there's beauty all around
As the shades of night grow deep
When the morning stars grow dim
They will find us in the shadows fast asleep
Let it go
Let it happen like it happened once before
It's a wicked wind and it chills me to the bone
And if you do not believe me
Come and gaze upon the shadow at your door
The song "Shadows" by Gordon Lightfoot is a tender love song that deals with longing, uncertainty, and the desire for reassurance from a loved one. The lyrics describe the singer's desire for physical contact and emotional closeness, as well as his fear of rejection and the uncertainty that comes with being in love. The first verse sets the tone for the entire song, with the singer expressing his desire for physical contact and the comfort of his loved one's smile.
The second verse introduces the metaphor of shadows, which represents the fear and uncertainty that comes with being in love. The shadow on the moon and the lack of shine in the water symbolize the darkness and uncertainty in the singer's heart, which is only dispelled by the presence of his loved one. The chorus urges the listener to let go of their fear and embrace love, even if it has hurt them in the past.
The third verse continues the metaphor of shadows, with the singer questioning whether his uncertainty is caused by himself, his partner, or simply the ephemeral nature of love itself. Finally, the bridge of the song expresses the singer's desire for physical intimacy, but also his appreciation for the beauty and mystery of the world around him. Ultimately, the song is a call to embrace love, even if it comes with pain and uncertainty, and to find comfort and solace in the fleeting beauty of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Won't you reach out, love and touch me
I am asking you to come close to me, show affection and intimacy towards me.
Let me hold you for awhile?
I am requesting to embrace you, hold you in my arms for a short period of time.
I been all around the world
I have traveled to many places.
Oh, how I long to see you smile
I have a strong desire to see you happy and joyful.
There's a shadow on the moon
There is a dark area visible on the surface of the moon.
And the waters here below
The liquid present on this planet Earth.
Do not shine the way they should
The water bodies are not reflecting light as they normally should.
And I love you just in case you didn't know
I am expressing my love for you, just in case you were not aware of it.
Let it go
Let the negative energy pass away and let's be positive.
Let it happen like it happened once before
Let things take their own course, the way they happened before.
It's a wicked wind and it chills me to the bone
The cold wind makes me feel uncomfortable and frightens me.
And if you do not believe me
If you doubt my words or my feelings for you.
Come and gaze upon the shadow at your door
Look at the shadow cast by an object at your doorstep which proves my point.
Won't you lie down by me, baby
I am asking you to lay down next to me.
Run your fingers through my hands?
I am requesting you to touch and feel my fingers.
And still I do not understand
I am unable to comprehend or decipher what is happening or the reason behind it.
Is it me or is it you?
I am confused if it's my fault or yours.
Or the shadow of a dream?
Or if it's just an illusion or figment of imagination that I have dreamed of.
Is it wrong to be in love?
Is it morally incorrect to have developed romantic feelings for someone?
Could it be the finest love I've ever seen?
Is it possible that this love that I am experiencing is the purest and the most beautiful of all?
Set it free
Let our love be free to flourish, unencumbered by any external factor.
Please kiss me gently, darling
I am requesting you to kiss me softly, with affection.
Where that river runs away
Where the river flows and disappears from sight.
From the mountains in the spring time
When snow begins to melt in the mountains during spring season.
On a blue and windy day
On a day when the sky appears blue and there is a strong wind blowing.
Where there's beauty all around
In a place full of natural charm and beauty.
As the shades of night grow deep
As the darkness of night becomes more intense.
When the morning stars grow dim
When the brightness of the stars begins to fade as the day starts to break.
They will find us in the shadows fast asleep
We will be sleeping in the darkness, away from the light.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, 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.