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.
The Watchman's Gone
Gordon Lightfoot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We too have followed the golden sun
It feels so good
Knowin' the watchman's gone
If I give you a rose, buddy
Would you please bury it in the fields?
I seen a rose
There's a train down at the station
It's come to carry my bones away
Two engines on
Twenty-one coaches long
End to end
Twenty-one coaches bend
The watchman's out
Kickin' the bums about
If I wait for the right moment
You can bet I'll climb aboard unseen
I've done it before
I know I can do it in my sleep
The watchman's out
Kickin' the bums about
The watchman's out
Kickin' your dreams about
As I leave you in the sunset
Got one more nothin' I'd like to say
"You don't know me
A son of the sea, am I"
As I say to you, my brother
If you live to follow the golden sun
You better beware
Knowin' the watchman's always there
If you find me feedin' daisies
Please turn my face up to the sky
And leave me be
Watchin' the moon roll by
Whatever I was
You know it was all because
I've been on the town
Washin' the bullshit down
The watchman's out
Kickin' your dreams about
It feels so good
Knowin' the watchman's gone
It's like a song
Knowin' the watchman's gone
The Watchman's Gone by Gordon Lightfoot is a song about freedom, the open road, and escapism. The song tells the story of a man who has decided to leave the constraints of his previous life behind and follow the golden sun. The reference to birds of a feather is telling – it alludes to the birds who fly south in the winter to escape the cold. Likewise, the singer of the song is making a break from the watchman, presumably a figure of authority who has been holding him back in some way. He feels good knowing the watchman's gone, and he wants nothing more than to be free.
The mention of a rose in the second verse is perhaps the most cryptic part of the song. The gift of a rose suggests a farewell, perhaps to a lover or friend. The line "watching it all fold out" seems to suggest the importance of letting things take their natural course. The rose will eventually wilt and die, just as the singer of the song must move on to the next stage of his life.
The final verse of the song offers a sense of closure. The singer has found peace in his travels and accepts that his life has been what it is "because I've been on the town washing the bullshit down." He exhorts his brother to follow the golden sun but reminds him to be wary of the watchman, who is always lurking around the corner.
Line by Line Meaning
Just like birds of a feather
Just like how birds of a specific kind stick together, we too have followed the same path and ideas.
We too have followed the golden sun
We have pursued our ambitions tirelessly and have chased after the pursuit of happiness.
It feels so good, Knowin' the watchman's gone
It's a great relief to know that there won't be anyone spying and watching over our actions.
If I give you a rose, buddy
If I share something dear to me with you.
Would you please bury it in the fields?
Will you please take care of it and honor it well after I am gone?
I seen a rose
I have observed a flower that bloomed and withered.
Watchin' it all fold out
Watching life unfold and how everything comes to an end.
There's a train down at the station
Symbolizes death and the end of a journey.
It's come to carry my bones away
The train is here to represent the inevitable; It's taking me to my final destination.
Two engines on
Signifying the power of the situation; it's a heavy burden.
Twenty-one coaches long
Shows how many people might be affected when something ends or how much space is needed to carry everything that matters.
End to end
From one extreme to the other.
Twenty-one coaches bend
Symbolically shows how flexible life needs to be, to accept the inevitability of what's about to happen.
The watchman's out
Represents the sense of authority and rules.
Kickin' the bums about
Means maintaining law and order, and punishing those who don't abide by it.
If I wait for the right moment
Wait for the right opportunity to come my way.
You can bet I'll climb aboard unseen
Without anyone knowing it, I will jump on board and make the most of it.
I've done it before
I have managed to take advantage of opportunities before as well, and I know how to do it again.
I know I can do it in my sleep
It's so easy that I can do it even in my sleep.
Kickin'the bums about
The watchman (enforcement of rules) is still there, keeping everyone in check.
Kickin' your dreams about
It means he is crushing people's beliefs, hopes, and goals or imposing his own ideology.
As I leave you in the sunset
As I bid goodbye while looking at the sunset.
Got one more nothin' I'd like to say
I have one last thing to share.
"You don't know me
I have many sides to me that you might not be aware of.
A son of the sea am I"
I have lived and experienced a lot, and my journey has been that of constant learning and change.
If you live to follow the golden sun
If your ambition is to succeed and achieve your dreams.
You better beware
You should be careful and watchful of the potential hindrances.
Knowin' the watchman's always there
There will always be some form of authority, an obstacle in your path that might be hard to tackle.
If you find me feedin' daisies
If you find me lying dead and buried.
Please turn my face up to the sky
After I pass away, please keep me looking up at the sky.
And leave me be
Let me be at peace and rest.
Watchin' the moon roll by
It's peaceful and calm, watching the night sky roll slowly by.
Whatever I was
No matter who I was or what I did.
You know it was all because
Everything that happened was due to the unfolding of circumstances and destiny.
I've been on the town
I have experienced life to the fullest, both good and bad.
Washin' the bullshit down
Getting rid of all the negativity and hardships that have accumulated along the way and starting anew.
It feels so good
Finally, it's a relief to be free from the shackles and constraints of leadership and authority.
Knowin' the watchman's gone
The sense of freedom and liberation knowing that nobody is watching your every move.
It's like a song
It feels like a beautiful melody running through you after a long, exhausting day.
Knowin' the watchman's gone
A sense of carefree and peace that comes along with not needing to worry about being constantly scrutinized.
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.