- #1
pinball1970
Gold Member
- 2,708
- 3,804
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.th...tfoot-canadian-singer-songwriter-dies-aged-84
This is one of those timeless tracks. R.I.P.
This is one of those timeless tracks. R.I.P.
It's a great line. He goes on to say, "you know that ghost is me." Then later he talks about a hero from a novel and "..but hero's often fail."mcastillo356 said:What means "bout a ghost from a wishing well"? Not native, but I think it's something like "my wishes didn't success *
pinball1970 said:It's a great line. He goes on to say, "you know that ghost is me." Then later he talks about a hero from a novel and "..but hero's often fail."
The song is about his failing marriage.
(after the breakup)
I would have been approaching 4 years old when this came out yet it impacted me in those early years.TonyStewart said:It is a remorseful story of pain after love, with strong yet steady, creative poetic attempts to get his 1st wife back using superstition, guilt , make believe analogies, and wishes that she could read his mind. Yet none of this shows regret for his infidelity or his irresponsibility. It's a common trap with hormones stronger than drugs and his will power and weakness. It's a steady melody with dissonance and progressions yet has a flurry of love notes with the supporting guitar from Red Shea.
More here ...
https://www.songfacts.com/facts/gordon-lightfoot/if-you-could-read-my-mind
I'm native Canadian but I guess I don't read enough books to understand the superstition about releasing the entanglement of ghosts who return from the dead that cannot be seen in a wishing well because she is wishing for something/one else, so his ghost reflection does not appear and still wanders on earth in the night.mcastillo356 said:What means "bout a ghost from a wishing well"? Not native, but I think it's something like "my wishes didn't success *
I read it in a certain way but I could be completely wrong in terms of what he actually meant for himself at that time.TonyStewart said:I'm native Canadian but I guess I don't read enough books to understand the superstition about releasing the entanglement of ghosts who return from the dead that cannot be seen in a wishing well because she is wishing for something/one else, so his ghost reflection does not appear and still wanders on earth in the night.
Perhaps the ghosts need to be forgiven in order for them to be free and disappear, or wishing she could read his minds to bring the ghost back to life.
It's some kind of fictional folklore I'm not familiar with.
I Need To listen to more stuffhmmm27 said:Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was one of the few songs for which I actually bought sheet music.
pinball1970 said:This is one of those timeless tracks. R.I.P.
George Jones said:I love many of Lightfoot's songs, but my favourite is The Canadian Railroad Trilogy, an official Canadian anthem.