The Unbelievable Story Behind Gordon Lightfoot's Biggest Hit! | Professor of Rock
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- Опубліковано 8 кві 2022
- While Canadian Singer-Songwriter Gordon Lightfoot was at his secluded Farm entrenched in writing his new album, his drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend went out on the town and partied.. As the sun began to set, he began to wonder who she might be with, and even worse, what she might be doing. Crazy with jealousy, he penned the gut-wrenching 1970s #1 hit Sundown that no boyfriend wants to think too hard about… so what really happened that night FIND OUT NEXT on the Professor of Rock.
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#70smusic #gordonlightfoot #Story
Hey music junkies and vinyl junkies Professor of Rock always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest 70s songs of all time for the music community and vinyl community with music history video essay's including today's Gordon Lightfoot story of sundown, and gordon lightfoot reaction. If you’ve ever owned records, cassettes and CD’s at different times in you life or still do this is your place Subscribe below right now to be a part of our daily celebration of the rock era with exclusive stories from straight from the artists and click on our patreon link in the description to become an Honorary Producer.
So, it’s time for another edition of our series The New Standards. This show takes an in-depth look at songs that really set the bar in rock history. It doesn’t matter what decade, genre, or musical movement they might have come out of. These songs transcend all of that, and take us to that place inside that where only a handful of other songs can. On previous episodes we have covered Mrs. Robinson by Simon and Garfunkel, Hey Jude by The Beatles, and Dreams by Fleetwood Mac. But today we are breaking down the 1974 classic Sundown, by Canadian troubadour extraordinaire, Gordon Lightfoot.
As his decade-long marriage came to an end in 1973, Gordon Lightfoot found himself at the crossroads of personal regret and unprecedented commercial success. Lightfoot and Brita Olaisson married in 1963. The couple had two kids together. Separated since 1970, their divorce proceedings came to a close three years later.
Brita reportedly filed for divorce after returning home from a trip to Sweden to find another woman in the house.
In court, Gordon admitted infidelity. Brita was awarded custody of the kids, a monthly stipend for their care and a lump sum big enough to buy a new home. At the time it was the largest divorce settlement in Canadian history. The whole ordeal was excruciating for the deeply private Lightfoot.
Gordon was under no delusion that he was in the right. Later he’d say he knew the marriage was over from day one, maybe even before that. The life of a married musician can be a lonely one when you’re on the road. Said Lightfoot, "When you're away from the woman, continually confronted by other women, you suddenly find yourself in a weak moment. Then … you gotta go home and confront your old lady... You're going to have to offer her the same deal. You can't ask the woman to be faithful if you're not going to be faithful to her. That's where it's broken down for me..." - Розваги
Poll: From "Your Cheatin' Heart" by Hank Williams to "Your Love" by the Outfield and beyond....What is your pick for the best "cheating" song?
"The Thunder Rolls" by Garth Brooks
Garth wrote about the song in the CD booklet liner notes from The Hits: "There is no doubt that the toughest song in the GB catalog has to be 'The Thunder Rolls'. This song came out fighting the day it was released. Originally cut by Tanya Tucker in 1988, it was never put on an album. It came back to us in time for No Fences. My hat's off to Pat Alger, a great writer and friend, and to music itself, because only music could withstand what this song has gone through." (wikipedia)
Your love
"Taken by Surprise" by The Outfield is even more cutting as a cheating song than "Your Love"... I always wondered if it was about Josie too, like a sequel... It's a good deep cut off of the Voices of Babylon album
In The Pines originally by by Leadbelly but my favorite version is Cobain's on unplugged and
Your Time is Gonna Come by Led Zeppelin
All I want to do is make love to you by Heart
As much as this one has a high pedestal, "If You Could Read My Mind" is still my favorite of his.
Mine also
@@davidbutler6787 Brilliant piece of songwriting.
That has always been one of my favorite songs ever! Hauntingly beautiful! It's magic
Always gave me a lump in my throat, same with James Taylor's Fire and Rain, which was out around the same time.
@@tammylewis2408 It sure was....I remember my father speaking of that very thing...here was If You Could Read My Mind and it seemed like you just turned around and there was Fire and Rain...what a great musical period.
I saw Gordon live three times and met him twice after the shows. The first time, I asked him questions about my favorite songs of his that I wanted answers to, which he graciously gave me. It was freezing; snow was coming down and there was a foot of snow on the ground, so he invited me indoors. I was so glad to have met him, he being my favorite musician and his genuineness endeared him to me even more.
Woah! That was a big time piece of good timing, luck and a very uncommon type of musician of fame who kept his heart in the right place. I saw your comment, I found it awesome and I thought of the line in Rush` "Limelight" "I can`t pretend a stranger is a long awaited friend" right away. I would certainly believe that the talk you had with Gordo was pretty much sealed in your minds hard drive forever!! Really good to hear this from you! Cheers.
What did you Learn, por favor?
Or Should I Say, “… s'il te plaît“, as Gordon was, of course, from Canada? 😊👍👍
.
First, I'm envious. That's awesome.
Second, I love hearing that he was as solid and decent a person as I imagined he'd be.
Thank you for sharing.
Rest In Peace, Gordon. You wrote some amazing music.
When it comes to Gordon Lightfoot and his footnote in history I go by the fact that Bob Dylan actually made the effort to come up to induct Gordon Lightfoot into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and Dylan doesn't do that for just anybody.
Dylan has long said that Lightfoot was his favorite singer songwriter
Dylan literally said that, when he heard a Lightfoot song, he "wished it would never end".
Hell, Dylan didn’t pick up his own Pulitzer, yet he was there for Gordon. Says a lot
@@denshewman Pulitzer and Nobel Prize ?
@@cluny Surprisingly yes. He sent someone else. I don't know the details, but he didn't pick up either 1of them. I googled it once. You could google it for more info.
My father was born in 1925, and grew up loving big band music. He could not STAND what he called “modern” music (which he considered anything AFTER the big band era). But he ADORED Gordon Lightfoot; especially THIS song! Rest In Peace, Dad.
Your father recognized an artist who wrote intelligent lyrics, a rarety nowadays. If he were still alive, he would have loved a singer/songwriter from the Faroe Islands: Eivor Palsdottir.
@@gravellegb I will check that out. Thank you!
Sounds like my dad.
My best memories were of Gordan Lightfoot. My Dad played him all the time, especially long drives in the van heading for camping. Dad played his songs on his guitar often. Best times 70s.
lol...same. My dad was born in 28, as a teen, the only music I was allowed to play loud was Gordon, or, oddly enough Abba! (that being said, I think that was because he had a heavy crush on the blonde...)
Saw him live a few years back. Amazingly even at his advanced age his distinctive voice hasn't aged at all, he still hits every note. On a side note, even though I do love a lot if his decades old catalogue my favorite will always be "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". Hats off to one of the greatest storytellers ever.
"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", is without doubt my favourite from him also. I considerate it his masterpiece.
Edmund Fitzgerald is my all time favorite by GL. So poignant.
Hoofaa when they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder they are absolutely right I don't know how she was attractive to anybody she looked like a middle-aged poisoner nurse
Huh...I heard him sing and it sounded like he lost his voice a long time ago.
Gordon Lightfoot has long been my favorite singer, my musical hero, so to speak.
I've seen Gordon in concert 4 or 5 times. No, he can't sing anywhere near as well as he used to. Although I don't know for sure, I believe the change in his voice was caused by a tracheotomy he had in 2002.
His earlier songs were my favorites, Carefree Highway being my overall favorite. I do like some of his more recent songs, such as Ecstasy Made Easy and Stay Loose, but his voice sounds much weaker in the later offerings.
God bless you, Gordon Lightfoot. You've been an inspiration to me for 5 decades. When I'm alone, I still find myself singing your music.
We just saw Gordon preform this past winter of 2023. Had to be close to one of his last performances. I must say at 83 he started out a little shaky, but then the Ol'Gordon appeared and he was just fantastic, sounding like he was 30 or 40 years his junior. We are certainly glad that we got to see him with all his old songs and his greatest hits. It was a wonderful treat! RIP Gordon!
Nice 😊
Gordon is a musical and lyrical genius and he constantly and consistently breaks my my heart. His passing made the tears flow.
Me too!
yep I felt a distinct cut from an unseen knife when I heard he was gone.
@tracyavent-costanza346 what a perfect description of a feeling...
Listen to those vocal harmonies when he sings the word “Sundown”. Every note is PERFECT. And that’s WAY before Auto-Tune existed!
Dude just had no sense of time
That’s what first caught my ear, the harmonies. Simply amazing the first time, still amazing now.
Perfect pitch is not a thing to be desired in music. Autotune is a special effect, nothing more. Tiny deviations in pitch make harmony sound full. Gordon had fantastic pitch, and so did his backup singers, but perfection is not something that would have made them sound better. (If you want perfection, listen to a diatonic harmonizer. Pretty awful.)
@@beenaplumber8379 You are correct, my formerly damp friend. And AutoTune DOES compensate for the discrepancies in an 88-note 🎹 keyboard. If it didn’t, the company that makes it would have gone out of business years ago. I mean, say your back-up vocal tracks were horribly out of tune. If Auto Tune DIDN’T compensate for the discrepancies in tuning across that many notes (and you won’t hear any actual humans who have a pitch range THAT big), you’d have out-of-tune vocals whether you used Auto Tune or not. It would just be out-of-tune in different places no matter which way you decided to go. Here’s a thought: get singers who can actually do the job well.
Anything produced after the year 2000 we can’t be sure it wasn’t cleaned up by autotune.
I quit listening to music radio in 1980!
Most Everything since 1980 doesn’t stack up against the 25 years from 1955-1980!!
"Sometimes, I think it's a shame when I get feeling better when I'm feeling no pain" CMON NOW! His lyrics are over the top. We're blessed to have a soul as Gordon Lightfoot's on the planet
“If you could read my mind” was my favourite. I graduated in “74” so it meant a lot to a pensive young girl like me. RIP GORDON
Boy,you remind me of me.
Yes. Exactly. "When I was 17" struck a similar cord when it came out.
My parents played his music as well. My Dad primarily. Around 1980 my parents and neighbors were going to see him live and there was an extra ticket so I got to go. I enjoyed the concert but what was really interesting is he played a new song and after the band came back for the second half of the concert he replayed the same song again. He told the crowd he didn't like how it sounded the first time so .... did it again. That made an impression - someone very dedicated to their craft.
I saw Dream Theater do something similar, only they stopped the song before it got too far and restarted. They said the fans deserved better. Kudos to the artists who are in touch with their fans experiences, and kudos to them and to Gordon for revealing their imperfect humanity.
Mr Lightfoot is such a great storyteller. In this case, he hides the tension in a happy melody and awesome vocal harmonies. This is one of my favorites.
It might be his best song and that's really saying something.
I totally agree. This song is just amazing. He is just such a legend and a great songwriter!
One of my favorite songs of all time!
@@ProfessorofRock To me it's always going to be 'If you could read my mind' the melodies and such are amazing, but this and Edmon Fitzgerald are close 2nds.
@@ProfessorofRock Gordon has such a great musical catalogue. Certainly one of the very best voices in all of contemporary music. Favorite for me has varied over the years. Right now, it's a bit of an obscure one - Song For A Winter's Night
I clearly remember the first time I heard this song. I was 7 and in my backyard on a sunny late afternoon, but I only thought the lyrics were about the sun. More importantly, the feelings that this song evokes are of that semi-rural suburb I grew up in. I felt like I was almost floating and at peace with everything around me. It felt so enchanting to listen to the crickets and coyotes sing at night and sometimes even see coyotes on the roads. No other song reminds me of those wonderful, peaceful and quiet warm days and nights in my neighborhood during the first half of the 70s, mostly early 70s. How I yearn for more quiet days.
You must be very close to my age. I grew up in a part of Winnipeg completely surrounded by treed areas and feilds, and then a large loop of the Red River, and we spent summers at Granite Lake, part of Ontario's gorgeous Lake Of The Woods. So I remember feelings like that. You really touched my heart! Lots of love to you! ❤ ❤ ❤
"Sometimes music can't be explained, it's just for individual interpretation." So true!
I discovered this song while going through the emotional roller coaster of a divorce. The angst of the lyrics spoke to me like a Van Gogh painting, vibrant, dark, and unsettling. There's something comforting when a song hits like that, knowing that someone else understands what it feels like.
As a Canadian I am proud of some of the artists we have produced, Gordon Lightfoot is a legend who has never forgotten his roots, but I think worldwide he's somewhat overlooked in comparison to his Canadian contemporary's like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell but every bit as good of a songwriter as any.
Lightfoot is amazing. I like him best personally. Thanks for watching.
As a Canadian myself Neil went "woke" while Gordon didn't=100x better person and someone you could have a beer with.
Canada has so many amazing artists that come from there, maybe there is music in the air there that is no where else on earth
Please take back Bieber and keep him!
I’d totally listen to Gordon. Young & Mitchell could only hope to be the legend Gordon is.
I have always liked Gordon Lightfoot, but seeing the documentary about him a couple of years ago really gave me a deeper appreciation. I was the only one in the theater; it was quite the experience.
Free on CBC gem..
@@lita4458 Thank you. I might try watching it, but I've found in the recent past that everything the CBC does online is plagued by poorly written software, so it's so full of bugs that it quickly becomes unwatchable. And I've written and phoned numerous times to tell them. (Yes, unlike every other company, they do still take phonecalls, and very quickly you usually get a real live person!) I will try to watch it there though, because I really want to see that! Thanks!
Love the documentary. I just learned about it when he passed. Great film. Love this song. I wish I had seen him live in the 70s. I was surprised he was born in 1938. Always thought he was my age….he was 16 years older.
I love learning about his personal history and the music history in his film. The book Lightfoot is really interesting also. By Nick Jennings.
RIP Gordon Lightfoot. Great piece, Prof! He was a legend and grateful I saw him several times live.
I love how you take the song apart and explain each section. Sometimes we never know the circumstances of an artist's rendition. I had no ideal his 2nd wife Kathy was the one who assisted in the tragic death of one of my favorite SNL comedians.
Cathy wasn't his second wife, she was just a girlfriend.
They weren't married.
Yeah, they were just lovers n in a tryst for years!
She was a partier, he, as far as I remember, just a heavy heavy drinker...she did everything...
@@katherineskrzynecki3347 obviously not just a drinker - she knew how to toss that speedball apparently
Very few songs are written well enough to stand all alone with just the lyric and melody. Gordon Lightfoot is one of the greatest songwriters of the past 100 years.
I’m not a big fan, but I absolutely agree. I do love his big hits. I haven’t gotten into his catalog to far. Remind me of Jim Croce and his ability to write and deliver a great song.
I think Sundown is speaking about the sun setting in a relationship that he doesn't want to be over. Also, Sundown can represent the coming darkness of what was going to happen that night. Just my two cents. That's the cool thing about songs, it can have multiple meanings for people wherever they are in life.
Good work Randy.
I agree. It's the literal sundown and following darkness that provokes his jealousy. He doesn't know what's really happening, but the setting sun represents the men turning around his girlfriend somewhere.
😅we all lovedhim
@@DavidNelsonO and the beginning of the song, both hypnotic and somehow giving the feeling of dread at the same time. Who could be still after the 1st beat?
There is a hooker named Sundown in LA, the one who was with John Belushi when he died - she was also a heroin administrator if that is a term, read Chasing the Dragon for more info.
Was privileged to see Gordon live in Melbourne, Australia in 1974. He sang Sundown and some other songs from the new album. I was thrilled to realise that he was wearing the beautiful bracelet from the album cover on stage at the concert. His was the background music to my life. 🙌
I was at that concert too. From memory, Gordon Lightfoot performed at Melbourne's Festival Hall !!
In a room where you do what you don't confess. Man that's a true song.
My favourite Gordon Lightfoot moment was the day before Canada's 150th birthday celebration. I was on Parliament Hill, and there were various protesters agitating each other. Then, I heard the distinct guitar part for "If You Could Read My Mind." I looked up, and Gordon Lightfoot was doing his soundcheck for the next day's festivities.
Politics disappeared for a few minutes, as most of us stood in awe of a legend singing his masterpiece.
Canadian guitar legend Red Shea was an essential part this album. His bluesy lines bring out the sinister elements of "Sundown."
I think that was Terry Clements.
@@Axeman517 Clements played acoustic lead, Shea played electric lead. Both sound incredible.
Maybe Red is 1 color in Sun going down
That was one of my mom's most favorite songs. When it came on the radio, she would dance with a huge smile. I can still see her in my mind, dancing, happy, totally enjoying that song's every note.
My memory: the song was out on the radio but that Terry Clemens guitar riff and the mood of the song really came through while I was browsing belt buckles at a lower-level head shop at Pike Place Market in Seattle. I was a squeaky-clean middle-schooler but the vibe of the song and the mysterious boho vibe of the store brought it all into focus.
Bought the album the following week.
This Man is Folk music treasure.
So many great songs.
Couldn't agree more!
He’s one of the best storytellers to come out of this world.
@ProfessorofRock So is James Taylor, do a video show casing his amazing talents
I saw Gordon perform this album in Montreal, during the mid seventies. He also did the Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald. He came out with another guitarist and a bottle of alcohol. He didn’t leave till he had finished. He blew us all away with his talent and incredible voice. A true musical superstar.
Yep! I saw him in "concert" several times in the mid-seventies, only it was just across the border in Kalamazoo, Michigan. First time was at a similar intimate setting like you describe, of The Civic Theater near downtown, which I don't even think is officially on his tours history.
Later, I saw him at
Wings Stadium before moving around the country.
The intimate settings were so much more compelling. And you're right! He would sit and play long past the designated hour, and when he finally got up to leave, the standing ovations would draw him back for another half hour.
He was a supreme talent and really seemed to appreciate his audiences.
I gotta admit I had a crush on him at the time. I was still single, and attended his concerts alone. I always felt it was the best way to drink in a Gordon Lightfoot concert.
My friends either didn't know who he was, or they weren't into his genre. It was their loss, for sure, but I enjoyed being alone.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Farewell to Canada's true, formidable musician, so many beautiful songs he created and so much enjoyment through the years. Thank you Gordon!
After watching this series, I am amazed at how many GREAT songs were written because of incredible pain. Maybe that's why they resonate with us. They put into words our feelings of hurt and loss.
People are drawn to truth in feeling.
Common theme of people in the arts. A gift and a burden I could only imagine. The suffering brought out the best in their artistic abilities but consumed them.
GL was so underrated! He was a brilliant songwriter and story teller with such a unique and amazing voice. Always loved Sundown.
Underrated by who?
This kind of stupid comment needs to disappear.🙄
@@FYMASMD fine if you don't like him, but I happen to think differently than you
@@FYMASMD I hate the very word "underrated." It's the most overused word ever, and that needs to stop.
@@kellycranford3592 The word underrated has a very specific meaning, and all of you people who overuse the word so very much should learn what it means before you throw it out constantly.
We LOVE Lightfoot! But he is very far from being underrated. Even Bob Dylan recognized his genius. The stupidity of saying somebody who is so beloved is underrated is just astounding!
For krisake, just listen to the word. Under rated. It means not appreciated.
Using words that you don't understand just because they're trendy is stupid, even if others are doing it too. And objecting to that does not mean we don't like him. It means we don't like the stupidity of using the wrong word to describe him.
Do you guys feel better now?
I have always loved Gordon Lightfoot. Loved your story on "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". This song always reminds me of music on the radio growing up in the 70's.
These are all quintessential 70s hits!
@Anna Trail I remember when he paid tribute to the crew members who died in the sinking of the ship, and I almost cried. Such a beautiful tribute.
I am So Glad You are doing these Great Gordon Lightfoot songs I remember I was young teen and got my Grandmother to get me the the 45 record of Sundown was one of my favorites I had it on 45 and for some reason the Mickey Mouse Club just to see cover with Annette Fun. But back to Gordon and Hopefully You have some of Jim Croce I am blown away at a lot of what You listen to I was all over the same music having been diagnosed with a serious illness and spending more time at home going through older brothers albums early Styx and a bunch after open heart surgery when I was 15 yrs old in 1977 I had already gone through Hospital visits stating at 8 years old my Uncle’s Thank Goodness kept their Beatles collection in stead of taking to the bonfires that were happening and when My Mother got remarried and we had to move off they gave me their Beatles collection and an old record player that weighed a bunch but I became a Huge Beatles fan as they were Breaking up asking for an album for Christmas Beatles story and really because I was out sick Music was everything after major Open Heart surgery they would not give me anything for pain and intensive care for almost four days a wake hurting Music was it so recovery at home missing my 9th grade the first thing I got to do going out my oldest brother took me to my first concert Head East Never Been Any Reason Wow that was it Live Music Concerts I am now 60 and have seen almost 700 concerts Journey now 23 times from 79 Sammy Hagar in alot of his Bands 27 times Triumph 9 times and all that Awesome Great Classic Rock concerts those Bands You know the very Bands that Rolling Stone magazines RRHOF does not like I guess Jealous Crazy Wish there was a Real RRHOF anyway I know You are Younger than me but You have a lot of same Music Keep Doing this !
Even though you wrote this months ago, I wanted to thank you for telling your story and the pain and beautiful music you grabbed onto as a result. You've made it through all these years and I wish you the best. Keep rockin' this wonderful stuff. I will too!
True L E G E N D who left this world richer with his heartfelt songs R.I.P Sir . This is still one of my absolute favourites, it's infectious and evocative and instantly takes me back to first discovering the thrill of music at age 7.
The whole Sundown album is wonderful. In spite of being composed during a turbulent time in Gord's life, it stands among his finest. Thanks for the backstory of this great tune!
Looking throughout rock history (and all of music), much of the best music comes from difficult timrd.
@@alanlittle9352 exactly!
Alan Little :
So true.
Dylan's Blood on the Tracks.
I feel a little guilty about that being one of my all time favorite albums
@@maxthepupp Also, Sheryl Crow's The Globe Sessions and Beck's Sea Change. Damn, those albums are heartwrenching, to say the least!
Absolutely. A ton of great tunes on there, Circle of Steel being my favourite unsung classic that most folks don't remember.
A family friend (like an uncle) told a story about meeting Gord. His friend picked him up in a car and they went cruising for the night. The guy in the back seat was playing on his guitar and working on one passage which annoyed my uncle to no end. He finally turned arround and said "if you don't know the whole song just stop playing it.
It was years later that our friend learned that this guy was Gordon Lightfoot. He said " can you imagine telling Gord to stop playing and singing " He laughs every time we talk about this.
Now that's hilarious, imo!
RIP Gordon. he is one of my go to when am overwhelmed of life trials and emotions. thanks for the memories guy.
Of course I find this in September of '23, four months after his death. He lived a full life, and gave us many good songs.
You are a national treasure, maybe an intergalactic one! Just like Casey Kasem, you bring us the fascinating back-stories to our most treasured music, and it warms the cockles of my heart to hear 'em.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again: Professor of Rock is the closest thing to Casey Kasem I can ever get in the 21st century. And this is as a person who never lived in the 20th century.
Great comment. The way Professor talks reminds me of a great 80s radio DJs voice. Cant find a better picture of 80s DJ voice than Casey.
Yes I know he was long before the 80s as well, but from the view of my childhood, Casey is above generational. He is the definition of DJ in the radio ruled the airwaves eras.
@@bobvylan7215 I had completely forgotten him! Thanks so much you guys for reminding me!
This iconic tune was so well recorded and still sounds great nearly 50 years later. Gord's certainly had his ups and downs in life, but he's still going strong at 83. Appreciate the occasional Canadian content on your channel, Adam!
More to come my friend.
83 and still going strong!
Great music knows no borders.
@@ProfessorofRock How about something about Chilliwack? Damn fine Canadian band from the '70s-'80s.
@@bearbryant3495 He already did them! Or somebody did, because I remember hearing them talk about how much they hated the name they were given by the record company.
I was learning guitar back in the early 1980's, when one night on third shift Sundown came on my portable FM radio we'd play in the shop. My fluent guitar playing co-worker Tony happen to be In the shop, so I asked him If he could play the electric guitar lead. We had a cheap 3/4 size guitar locked up in a tool cabinet, and at lunch time he began playing around with the lead. Within minutes he had it down almost perfect, and over a few nights taught me how to play it. Now I play that bluesy lead every time I pick up my Gretsch Country Gentleman and am amazed how well it fits the chord as Gordon played it. Thank you again for a wonderful explanation on another classic by Gordon Lightfoot. As for Tony, he grew up in Roseland, Illinois just outside of Chicago and hung around with a garage band back in high school. During the Vietnam draft era Tony joined the U. S. Coast Guard. The garage band became a group known as STYX! True story.
My dad always sang this as “Son, now, you better take care…” He wasn’t stupid or hard of hearing, he just often changed lyrics when it suited him, if he thought it made more sense (or sometimes to be funny). I, however, thought that’s what it was for many years. Miss you, Daddie!
WOW! Born in the early 70’s this song was always a haunting tune, but even more so now that I know the full story behind it. Great Job man. Thanks so much!
Thanks for listening!
I was 10, my mom bought me a student guitar (my first guitar), a chord book and this album. I remember staring at the cover thinking he was coolest guy I had ever seen. "Sundown" is still in my Top 10 Fave albums. The production alone is amazing.
Such a gem on UA-cam you are. Your in depth coverage has enlightened me and given so much more meaning to much of the music I have listened to and taken for granted over the decades.
You’re doing what MTV and VH1 should be doing. Instead of doing reality shows, you’re giving us REALISM
Thank you❤
R.I.P. Gordon Lightfoot thank you for sharing your music with us.
Brilliant artist, and brilliant song. I just listened to one of two collections of his work in my car two days ago. I credit my parents for exposing me to "adult contemporary" music in the early 70s, and thus planting the seeds for my life-long love of good music. Thank you so much for this dive into one of his best songs. Lightfoot is one reason I hate "hit songs" written by professional song writers. They just don't feel authentic or like art in any way.
I was just getting out of the Air Force when this song was screaming up the charts. I say that without having seen a chart for over a year, but I knew it was doing well because the song was getting played more and more and more on the radio. Having worked 2 years in the business before the Air Force, I had a pretty good idea of what was happening. I too loved this song which was a nice relief from his previous hit song in 10971, "If You Could Read My Mind." That song came out just as I was splitting up with my fiance who was the first love of my life. The split hurt like a knife in the heart and the song just drove that damn knife further and twisted it at the same time. I got over my fiance, but I never got over the damage that song did to me. I've seen Gordon in concert 6 times and met him 4 times. He's a great guy and doesn't hesitate to talk and ask questions. Very cool.
Gordon Lightfoot was one of my absolute favorites. I got to meet him in a hallway at the venue when he played at |Washington State Washington State University where i was going to school. He asked a few questions about the local community and I told him what he wanted to know. I got back to my seat as the show started and in his beginning crowd warm up, he wove in the things that \i had shared with him down in the hallway of Bohler Gym. At intermission he said he and the boys were going to be gone about 15 minutes to go down and have an, Irish Coffee.' Well, about 45 minutes later they came back on stage and Gordon must have had a few too many Irish Coffees. He was missing lines and lead ins. The band was flogging it to cover for him as much as they could. I think you nailed it with his alcohol issues. People who didn't know his music might not have noticed, but knowing and having played most of his songs on my guitar, well, it was pretty obvious. In spite of all that, that show was one of the key moments in my musical life. As for Sundown, it became known that that one recording was absolutely the best song for checking out stereo equipment. Anyone wanting to spend a 'college student fortune' on a stereo system always took their Sundown album with them. All you had to do was drop the needle on Sundown and you would know if the stereo was going to measure up. Thanks for doing a fine job on telling this story.
It was Gordon Lightfoot that inspired me to buy a 12 string guitar. I was in my 20's in the 70's and I played a lot of his songs. I loved them all, but the Edmond Fitzgerald and Sundown were my favorites. He was so good.
My Mom had 2 records of this album. That way she didn't have to flip the record over to play side B and and played them on repeat for hours.
Mom's a smart cookie...
I never thought of that.
But you'd need two turn tables ?
@@Halliday7895 Have you not seen stackable record changers? Here's a link.ua-cam.com/video/sw9ESYSszsQ/v-deo.html
Go to the 2:30 mark.
Nope. Back then, the spindle in the center of the turntable had a ratchet system that allowed you to stack multiple albums (six albums on our living room system, for example) so they would play one at a time in sequence. So, his mom simply stacked two copies of the same album on top of one another -- bottom one with "side one facing up" and the other one on top of it with "side two facing up." Once they had both played all the way through, she could simply flip the stack over and play their opposite sides in the very same sequence. So, only one turntable was involved; no second turntable needed to play the albums in sequence. (Years later, we came to realize that stacking albums like that was bad for the records, which would invariably get scuffed in the process. Live and learn...)
@@glennhecker4422 But there was no need to flip the stack. Every album (except that one, I guess) had a bad side, and two sides of any band (again, except that one) was way too much. I just hate CDs for that reason. Twenty minutes, or 4 or 5 songs max by any band is the most I want to hear. Even by my favorites.
Still get the same chills listening to this song as I did the very first time it came out. An absolutely ageless classic. That’s a gift.
Gordon was a true “Master”, at his craft. Regardless of the decade, genre, up tempo or slow ballad. He was truly 1 of the greats! I know being a major follower of Tony Rice who dearly loved Lightfoot & even cut an album “Tony Rice sings Gordon Lightfoot”, which was a master stroke of musical genius. All in all Gordon is a true Master & Great of all time & if you’re not familiar w/his work I highly recommend you check him out. Sadly, Gordon Lightfoot very recently passed away. R.I.P. & Godspeed Gordon, Godspeed.
One of the first songs I learned to play. RIP Gordon, the world is a little darker without you.
I remember this song being on the radio all summer long in 1974, I was eleven and just starting to really buy and listen to music. Sundown was the song that turned me into a Gordon Lightfoot fan for life
I saw him at a concert here in Oregon 7 years ago. He had a newer album at the time. Unfortunately when he sang, he was almost mumbling through the new stuff. But he was so clear on his older works. The wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald was the first song he played that night. And yes, he waited until sunset to play Sundown. There were very few dry eyes in the ampitheater by the time he finished Sundown. I rank it in my top five favorite concerts.
This was my first album I ever had. My dad bought it for me on cassette for my birthday. I loved that song (Sundown), but never new what it was about (just did), apparently neither did my dad! Have listen to the album (digital version) several times since he passed away, good album to this day.
Thank you. So many songs with stories that cut deep.
I know it’s slightly off subject but I love the song “If you could read my mind”! It is honestly within my Top 5! From what I understand Gordon wrote it the first night he spent at his house alone after his wife moved out! Certainly explains the emotion! And stop wearing shirts that makes me wanna blow money on EBay lol 😂!
Ha ha. I know, I've blown a lot of money on shirts! I have like 300 or more. My wife is about to kick me out! Ha ha
That is one of my favorites, too, interesting to know the circumstances of his writing it.
@@ProfessorofRock you need a 1983 shirt! That is the best year ever in my opinion, a close second is your 1984 choice!
If You Could Read My Mind is definitely in my top favorites by Gord. Such a hauntingly beautiful & emotive song. I think most everyone has had a time in their life when they've related to the words.
@@ProfessorofRock Well lucky for me My wife buys me a lot of Vintage 80s shirts as gifts! For example for my Birthday in February she got me the famous E.T and Michael Jackson shirt! Last Father’s Day it was a Mr.T Cereal shirt and last year Revenge of the nerds! So I lucked out there!
Loved this one, Professor. That haunting melody has been something in my head since hearing it when it originally played on AM radio back in ‘74. I remember being a kid and riding in my uncle’s car from our home in NJ and into NYC…itself a pretty dark and dirty place at the time…and seeing the boats and ships going up and down the East River. Dark, dirty, winter, ships, and that haunting melody…a sailor’s dream indeed.
Another absolute GEM from that album…”The Watchman’s Gone.”
Thanks, as always! Keep ‘em coming, and Rock On!
Ooh…very haunting story there, James.
I loved your story. It’s quite evocative.
The only people who were in my life longer than Gordon Lightfoot (well, it was his music with me) were my mother & my brother. Only have my brother left now.
Rest in peace, Gordon; your music informed my life in so many important ways. Thank you
I loved this song way back and many of Gordon's other songs, especially The Way I Feel and Summer Side of Life. Those two songs were also played at my Mom's funeral. She dearly loved his music!!
I fell in love with this song and with Gordon Lightfoot's voice when my dad brought the album home when I was a kid. And for the last 40 years or so, I've thought "Sundown" was the singer's nickname for a woman he keeps trying to end it with. He knows the relationship isn't good for either of them, but he also has trouble resisting her. And even though he tells her it's over, she keeps showing up and starting things over again anyway.
It's fascinating to learn he was writing about pretty much the exact opposite.
I made a similar mistake with Gene Pitney's song "Trans Canada Highway", being Australian I misunderstood the accent to read the following words, "Cat Dead on a Highway". Although I could never work out how a dead cat was going to get him home.
For decades I've had precisely the same understanding of the song. I have to laugh but I swear the lyrics work better in that context.
You might be right about Gord in one way. I think his first marriage haunted him. The feelings he couldn't get back were her lost affections. "Same old obsession"
"If children had wings" tells us that lightfoot had the right senced about the permanence of Christian Marriage. But he was ravaged by the temptations of fame at times.
This is exactly how I interpreted the meaning of this song. In '74 I was 20.
@@michaeldemarillac9992 lol
Amazing that this song is essentially 50 years old and still one of the all-time greats.
Thank you for titling this video with the subject.
Great video!! Thanks for this one!
This and Don Quixote are my favourite Gordon Lightfoot albums, but I never heard a bad album by him. Thank you for the insights and stories behind this great work.
Reaching for his saddle bags he takes rusty cross into his hands
Gordon is a legend with many great hits, including this one. I've loved this song for decades but never knew the backstory of it. Emotional pain seems to be one of the best inspirations and fodder for great song writing.
It's all time. All time!
Thanks for your work and stories about many of my childhood favorite artists and bands. Gordon Lightfoot holds the singular top place in my heart. Missing the legend. Thanks for the memories.
RIP Gordon Lightfoot. He was a beautiful example of a genuine singer-songwriter.
I remember "Sundown" on the radio a lot during summers when I was a kid enjoying my parent's backyard pool in the mid-70's . . . this song, and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" both saw a lot of airplay back then . . . Lightfoot is a serious talent, writing songs and melodies that actually mean something . . .
Gordon Lightfoot's "The Circle is Small" breaks my heart. "I can see it in your eyes and feel it in the way you kiss my lips. I can hear it in your voice whenever we are talking like this"....
What a Heartbreaker. Thanks, Proff!
Just subscribed to your channel today. I love stories about all kinds of music, even music I might not particularly care for. That doesn't include Lightfoot, he is one of my all-time favorites. Thanks for all this!
Thank you for another one of your excellent "stories behind the song" , it is a lively, insightful, accurate story that is must for any fan of Lightfoot & this song. Cheers for your support of Canadian music!
Sundown was a Seminal song in my life... My brother and I traveled across country to Alaska when I was 20 turning about turning 21 and we stopped by at a bar all the Kenia peninsula... We were both young single and he was off from college for the summer.... And decided to take an amazing journey with each other living in a tent all summer working at a fishery... On one of those rare paydays where we had money and time off... We spent all day in a little bar by ourselves with a jukebox shooting pool and we're playing songs for each other and he played sundown which I heard for the first time and then I had to play it about 3-4 times in a row it meant something that was indescribable I'll never forget it
I live on the Kenai Peninsula I lived in Kasilof most of 20 years ....now I live in Cooper Landing
I sang the song SUNDOWN by GL many times around a bonfire.
Was the bar Kenai Joe's. The Vagabond ?
I played and sang 14 hours at a bar in kenai st. Pat's day 1983 .
what a cool awesome memory ~ now I wanna go to Alaska!
@@RawOlympia everyone should experience Alyeska. There is an excellent book named SHADOWS ON THE KOYAKUK. the lady at school who counseled Sid Huntington when he was at Eklutna school was my mentors sister Mary . The true stories in this book will blow your mind . Sid had one of the first MALAMUTES to exist . You have to read Babes in the woods . That chapter will bring tears to an even strong mans eyes .
@@shawntailor5485 Wow, Thank you so much! These books will be awesome! I only know Robert W. Service and The Cremation of Sam McGee ~ there is something so wild and intimidating about Alaska, but you are an inspiration!! : )
He is a remarkable man, and a brilliant songwriter/performer. A fan since ~ 1969.
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My favorite song on the album is, "The Watchman's Out."
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Nobody would room with me in college because I played him incessantly- I couldn't study without him!
It was and still is one of my favs to play , brother was a knight of the road ,rip spud . Song still gives me chills to sing . "If you live to follow the golden sun "
Another excellent video! Great coverage! Thank you!
I stumbled onto your channel. I love it. I was a teen in the 70's and love hearing about all these songs and the story behind them. YOU do a GREAT JOB also telling the story. Good content.
The first song I can ever remember hearing. One of the coldest January's in Wisconsin. 5:01am, and dad's alarm radio going off with Larry the Ledgend announcing this knew song. It's the earliest memory I have as a child. I'm glad I got to see him perform several times in my life.
I love songs that tell a story and Gordon Lightfoot knows how to tell a story. I have been a big fan of his music since I was a kid in the 80's. Sometimes my friends think I'm crazy with my musical tastes but I don't care. Thanks for the back story on this one and I look forward to your back story on Canadian Railroad Trilogy too ;-)
YES ! Thank you for your research into our collective & emotional times.
I remember records and I dig this channel. I love so much the interaction between you and your father and you and your son. While music is universal, it's also so personal. It can bring us together, but in so many different ways.
My dad is a massive fan of Gordon Lightfoot. I remember road trips as a kid, where the entire trip Gordon’s music was playing on the the car stereo. I hated it and swore I’d never listen to him again once I was old enough to drive myself anywhere. Now, about 30 years later, Lightfoot has a place on my playlist. When dad found out he was happy, but asked why I liked him now but not then. I guess I just needed to come to him on my own.
Weird coincidences happen. Reorganizing my library yesterday, when I came across Cathy Smith’s book, “Chasing The Dragon”. Gordon Lightfoot is so talented. However, I have to be in the right place to listen to more than one of his songs at a time. They all have an intensity to them, and even the upbeat ones are tinged with wistful melancholy. I’m glad he has come out the other side and is happy.
My reactions to his music are very similar to your experiences.
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is a beautiful tribute to what was a terrible event. When the news came, I was sitting in the lab at Michigan State University speaking to my friend, Tom. Turns out, he had spent the last couple of summers working on the Edmund Fitzgerald to fund his studies, and knew all those aboard. Still gives me the chills.
This man's music and songs were my favorites that actually saved my soul and heart during high school through graduate school and years into my career. "Sundown" ended up being my favorite, but I love all his songs. I adored the thrilling guitar work by the band in "Sundown". Now I'm retired and I still love him for sharing his heart and soul in via his music. Thanks for this podcast.
I knew Gordie in the Yorkville era.....and I was saddened by his death a few weeks ago. A great talent, a good guy. RIP
Yeah, I remember when I was in my last year or so of high school, my younger sister had an extra ticket to a Gordie Lightfoot concert in Kingston, Ontario that she offered to sell me. 1968? or 1967? because one of her friends couldn't go for some reason. $3.50? I thought about it and finally paid the price. it was a 800 seat theatre, The Grand, recently renovated. Good concert. A friend of mine, a graduate student at Stanford, originally from Chicago listened to my yarn and turned to me and said, "Gordie Lightfoot doesn't play 800 seat theatres any more. " I'm not that big a fan, but I can see why people love him. I prefer Leonard Cohen or Gilles Vigneault or Félix Leclerc.
@@dinkster1729 I like all of those, but I'm more universal....I even like Roch Voisine.... 😁 Gord sometimes played at the Riverboat on 'Hoot Night', when it was closed to the public, but open to members of the Toronto Guild of Folk Artists. All sorts of 'folks' played there on Hoot Night...where ol' Neil Young started out howling "Sugar Mountain".....Joni Mitchell played there as well, and even Simon and Garfunkel played on that little stage when they were in town for their show at Massey Hall. Long time ago......but they were 'good times'....
Gordon's songwriting doesn't get enough credit. Sundown's baseline is iconic. It's influence is pretty easy to hear in the song Hey You, by Dope Lemon, Angus Stone's (of Angus and Julia Stone) side band. The Sundown bass line has to be the inspiration of that song's bass rif!
Thank the gods you didn't use the word "underrated"! I hate it with a passion!
Great catch! Haven't heard that song in a while and you're right about the baseline.
Gordon Lightfoot is one of the best. Hes like fine wine, an acquired taste that gets better with age
A legend. If Professor actually interviewed him it would be really cool.
Love the story about you asking your Dad as a child what the song meant...and him remembering that.
Well done. The nuance of his words veils a darker, gritter reality. Your interpretation is as well-informed and compelling as anything I have encountered in the nearly fifty years since it was released.
I would never knock gordon lightfoot ! he wrote some of the most meaningful songs ever !
Thanks for this, Gordon's music is very personal, rather than formed by commitee for maximum profit. Damn near every tune he ever wrote, I can relate to..."Been there, done that"
Thanks for the excellent production, what a great story of a great man.
Rest in peace Gordon Lightfoot.
I saw him perform at the Virginia Theater in Champaign Illinois in '99, and like many others have said all his songs were note perfect, no missed notes on the guitar, no crackles in his voice anywhere, as can often happen in live performances. The theater only holds about maybe 300, so it was really awesome to be only 5 rows back. When he first walked out on stage, he had this ear-to-ear grin and said "Art Bell interviewed me!", so I gather he must've been a fan of Art's overnight radio show like I was. I wish he would have allowed fans to "meet and greet" with him after the show because i had an album of his with me I would liked to have had him sign, and of course I wanted to thank him for all the great songs he's given us through the years. The 3 songs of Gordon Lightfoot that everyone seems to remember are always "If You Could Read My Mind", "Sundown" and "Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald", but if that's all they know, I highly recommend digesting his entire catalog. His earlier songs (from the United Artist years) really established him as a major force in the music world. I especially liked "I'll Be Alright" and "Walls". And in the 70s I liked "Rainy Day People", "Race Among The Ruins", "Minstrel Of The Dawn" and many, many others. I actually wore out my 8-Track of "Gord's Gold" playing it overnight as I'd drift off to sleep. Cathy Smith can be seen in the dimly lit background behind him on the "Cold On The Shoulder" album. I think she met Belushi when she was singing with The Band (post-breakup with Lightfoot) and they were a musical guest on SNL. The other tragedy surrounding an associate of his was drummer Jim Gordon (also of Derek And The Dominos fame) going crazy and murdering his own mother in the 80s. One other thing: a lot of people have said he was trying to imitate Bob Dylan's voice on "Sundown" but I don't really hear it myself. Gord just sounds like Gord and that's unique and priceless.
I didn't realize he meant THAT Cathy Smith! I hate her even more now!
Jeez...I read a huge article in Rolling Stone light years ago about Jim Gordon. I didn't he was close to GL.
Gordon Lightfoot wrote songs that will take you back to specific places…. For your entire life! His songs define the mystery that links brain ear and soul
Can I quote you?
You are so right, I can remember almost every song and where I was when I would hear one of his songs! What a great artist.
Rest in Peace!
Excellent review, thanks for the content. I removed this when I was younger had no idea at the time what Lightfoot’s message was then but loved the melody