Gordon Lightfoot was asked to write this song, by the Canadian broadcasting company to celebrate Canada centennial in 1967 and the building of the railroad from the east coast to the west coast.He is a troubadour, a poet, a wonderful storyteller ... Amazing Epic Song! Masterpiece!!! Thank you!!!
THE INCREDIBLE GORDEN LIGHTFOOT!! BEAUTIFUL VOCALS AND AWESOME LYRICS BEAUTIFUL MELODY!! AWESOME REACTION RORY💙 THANK YOU FOR WHOMEVER IN COMMENTS SUGGESTED THIS AWESOME REQUEST!! 😊🩷🤘✌️
0 seconds ago CANADIAN RAILROAD TRILOGY! Almost everyone puts this as their No 1 of his songs, even over The Wreck........which is itself an amazing song. The Cdn RR Trilogy makes me weep (not just cry, actually weep), as it does many Canadians. It tells a story, an important part of Canada's history and the sacrifice of so many men to build a railroad to cross this huge and amazing country, as only Gord Lightfoot could tell it. I'm in my 70s now, I grew up listening to Gord's records during my adolescence and beyond. I saw him live in Ottawa in a tiny coffee shop venue when I was only 14, so close to the little stage because the place was so small. Unforgettable! RIP Gord, we miss you! What a blessing you were to us all.
Gordon Lightfoot made poetry, but the voice and words were always those you could hear in the voices of ordinary Canadians. Notice the word "navvies" which Canadians picked up from England and Ireland, a word unknown in the U.S. The "silence of the North" is an old expression that refers to the uncanny silence of mostly coniferous forests at night, which makes them feel haunted. I grew up with that eerie silence. Lightfoot was a musician practically from birth, learning to sing in a small town church choir and playing Toronto's famous Massey Hall at the age of twelve. (He would play there 170 more times). His education was pretty basic, with a brief stint at a musical college in the U.S. after high school. But he was mostly self-educated in everything. He was interested in history. But the main thing is that he knew the country well, and most of all knew its people. He spoke like the people he grew up with, never abandoning his old-fashioned rural Ontario accent. His lyrics always rang true. The building of the C.P.R. across Canada, with the last spike hammered in on the seventh of November, 1885, made it possible for Canada to exist as a unified country, and prevented what we had always feared --- being dismembered and absorbed by the United States. The building of a transcontinental railway across the United States was an epic achievement, but Canada's railway was twenty times more of an engineering challenge, crossing endless wilderness and breaching the massive wall of the Rockies when these places were still unexplored, while the American railways could find much easier paths. Frankly, it was thought impossible from the start. Once built, it was the backbone of the country. You have to realize that it was not possible to cross the country by road until the completion of the Trans-Canada Highway in 1962. Until then, Canada was essentially a string of widely scattered railway stations, and most Canadians grew up hearing the lonely wail of train whistles.
You are such a talented reactor, watching you is a real joy. You are insightful and offer observations I’ve never caught after many years of listening. My parents played Gordon Lightfoot records from the day I was born. So many great songs, I would recommend Alberta Bound,Did She Mention My Name, and Don Quixote. 💙🇨🇦
Wow, ask and ye shall receive. Thanks Rory..although I don't know how many other people might of suggested it to you. Gordon didn't have degrees, he just knew his country.
Listen to his love songs. Extraordinary. “Beautiful, Your Love’s return, Go My Way, Shadows” and of course the amazing “If You Could Read My Mind”. He had a high school education but he did research, books, newspapers, magazines.
Havent heard it for awhile .. I see what Dylan means when he said he wished a Lightfoot song would last forever, it could go for 30 minutes and I would listen to the whole thing. Not too sure about the visuals chosen .. I would prefer it was all historic photos. Bit of a jolt to jump from a gritty photo to some current day stock shot ..
Hey Rory, here in Ontario they thought they could build toll highways to collect tolls for income! But like the railroads built, they were to help everyone in Canada. Our province of Ontario is finally trying to shut down the tolls so everyone in Ontario can ride these highways for free just like the trans Canada highway is free!!😊
This is probably my favourite song of Gordon's although there are so to choose from! Great voice and story teller! Some other songs of his with great stories are Don Quixote and Ghosts of Cape Horn. One of his lesser known tunes but so beautiful is "Your Love's Return" which he wrote and dedicated to American Song writer Stephen Foster.
Gordon Lightfoot was asked to write a special song for Canada for our Centennial and Expo '67 and this is what he has done. Excellent and I cry each time I hear it as I actually feel my country and my ancestry bringing this wondetrful country to fruition . Thanks Gordon, so much appreciated. May God bless Gordon, Canadians who made this country what it is and that You God for giving us Canada. Amen.
As a montanian who lives about 60 miles from the British Columbian border I've never had any trouble picturing the country the railroad went through I've always loved this song😊
One of Canada's foremost poet/songwriters, and a true national treasure. This song was commissioned by the CBC for celebrate Canada's centennial, our 100th birthday as a country. One story that isn't often told is that many of the workers were Chinese, and the incentive to get men to do the dangerous blasting to create tunnels through the mountains was to offer that the company would pay to bring the successful men's families to them from China. Many men died doing work, the most dangerous task of all, in the effort to bring the dearly longed for reunion with their families, which I thought was a cynical move on the part of the company.
I saw him sing this live twice in my life, so blessed to have seen him. Met him after the 2nd concert and he said his love of playing live was what he would do for the rest of his life. RIP Gordon. He makes us Canadians proud!
Gordon Lightfoot was a true poet and an amazing storyteller. The way the song sped up and slowed down with verses it gave you the feel of the train speeding up and slowing down. You mentioned the Chinese labourers. They were treated badly and given the most dangerous jobs. There is a monument to them in Assiniboine Park here in Winnipeg, Canada to honour them. Like Neil Peart and Gord Downie Gordon Lightfoot was a master lyrist. Cheers
I ama Canadian. We should be ashamed on how we treated the Chinese immigrants who came and worked on the railroad looking for better life. 17000 Chinese men. We should be thanking them
about 2/3rds of the people who worked to build the Canadian railway were Chinese, though like in the US, when pictures were taken, they were excluded. It is hard to compare since record keeping of the matter was not great - but as far as I have been able to find out, about twice as many Chinese died in the US building the railroad to the percentage in Canada.
One thing you need to know about Gordon Lightfoot is that he began his career with United Artists Records. When he signed a new contract with Reprise Records, for reasons of copyright and royalties he re-recorded most of his hit singles. He made some minor changes to the lyrics and added orchestration. For my money the versions he recorded with United Artists without orchestration are superior. I think, though I'm not positive, all the versions streamed online are the inferior re-recorded versions with Reprise Records.
This song was commissioned by the CBC (Canadian Broadcast Corporation) to commemorate Canada's 100th birthday in 1967. Because my hometown, Montreal, was hosting the 1967 World's Fair (I was 11 years old at the time), this song was indelibly imprinted in me! Here is a more recent (also from CBC) short documentary that explores this song in a wider context: ua-cam.com/video/hh7xNDcA6f4/v-deo.html
I have written before but thought to add this. I weep because I am a 78 year old Canadian woman that heard of these stories from my grandmother and ancestors and this shows the love, true love and hard work that went into building this great great land. Hard work and satisfaction for a job well done. And I see these ingrates coming from lands that have no respect for us and tell us what to do and our corrupt leadership stands with them against the great people of Canada. These people destroy our country and our way of life and our culture and have changed us forever. I wonder what God thinks of this. Our culture and memory of this solid greatness have been sullied forever more. Our grandchildren will never experience this pride and feeling again, ever. These immigrants that have no commonality with us must be sent out; but we know they will not be; weak and evil leadership everywhere. Shame. God please protect those of us that love You, and please rid this, Your land of the enemy. Amen.
Gordon Lightfoot was asked to write this song, by the Canadian broadcasting company to celebrate Canada centennial in 1967 and the building of the railroad from the east coast to the west coast.He is a troubadour, a poet, a wonderful storyteller ... Amazing Epic Song! Masterpiece!!!
Thank you!!!
THE INCREDIBLE GORDEN LIGHTFOOT!! BEAUTIFUL VOCALS AND AWESOME LYRICS BEAUTIFUL MELODY!! AWESOME REACTION RORY💙 THANK YOU FOR WHOMEVER IN COMMENTS SUGGESTED THIS AWESOME REQUEST!! 😊🩷🤘✌️
0 seconds ago
CANADIAN RAILROAD TRILOGY! Almost everyone puts this as their No 1 of his songs, even over The Wreck........which is itself an amazing song. The Cdn RR Trilogy makes me weep (not just cry, actually weep), as it does many Canadians. It tells a story, an important part of Canada's history and the sacrifice of so many men to build a railroad to cross this huge and amazing country, as only Gord Lightfoot could tell it. I'm in my 70s now, I grew up listening to Gord's records during my adolescence and beyond. I saw him live in Ottawa in a tiny coffee shop venue when I was only 14, so close to the little stage because the place was so small. Unforgettable! RIP Gord, we miss you! What a blessing you were to us all.
This his his Grand Epic song. He was Commissioned by the Canadian government to write this for the Canadian Centennial of 1967.
Gordon Lightfoot made poetry, but the voice and words were always those you could hear in the voices of ordinary Canadians. Notice the word "navvies" which Canadians picked up from England and Ireland, a word unknown in the U.S. The "silence of the North" is an old expression that refers to the uncanny silence of mostly coniferous forests at night, which makes them feel haunted. I grew up with that eerie silence. Lightfoot was a musician practically from birth, learning to sing in a small town church choir and playing Toronto's famous Massey Hall at the age of twelve. (He would play there 170 more times). His education was pretty basic, with a brief stint at a musical college in the U.S. after high school. But he was mostly self-educated in everything. He was interested in history. But the main thing is that he knew the country well, and most of all knew its people. He spoke like the people he grew up with, never abandoning his old-fashioned rural Ontario accent. His lyrics always rang true.
The building of the C.P.R. across Canada, with the last spike hammered in on the seventh of November, 1885, made it possible for Canada to exist as a unified country, and prevented what we had always feared --- being dismembered and absorbed by the United States. The building of a transcontinental railway across the United States was an epic achievement, but Canada's railway was twenty times more of an engineering challenge, crossing endless wilderness and breaching the massive wall of the Rockies when these places were still unexplored, while the American railways could find much easier paths. Frankly, it was thought impossible from the start. Once built, it was the backbone of the country. You have to realize that it was not possible to cross the country by road until the completion of the Trans-Canada Highway in 1962. Until then, Canada was essentially a string of widely scattered railway stations, and most Canadians grew up hearing the lonely wail of train whistles.
You are such a talented reactor, watching you is a real joy. You are insightful and offer observations I’ve never caught after many years of listening. My parents played Gordon Lightfoot records from the day I was born. So many great songs, I would recommend Alberta Bound,Did She Mention My Name, and Don Quixote. 💙🇨🇦
Wow, ask and ye shall receive. Thanks Rory..although I don't know how many other people might of suggested it to you. Gordon didn't have degrees, he just knew his country.
yeah, just brilliant. And love that you listened to this and appreciate it so much - a rarity in the whole "music reaction" thing
The majority of reactors pause and comment to avoid copyright strikes. Don't blame reactors, blame UA-cam.
Listen to his love songs. Extraordinary. “Beautiful, Your Love’s return, Go My Way, Shadows” and of course the amazing “If You Could Read My Mind”. He had a high school education but he did research, books, newspapers, magazines.
Canada was blessed with two beautiful Gord’s
i agree ...miss them both !
I saw Gordon live in 2016, someone in the audience shouted out requesting this song, Gordon obliged, very cool.
This is one his best ! Also love "The Minstrel of the Dawn", a semi- autobiographical song.
As a proud Canadian and Lightfoot fan, I can’t hear this song without a tear coming to my eye. His greatest song ever imho. One of so so many.
Havent heard it for awhile .. I see what Dylan means when he said he wished a Lightfoot song would last forever, it could go for 30 minutes and I would listen to the whole thing. Not too sure about the visuals chosen .. I would prefer it was all historic photos. Bit of a jolt to jump from a gritty photo to some current day stock shot ..
Hey Rory, here in Ontario they thought they could build toll highways to collect tolls for income! But like the railroads built, they were to help everyone in Canada. Our province of Ontario is finally trying to shut down the tolls so everyone in Ontario can ride these highways for free just like the trans Canada highway is free!!😊
This is probably my favourite song of Gordon's although there are so to choose from! Great voice and story teller! Some other songs of his with great stories are Don Quixote and Ghosts of Cape Horn. One of his lesser known tunes but so beautiful is "Your Love's Return" which he wrote and dedicated to American Song writer Stephen Foster.
Great reaction
Gordon Lightfoot was asked to write a special song for Canada for our Centennial and Expo '67 and this is what he has done. Excellent and I cry each time I hear it as I actually feel my country and my ancestry bringing this wondetrful country to fruition . Thanks Gordon, so much appreciated. May God bless Gordon, Canadians who made this country what it is and that You God for giving us Canada. Amen.
Gordan a Canadian Bard ,Poet ,Songwriter , Musician. He sang the human experience ☮️
As a montanian who lives about 60 miles from the British Columbian border I've never had any trouble picturing the country the railroad went through I've always loved this song😊
One of Canada's foremost poet/songwriters, and a true national treasure. This song was commissioned by the CBC for celebrate Canada's centennial, our 100th birthday as a country. One story that isn't often told is that many of the workers were Chinese, and the incentive to get men to do the dangerous blasting to create tunnels through the mountains was to offer that the company would pay to bring the successful men's families to them from China. Many men died doing work, the most dangerous task of all, in the effort to bring the dearly longed for reunion with their families, which I thought was a cynical move on the part of the company.
I've always loved this one. It makes me nostalgic for something I never had!
WE HAD TO BUILD THE RAILWAY TO CLAME THE LAND FOR CANADA, TO CONNECT IT.
I saw him sing this live twice in my life, so blessed to have seen him. Met him after the 2nd concert and he said his love of playing live was what he would do for the rest of his life. RIP Gordon. He makes us Canadians proud!
He said he wrote this song influenced by the folk singer Bob Gibson’s Civil War Trilogy
Love gordon lightfoot. More john martyn would be great
You should listen to another great folk entertainer named Stomping Tom Conners. He was a common man entertainer
Gordon Lightfoot was a true poet and an amazing storyteller. The way the song sped up and slowed down with verses it gave you the feel of the train speeding up and slowing down.
You mentioned the Chinese labourers. They were treated badly and given the most dangerous jobs. There is a monument to them in Assiniboine Park here in Winnipeg, Canada to honour them.
Like Neil Peart and Gord Downie Gordon Lightfoot was a master lyrist.
Cheers
I ama Canadian. We should be ashamed on how we treated the Chinese immigrants who came and worked on the railroad looking for better life. 17000 Chinese men. We should be thanking them
You would do well to watch (if still available) the CBC mini-series of the late 20th century on the building of the Canadian railroad.
about 2/3rds of the people who worked to build the Canadian railway were Chinese, though like in the US, when pictures were taken, they were excluded. It is hard to compare since record keeping of the matter was not great - but as far as I have been able to find out, about twice as many Chinese died in the US building the railroad to the percentage in Canada.
We lost Alice Munro this week….Canadians are blessed with poetry.
Check out Ballad of the Yarmouth Castle
I like this better than the wreck
He researched and wrote the song in 15 days.
One thing you need to know about Gordon Lightfoot is that he began his career with United Artists Records. When he signed a new contract with Reprise Records, for reasons of copyright and royalties he re-recorded most of his hit singles. He made some minor changes to the lyrics and added orchestration. For my money the versions he recorded with United Artists without orchestration are superior. I think, though I'm not positive, all the versions streamed online are the inferior re-recorded versions with Reprise Records.
This song was commissioned by the CBC (Canadian Broadcast Corporation) to commemorate Canada's 100th birthday in 1967.
Because my hometown, Montreal, was hosting the 1967 World's Fair (I was 11 years old at the time), this song was indelibly imprinted in me!
Here is a more recent (also from CBC) short documentary that explores this song in a wider context:
ua-cam.com/video/hh7xNDcA6f4/v-deo.html
if a man says something in the woods and theres no woman there to hear it , is he still wrong ?
Canada's Federal Governmen commissioned Gordon Lightfoot to write a song for Canada's Centennial in 1967 when Expo '67was in Montreal.
I have written before but thought to add this. I weep because I am a 78 year old Canadian woman that heard of these stories from my grandmother and ancestors and this shows the love, true love and hard work that went into building this great great land. Hard work and satisfaction for a job well done. And I see these ingrates coming from lands that have no respect for us and tell us what to do and our corrupt leadership stands with them against the great people of Canada. These people destroy our country and our way of life and our culture and have changed us forever. I wonder what God thinks of this. Our culture and memory of this solid greatness have been sullied forever more. Our grandchildren will never experience this pride and feeling again, ever. These immigrants that have no commonality with us must be sent out; but we know they will not be; weak and evil leadership everywhere. Shame. God please protect those of us that love You, and please rid this, Your land of the enemy. Amen.