Reading Lightfoot’s mind

Morning in America producer Seth Leibsohn has forwarded us the audio of Bill Bennett’s interview of Gordon Lightfoot regarding “If You Could Read My Mind.” Bill confesses to “tearing up” listening to the song, but wonders what the lyrics are about.
As I noted over at the Forum, Lightfoot’s songs can basically be divided into two — those about the dissolution of a romantic relationship and those about the (usually guilty) starting up of a romantic relationship during the dissolution of an old one. As Lightfoot explains to Bill, “If You Could Read My Mind” falls into the former category. A few of Lightfoot’s songs combine the themes of old love and new love. Among those I would identify “Same Old Loverman” and “Shadows.” Not coincidentally, they are special.
Bill asks Lightfoot about a few other songs including “Carefree Highway” and “Canadian Railroad Trilogy.” Lightfoot claims “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” and “Early Morning Rain” as his masterpieces. Bill also asks Lightfoot about his favorite artists. Listen up!
Thanks to Seth Leibsohn for the perfect coda to “For Lightheads only” and our terrific Forum thread on it.
JOHN adds: For more along the same lines, there are two related threads going at Patsy’s: Iconic Rock Lyrics and, sort of like a blooper video, The Archive of Misheard Lyrics.

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