The voice – husky, gravelly, a warm distinct style.

That’s Gordon Lightfoot Canada’s troubadour of life to the world.

Earlier this week Lightfoot, 84, passed away from an undisclosed illness.

Bob Dylan once said this about Lightfoot’s talent:

“I can’t think of any Gordon Lightfoot song I don’t like,” adding, “Every time I hear a song of his, it’s like I wish it would last forever.” 

Lightfoot was one of the most successful songwriters.

A who’s who of the music world have recorded his songs – Elvis Presley, Barbara Streisand, Harry Belafonte, Johnny Cash, The Grateful Dead, to mention a few.

Lightfoot was a poet, a raconteur. a chronicler of life.

He became one of the most successful singer-songwriters of the 70s.

Until his death and a recent hospitalization Lightfoot was still active writing and recording music, with a scheduled concert tour for later this year that had to be cancelled.

We leave with these lyrics from one of his most popular songs – If You Could Read My Mind:

“If you could read my mind, love
What a tale my thoughts could tell
Just like an old time movie
‘Bout a ghost from a wishing well
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
With chains upon my feet
You know that ghost is me
And I will never be set free
As long as I am a ghost, you can’t see

If I could read your mind, love
What a tale your thoughts could tell
Just like a paperback novel
The kind the drugstore sells
When you reach the part where the heartaches come
The hero would be me
But heroes often fail
And you won’t read that book again
Because the ending’s just too hard to take”

RIP Gordon Lightfoot RIP