Thoughts of Gordon Lightfoot

by Ron Sexsmith

I’ve always had a love for Gordon Lightfoot’s music but I had to wade thru a bunch of British Invasion music in my teens, before I got around to Gord, Leonard & Joni etc. It was not long after my son was born, I was living in Quebec, when I heard “Rainy Day People” on the radio. It was a song I knew though I hadn’t really zero’d in on it till then. I just loved how perfectly concise it was. I loved the melody and how he would use similar language in each verse and of course the conversational phrasing he put to good use in all his music.

I was just starting out on my songwriting journey and so his music would point me in the direction of what kind of songwriter I hoped to be someday. It always bothered me that many people I knew saw Gord’s music as something that happened between the mid 60’s to mid 70’s, whereas I never stopped being a fan. My favourite records in fact, came much later. I loved his 80’s & 90’s period for example. My personal fave being “Waiting For You’ from the early 90’s. I still never leave for tour without it. In a way, it’s like my cure for homesickness I guess.

I’ve never missed a single annual Gord show at Massey Hall since I moved to Toronto in 1986. It was the highlight of each year for me. I was fortunate to meet Gord on many occasions and he was always nice to me. In fact, when it came time for me to play Massey Hall for the first time in 2006, Gord called me at home that morning and said he was coming to my show! I had just recorded a version of “Drifters” for a Lightfoot tribute album and he asked that if I was gonna play it that I “pick up the tempo”. I was so honoured that he came out to cheer me on that night and of course I played “Drifters” for him.

I’ve been dreading a world without Gord for some time now. I’ll especially miss the annual Massey Hall shows. Even as he aged and his voice grew weaker, it was always an honour to be in the same room as the man who wrote all those great songs.

As sad as I am about his passing, I’m mostly grateful to have lived at the same time as Gord. And to have crossed paths with the kind of songwriter I suspect we’ll never see again. He made me feel proud to be a Canadian songwriter. He gave us a tradition that I will forever try to uphold.

I loved the man and his music and I will keep on listening to it until the day I die.

Love, Ron Sexsmith

Back to Show Page