Neil Young covers Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind" (Dolby Theater, Hollywood Ca on 3/30/14).
Two Canadian icons. Both born in Ontario. Both Scorpios.
From Wiki (Thanks @gary !):
"If You Could Read My Mind" is a song by Canadian singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. It reached number one on Canadian music charts and was his first recording to appear on the American music charts, reaching number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in February 1971. Later in the year it reached number 30 in the UK. Lightfoot has cited his divorce for inspiring the lyrics, saying they came to him as he was sitting in a vacant Toronto house one summer. The song was covered by Barbra Streisand on her 1970 album, Stoney End.
His biggest hit of the era was a rendition of Bob Dylan's "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues", which peaked at No. 3 on the Canadian charts in December 1965. Did She Mention My Name? featured "Black Day In July", about the 1967 Detroit Riots. Dr. Martin Luther King was murdered the following April 4. Radio stations in 30 states pulled the song for "fanning the flames", even though the song was a plea for racial harmony. Lightfoot then stated station owners cared more about playing songs "that make people happy" and not those "that make people think." Unhappy at a lack of support from United Artists, he defected to Warner Bros. Records, scoring his first major international hit in early 1971 with "If You Could Read My Mind".
The song "If You Could Read My Mind" was written in reflection upon his disintegrating marriage. At the request of his daughter, Ingrid, he performs the lyrics with a slight change now: the line "I'm just trying to understand the feelings that you lack" is altered to "I'm just trying to understand the feelings that we lack." He has said in an interview that the difficulty with writing songs inspired by personal stories is that there is not always the emotional distance and clarity to make lyrical improvements such as the one his daughter suggested.
Thanks for that.
ReplyDeleteLove this song! One I learned in the first few months of playing guitar from an old Lightfoot songbook. Haven't tried it in over 20 years! I'll be trying it again tonight! Somewhat tough to hit all those Gordon vocal notes, but a great try by Neil and a great addition to a solo concert, his guitar on it sounds great as well..
ReplyDeleteSorry but this was possibly the worst rendition of "If You Could Read My Mind" that I ever heard.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous is truly an idiot
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful
Keith, people are entitled to their own opinions.
ReplyDeleteIt is because of people as you that this site is a joke and Neil highly dislikes his fanboys.
You are the biggest idiot.