Summertime Dream – Part 1

A lovers’ getaway to Mendocino- maybe Monterey; a remote seaside restaurant with waves crashing nearby; and a glass of brandy at sunset. Or, a candle-lit evening on the sofa with a glass of wine and that special someone; the smell of smoke and perfume in the air; and the feel of shag carpet underfoot. This is the world of Gordon Lightfoot- a world that also includes yellowed, bittersweet tales of sailors, mermaids, whales, and shipwrecks. When it comes to singer-songwriters Gordon Lightfoot is one my favorites and a crucial link between ‘60s folk and ‘70s soft rock balladry. Just look at Lightfoot’s album covers- he even looks like a roguish, lovesick pirate- and old Gord sings it like he’s lived it.

One of my favorite summer pastimes is taking afternoon naps and what better music to carry me away to summertime dream than Gordon Lightfoot. I first started getting into Lightfoot’s music around 2004 and- like his fellow Canadian Joni Mitchell- Lightfoot has a reputation for being a singer-songwriter’s singer-songwriter. To me Lightfoot is pure ‘70s blue jean rock and his songs feel as comfortable and broken in as an old pair of blue jeans. The best of his music always manages to teleport me to another world where it’s 1975 and I’m with the one I love for a passionate weekend; or I’m sitting alone and heartbroken in a one room apartment with a half-empty bottle of whiskey remembering the good times we had. Here are some of my favorite Gordon Lightfoot songs. Enjoy!

01. Gordon Lightfoot – “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgrald” (1976)
02. Gordon Lightfoot – “Protocol” (1976)
03. Gordon Lightfoot – “Saturday Clothes” (1970)
04. Gordon Lightfoot – “Sundown” (1974)
05. Gordon Lightfoot – “Talking in Your Sleep” (1971)
06. Gordon Lightfoot – “Beautiful” (1972)
07. Gordon Lightfoot – “Daylight Katy” (1978)
08. Gordon Lightfoot – “Harmony” (2004)
09. Gordon Lightfoot – “If You Could Read My Mind” (1970)
10. Gordon Lightfoot – “Inspiration Lady” (2004)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...

... or check out the playlist on YouTube

(To open music in separate window, click title bar at top of video box)