Does Gord ever tell jokes on stage?

[Shutup and Deal, I'm Losin']

Does Gord ever slip in a joke or two in between songs during a concert?

On one of the Two Tones albums, one of his co-singers asks him "That is a tenor guitar, isn't it Gord"? Gord replies "'Ten-or twelve dollars,... plus tax! :D

Another is where he's about to sing Dark As A Dungeon, he explains what the song is about (digging in the coal mines) and right before he begins, he says "It's called Dark As A Dungeon, and I'm sure you're gonna DIG it.

Also, when he opens up with a song called We Are Here To Sing, and after he gets done, he says to the crowd "Just in case you didn't know, we're here to sing". (You'd have to hear the song for it to be funny, but believe me, I laughed out loud when I heard it).

Does Gord still ever do this?

[teherie]

Gord once told a joke about his mother being hard of hearing and at night when his parents went to bed, his father would elbow her in the side and say, "Well do you want to go to sleep or what?" and his mother would say "What?"

As I recall, Gord's timing was spot on and I haven't heard that joke repeated by anyone in over 25 years.

I also got to see him perform live the year he turned 50 (1988) and he made a few jokes about turning 50. That's easy to remember because he and I share the same birthdate even though he has a few years on me.

[Oh, Linda]

Yes! As a matter of fact there were several during the 9-18 Kalamazoo concert. I jotted them down too during the show but didn't include them in my concert review I posted the following morning--I ran over the word limit as it was! Here they are:

1) After singing the second song he tells us "it's Saturday night and we're here in Kalamazoo. It's nice to be back. We're having a nice little tour--5 weeks. (Pause with that GL look on his face that says 'I'm gonna pull one on ya') and continues "It's not like it's five years!"

2) A little while later he says "It's Saturday night. Saturday night's a good night. (Pause) Better than working on a Tuesday!" We all laugh.

3) He dedicates Hangdog Hotel to "all the party animals of the 70's...those were some years." (Does that count?)

4) He introduced Blackberry Wine as "here's another toe tapper."

5) When he told us about almost meeting Elvis, he told us Elvis really wanted to meet him, and that he wanted to meet Elvis too. Continuing "he wasn't president Nixon."

and finally I think he must like the words "dig it" because that's how he launched into Early Morning Rain, saying "I hope you dig it."

You can read back over my concert review (9-19) too where I wrote about meeting him and his response when I asked him about still having to practice. He made it sound like his fingers were worn down to the knuckles which of course isn't true. It was definitely a dry humor joke and I couldn't help but laugh. In fact, I bet underneath what appears to be a quiet reserve is a very funny man with a nice, dry sense of humor. Just guessin'

[joveski]

Gord once told a joke about his mother being hard of hearing and at night when his parents went to bed, his father would elbow her in the side and say, "Well do you want to go to sleep or what?" and his mother would say "What?"

As I recall, Gord's timing was spot on and I haven't heard that joke repeated by anyone in over 25 years.




that one comes from a Benny Hill song (Older Woman) from the 70s, actually.

[johnfowles]

Nobody has yet mentioned Gord's current pair of jokes in rotation,these being
How long is the hare on a rabbit's back?
About 2.5/3 seconds
!why is the moon pale?
Because it's been out all night!

[johnfowles]

The intro to the "hard of hearing" joke
in the 60's was "I come from a large family.......

[Patti]

One about the song, Restless, that it gets so into nature, that they wrote about it in Field and Stream magazine.

[Shutup and Deal, I'm Losin']

Speaking of the joke about the 'tenor' twelve guitar, here's the joke again at :25.

YouTube - Gordon Lightfoot and Johnny Cash For Lovin' Me.flv

[Patti]

That's funny and cute. Good find.

[Borderstone]

At the Jan. '07 show here in Phoenix,Gord talked about how great the amenities were at the Orpeum Theatre,the food,the drink...the dancing girls! LOL! :biggrin:

[jj]

that one comes from a Benny Hill song (Older Woman) from the 70s, actually.

so Gord uses other people's material? good stuff

that means he could be Prime Minister one day

char, next gift needs to be a sweater instead of a tshirt:)

[charlene]

a new beige one with zipper front might be next..
;)

I should just take him shopping..lots of places on Yonge..there's a nice WINNERS in Yorkville..

Lightfoot for PM !!

[joveski]

on a side note, he does wear polka dot underwear!

[jj]

Lightfoot for PM !!

lol, but it would be ugly to watch him get there;)

[jj]

on a side note, he does wear polka dot underwear!

and char, while you're checking, "boxers or briefs or au natural?"

[charlene]

lol, but it would be ugly to watch him get there;)

look at Elizabeth May of the GREEN Party giving him 'what for' about flying all over the bloody country while she's campaigning by train!!
lol

[Jesse Joe]

http://www.corfid.com/vbb/attachment.php?attachmentid=2180&d=1223642111


This looks pretty real jj, :clap: :biggrin: :)

[Jim Nasium]

Many years ago when Gordon last toured the UK, 1981, I saw him in Birmingham and part way through his set he said, 'I'd like to introduce the band, then proceeded to introduce them to each other, 'Mike meet Rick, Terry meet Pee Wee' etc, They all shook hands with each other then carried on with the show. It made me laugh.

[Tim]

Oct 1 in St. Louis, just before the song "Beautiful"

"Meet me by the rock pile honey, and I'll get a little boulder (bolder) for ya."

[dad2mak]

Waaaaay back in the late 60's and early 70's, he used to ask if the audience knew what the 3 headed dragon said. "Hello, hello, hello." Then he'd giggle and launch into a song.

[charlene]

Waaaaay back in the late 60's and early 70's, he used to ask if the audience knew what the 3 headed dragon said. "Hello, hello, hello." Then he'd giggle and launch into a song.

he was doing a brit 'ello, ello, ello' joke a few years ago...can't recall the rest tho..
lol

no one enjoys a Lightfootism more than Lightfoot..

[timetraveler]

I don't know about him telling any jokes, but I do know that he told some cute little tales that got folks to laughing & put people at ease while he was here on the 5th.

[Oh, Linda]

Here's one at the beginning of the video from Thursday's (Oct 16th) Hanford, CA performance before he begins singing 14K Gold.

YouTube - Gordon Lightfoot - 14 Carat Gold Live

[Jesse Joe]

He speaks to Dore/DSR right ? :) Heard your voice there DSR !!! :biggrin:

[mandoann]

He speaks to Dore/DSR right ? :) Heard your voice there DSR !!! :biggrin:

Yes, Jesse Joe, he carried on quite a conversation with Dore at Cerritos! :)

[mandoann]

Nobody has yet mentioned Gord's current pair of jokes in rotation,these being
How long is the hare on a rabbit's back?
About 2.5/3 seconds
!why is the moon pale?
Because it's been out all night!

He did them both at Cerritos...;)

[mandoann]

That's funny and cute. Good find.

I totally agree!:biggrin:

[Patti]

I totally agree!:biggrin:

:biggrin:

[davidgledhill]

I remember a concert in Massey Hall, when I was ushering. Maybe it was a result of the couple of cases of beer we ushers had to unload from Bernie Fiedler's mercedez in the lane bseide the stage door before the concert, but Lightfoot came out very much the worse for wear, I think, it was after intermission - I think he was going through his divorce, but he cracked a number of fairly earthy jokes at the expense of his ex.Half the audience thought it was halarious and the other half was somewhat aghast at the earthiness of it all.

[SherylKat]

I remember a concert in Massey Hall, when I was ushering. Maybe it was a result of the couple of cases of beer we ushers had to unload from Bernie Fiedler's mercedez in the lane bseide the stage door before the concert, but Lightfoot came out very much the worse for wear, I think, it was after intermission - I think he was going through his divorce, but he cracked a number of fairly earthy jokes at the expense of his ex.Half the audience thought it was halarious and the other half was somewhat aghast at the earthiness of it all.

Hi, Davidgledhill! Never have spoken to you before, so nice to meetcha. I so laughed when I read your quote - I've seen that "earthy" humor many times and most of the audience thinks it's funny, some don't. Had to smile, remembering some of the recent quotes about him wishing he'd stayed with his first wife! More than likely, a result of having a recent fight with his estranged wife or a new girlfriend! He's never had a problem changing his mind at the drop of a hat (witness his conv. with Char - first he said he wouldn't have a bio, then he would, then he wouldn't again). Not a putdown by any means - he's just being human! Guess some fans don't like that side of him and prefer to think he's always the sensitive singer-songwriter. First time I ever saw him in concert was in 1975 and I think he was in about the same shape on stage you talk about - he was SO FUNNY. He's got a great sense of humor! I like to see him like that much more than depressed!...SherylKat

[Jesse Joe]

That is the Lightfoot I wish I had seen in concert at least once. Because when in concert on CBC TV "Olympic Tribute" (1980) and "Olympic Team Benefit" in (1976) He was feeling "NO PAIN" to sort of speak. And I had never seen him yet live...

So when I finally got to see him in concert for the first time in Halifax Nova-Scotia, on 10/24/87. I knew he had quit drinking Labor Day 1982, and he was a class act.

Can only imagine what I've missed thru the 70's. :)

[SherylKat]

That is the Lightfoot I wish I had seen in concert at least once. Because when in concert on CBC TV "Olympic Tribute" (1980) and "Olympic Team Benefit" in (1976) He was feeling "NO PAIN" to sort of speak. And I had never seen him yet live...

So when I finally got to see him in concert for the first time in Halifax Nova-Scotia, on 10/24/87. I knew he had quit drinking Labor Day 1982, and he was a class act.

Can only imagine what I've missed thru the 70's. :)

Hi, JJ! Nothing bad, he was just much LOOSER than he normally is and would also pretend to fall off the piano bench, stuff like that...he wasn't so swacked he couldn't do the "Auctioneer," which I couldn't do totally sober, ever! I was pretty naive back then and wasn't offended...(was I ever THAT young?@? LOL) The only reason I remember is because other people gasped and then laughed so hard because they weren't expecting it from him.

Some people would even take offense at the hair (hare) on the rabbit joke - you know? I wish some people would just LIGHTEN UP - we're all getting 'way too serious here!!!

[mandoann]

Hi Sherylkat,

Did you see him playing the piano, or was he just sitting on the bench? I'd love to have seen that!:clap:

[SherylKat]

Hi Sherylkat,

Did you see him playing the piano, or was he just sitting on the bench? I'd love to have seen that!:clap:

Hi, there! I can see it like it was yesterday! I remember him playing "Fine as Fine Can Be" and I remember being shocked he could play piano (I thought he only played guitar - I wish he'd do that more in concert - I only remember him playing guitar maybe twice or three times). He might have played another quick song on the piano and then yep, he actually pretended to fall off the bench! I really only remember him playing "Fine As Fine Can Be" but I can't believe he'd try to lighten the mood after that song, since it was written for Ingrid! He was just so funny that night - lots of energy, cracking jokes after every song, it seemed. So different than what I had imagined he would be. April 11, 1975, not that it changed my life at all! ;)

[SherylKat]

Speaking of the joke about the 'tenor' twelve guitar, here's the joke again at :25.

YouTube - Gordon Lightfoot and Johnny Cash For Lovin' Me.flv (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7OHNg8v1kg&feature=related)

Hey, thanks so much for sharing this - not so much for the joke but the incredible harmony! I don't think I remember hearing GML sing so high, and I loved it when he says something to the effect, "...can't do this, it hurts!" Looks like I'm going to have to join YouTube so I can save some of these!

SherylKat

[SherylKat]

Hey, thanks so much for sharing this - not so much for the joke but the incredible harmony! I don't think I remember hearing GML sing so high, and I loved it when he says something to the effect, "...can't do this, it hurts!" Looks like I'm going to have to join YouTube so I can save some of these!

SherylKat

Also, do you know when the Cash clip was made? 196-what?

[SherylKat]

Oct 1 in St. Louis, just before the song "Beautiful"

"Meet me by the rock pile honey, and I'll get a little boulder (bolder) for ya."

READING SOME OF HIS JOKES (does he know a pun is the lowest form of humor - and in my opinion, some of the funniest!) reminds me of my stepbrother, who is about Gord's age - maybe three years older! My stepbrother and GML couldn't be more different, but the humor's the same!:biggrin: SherylKat

[Andy T.]

(man, I haven't been on corfid in ages!)

Anyway, one of my GL favorite jokes, was one I heard on a bootleg tape of a concert, can't remember the date, probably mid 80s - he takes a drink (of water I presume), then comments that he'd quit drinking, and that nowadays... "I don't drink anything stronger than pop.... and my Pop'll drink anything!"

-Andy

[joveski]

i think that was in 82 or 84. i heard the same one back then (on a bootleg!)

[SherylKat]

(man, I haven't been on corfid in ages!)

Anyway, one of my GL favorite jokes, was one I heard on a bootleg tape of a concert, can't remember the date, probably mid 80s - he takes a drink (of water I presume), then comments that he'd quit drinking, and that nowadays... "I don't drink anything stronger than pop.... and my Pop'll drink anything!"

-Andy

SO BAD! And I'm still laughing...SherylKat

Hey, somebody should compile a list of these and make a book out of it! Now, I can say this because I'm German, both sides, but one of my favorite jokes is, "What's one of the smallest books in the world? "A Treasury of German Humor"!

[Travis]

Couple years ago at Massey, he told the "How do you get to Carnegie Hall" joke.

"Practice."

[Jesse Joe]

This last one is a good one Travis, never heard it before. :biggrin: :clap:

[Shutup and Deal, I'm Losin']

Hey, thanks so much for sharing this - not so much for the joke but the incredible harmony! I don't think I remember hearing GML sing so high, and I loved it when he says something to the effect, "...can't do this, it hurts!" Looks like I'm going to have to join YouTube so I can save some of these!

SherylKat

No problem. My pleasure to post it on here.

If you join youtube, be sure to think the member who put this video on there. :)

[joveski]

listening to Massey 75 right now and gord just said during the band intros "one of our old cofarts... cohorts, red shea on lead guitar!"

later on, he screwed up a line from 'Too late for praying' and yelled "oh shit!" as he tried to get back to the right lyrics.

seems like those 70s concerts were quite loose!

[Jesse Joe]

Hi Joveski,

He broke that fingernail in 1974.

Read this old news article that I had saved at the time.

You should click on it maybe 3 times, till it's big enough to read. :)