Gordon Lightfoot Forums

Gordon Lightfoot Forums (http://www.corfid.com/vbb//index.php)
-   General Discussion (http://www.corfid.com/vbb//forumdisplay.php?f=3)
-   -   misheard lyrics (http://www.corfid.com/vbb//showthread.php?t=13736)

Melissa 05-20-2013 06:20 PM

Re: Lyrics I've always heard wrong until.....
 
As far as EMR goes, I have heard him sing it many ways - "with a pain that ever grows," "where the cold winds blow" and even the noted "where the pavement never grows."
Go listen to the "All Live" version that came out on the CD last year and you'll hear that rare line.......

Melissa :)

geodeticman.5 05-20-2013 11:51 PM

Re: Lyrics I've always heard wrong until.....
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by jj (Post 181872)
oh steve, i hope i didnt imply that he was a fall drown drunk on stage or anything like that...he handled liquor pretty well, maybe that was part of the problem...and nerves, etc...or it was an ugly part of his personality surfacing

i would have liked to have seen GL live, regardless, back in about 1975, primo

hey, speaking of misheard lyrics...how about mis-sung lyrics...poor gal, but still one up on rosanne barr...no disrespect intended

2013 Memorial Cup - American National Anthem Butchered - Alexis Normand - YouTube

Hey jj, naw, you didn't lend that impression at all. I just overstated my case, with what doesn't matter anyway to most of us,right? I'm familiar with the basics of what he's said in interviews regarding his alcoholism, and his amazing canoeing summer to beat it (awesome, no panty-waist "spa" HollyWood rehab clinic for him).

While I don't know the depth and breadth of knowledge of his life details as much as some uber-fans do, I've never personally found that the personal struggle he had with the booze to interfere with any concerts I've been to, and I really just meant to indicate that. In overstating the case of peope I know; some well and some not, and the corresponding weight I assigned to their comments about what they claimed to be the case by their observations of Gord when performing, and how this influenced to varying degrees their opinions on him as a performer.

Ultimately, one person I did not know well at all commented on a 1975 concert that "they decided they would never go to another concert of his".
Phooey on them. I did attend a concert in '75 and it was magnificent, and whether he was holding liquor well or not, I could not detect and didn't care, because it was outstanding, as has been every single concert I've ever gone too of his. Admitttedly, I didn't go to any concerts between 1976 through 1988 (Gord help me, LOL), so I can't speak to how he presented in them. I do vaguely recall reading of an alcohol problem in Swizerland at the Montreaux Jazz Festival, if I remember correctly. And one show in the states, in the Great Lakes area as I recall, where the "carrying him off stage" took place. Minnesota, or Wisconsin, maybe.

There was a local story here in the Denver area (which sadly I missed) where they booked him in MacNichols Arena "The Mack", when TWOTEF was at #2. Supposedly, the story went, that it was (in an arena-sized venue) but at just half-volume, and "1/2 of them left mid-show", and "those who stayed boo'ed and yelled at him mid-songs". Local legend, ostensibly as Irecall from a (now defunct) Rocky Mountain News article. I have no idea how exaggerated the story is, and again, the fact that he had what is widely regarded now as a brain-allergy in alcoholism (or an addiction, I don't know) doesn't diminish in my mind the staure and caliber
of his remarkable talent and showmansip.
I'mm sure you guys know, and I have forgotten. I;d imagine we coud agree was a [Folk] "Rock Star", in an era where drugs and alcohol were so prevalent among the touring arena-rock (and other genres of that stature; presumably Lightfoot too) that it must have been tough to avoid - what with rigors of time on the road, away from wife and family, and subjected to temptations of the women swooning over him, and roadies, etc. (who knows)

So, bottom line, setting aside what what I've read of one case of Gord having to be carried of the stage. It sounds like The Man had a bad day. I've heard a few people say he seemed to not care about his hits, and even perhaps slur though them in a few late 70's concerts. Never heard one like that. Even if I had, in thinking this over more, had I had seen him slur through some concerts like you described jj, I still would take Lightfoot's music on a bad day for him over a good day for any other performer on their best day. :headbang:

SO...since the '75 concert I went to was fantastic, I'd say: No jj, I didn't take you to mean he was a falll-down drunk. I only meant I was glad that I didn't see him impaired substantially-enough to not be able to perform to his stringent standards. I've been fortunate enough to have enjoyed seemingly-flawless performaces, and that's more than I could ever ask for.

geodeticman.5 05-21-2013 12:03 AM

Re: Lyrics I've always heard wrong until.....
 
jj, I forgot to comment on the Alexis Normand butchering of the National Anthem. Ouchhhhh. I admit, I did cringe at first, then when she when she totally hosed it, I felt bad for her. I noticed the crowd, inconsistent at the first major screw-up, changed to helping her by starting to sing it with her(normally derigor from the start, at least in baseball down here...).

Yea, LOL, total blitz of it, but hey, who hasn't frozen like that? The comments in youtube were far more harsh. Let them try to sing it, before a crowd. Some people's kids, LOL. I guess she might have been expecting to sing "Oh Canada"? at a Canadian event?

charlene 05-21-2013 08:23 AM

Re: Lyrics I've always heard wrong until.....
 
She was told just hours prior to singing that she would be doing the U.S. anthem and did not have enough rehearsal time to learn the words...

niffer 05-21-2013 09:27 AM

Re: Lyrics I've always heard wrong until.....
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by charlene (Post 181880)
She was told just hours prior to singing that she would be doing the U.S. anthem and did not have enough rehearsal time to learn the words...

What an unfair and terrifying position to be in...especially considering how many Americans have botched the anthem over the years.

geodeticman.5 05-21-2013 08:06 PM

Re: Lyrics I've always heard wrong until.....
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by niffer (Post 181883)
What an unfair and terrifying position to be in...especially considering how many Americans have botched the anthem over the years.

niffer, I agree, and Char - no kidding! The US National Anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner", has probably been the most botched anthem song in history, LOL. According to a sports site I read, its been mangled over 30 times notoriously enough to make the news in sports history! :eek: I believe the 2 hours notice of the switcheroo bit was unfair - as niffer said - what a terrible and terrifying position to be in. I saw a few players role their eyes up a little, but they may not have known her predicament - OR they DID know it and THAT's what they were disturbed by - the set-up of the poor gal. Which is not to imply anyone meant to set her up, sounds just like poor planning. Not that THAT has EVER happened in the US, LOL

Back to the mis-heard lyrics thing for a moment, I've got a good one. One I've had wrong (again) for almost 40 years now. It does sound like what's being sung. To me.

So, in trying to think of songs with say, esoteric lyrics, which are not unusual for Gord, as he has pointed-out on a few, where actually he has said they are one of his more "ethereal" songs in concert, or in his Songbook descriptions, this one came strongly to mind. One of my favorites, but I have to be in the right mood to fully appreciate it when I listen to it.

THIS one's pretty funny, at the 3 minutes 10 seconds mark into "Seven Island Suite". It's sounds to me like this, and has ever since I owned it in '74, and have no doubt read the correct lyrics to at Wayne Francis' site dozens of times, but I never caught my mental blunder (what other kind is there?) in this line, as I hear it.

The way I hear it is:

Think of the rags around ya gone sailin 'til your brown in your face (like from a tan.... all that time in the sun, right? It could happen... :biggrin::rolleyes::whistle:


Versus the correct lyrics, which are:

"Think of the right and wrong and consider the frown on your face"

Am I hearing it that badly? LOL. Evidently, and a rhetorical question at that, I know. I was hoping some kind soul out there could ameliorate me of my guilt over committing a Lighthead "misdemeanor", LOL

paskatefan 04-21-2019 06:43 AM

Re: misheard lyrics
 
When I first heard "Circle of Steel," I just couldn't figure out the lyric - "the sun hits the handle of her "heirloom cup." Most of the lyrics of the song were very clear to me, but somehow I couldn't get "heirloom cup" without looking @ the lyrics in the Sundown piano/guitar book.

Martyn Miles 06-19-2019 12:44 PM

Misheard lyrics.
 
Many years ago, listening to ‘Can’t Depend on Love’ I heard the line ‘I was only trying to get by with some of life’s amenities’ as ‘I was only trying to get by with some of life’s many tears.’
Also, ‘I can’t depend on love to defend me’ as ‘I can’t depend on love to be fair to me.’
Oddly enough, it seems to give the whole verse a completely different meaning and one I could identify with because of something that happened to me in a relationship.

paskatefan 06-20-2019 06:22 AM

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 
I can figure out most of Gordon's lyrics pretty easily upon first hearing them. However, for the first few times I listened to "Carefree Highway," I thought he was singing "Every Highway." For "Circle of Steel" (my #1 Gordon song), I couldn't figure out "her heirloom cup" without the help of the lyric sheet from the piano/guitar that I have of his "Sundown" album. It was actually easier for me to figure out all of the French lyrics to "Nous Vivons Ensemble" just by replaying the song. Go figure!

Gail

Martyn Miles 06-21-2019 04:41 AM

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 
Thanks, Gail.
It’s been much easier since you can easily look up the lyrics on the Internet.
I’m with you on ‘Circle of Steel’, as it’s also one of my favourite GL songs.
What I do like doing is following the lyrics whilst listening, as it gives the songs an extra ‘something.’

Martyn.

paskatefan 06-22-2019 05:01 AM

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 
^ Yay for the internet!



Gail

Affair on Touhy Ave. 06-24-2019 03:27 PM

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by paskatefan (Post 192314)
I can figure out most of Gordon's lyrics pretty easily upon first hearing them. However, for the first few times I listened to "Carefree Highway," I thought he was singing"Every Highway

Gail

Thought he same myself.


Also for Old Dan's Records I though Gord was saying Dam.

Andy T. 06-25-2019 01:13 AM

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 
I still find it hilarious when I hear stories where someone thinks "Ghosts of Cape Horn" is about... err.. uhh… errrrr… uhh… "Gay Porn"

paskatefan 06-25-2019 05:05 AM

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Affair on Touhy Ave. (Post 192326)

Also for Old Dan's Records I though Gord was saying Dam.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy T. (Post 192329)
I still find it hilarious when I hear stories where someone thinks "Ghosts of Cape Horn" is about... err.. uhh… errrrr… uhh… "Gay Porn"


LOL! :biggrin:


Gail

Martyn Miles 06-25-2019 05:20 AM

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 
As for ‘Old Dan’s Records’, I originally heard it as ‘Old Dance Records’ which sort of makes sense...

imported_Ordinary_Man 06-25-2019 09:00 PM

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Martyn Miles (Post 192331)
As for ‘Old Dan’s Records’, I originally heard it as ‘Old Dance Records’ which sort of makes sense...

I had to look this up but it rang a bell. Gordie's comments on that song for the box set collection:

"Kind of a play on the words old dance records. It reminds me of my uncle Jack's 78-RPM dance-record collection. It reminds me of hanging out with the grandparents at Christmastime or some other holiday, having a party and getting out the old vinyl."

Martyn Miles 06-27-2019 05:47 AM

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 
It probably wasn’t vinyl in those days...

johnfowles 06-27-2019 04:13 PM

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 
Nobody has mentioned the ditty about a 'Long Thin Dong" so I will

Andy T. 07-03-2019 03:01 PM

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 
Yeah John... it's "comin' up again"!!

Andy T. 07-03-2019 10:23 PM

Re: Misheard lyrics.
 
edit: John, you deleted your response!

Still I'll retain my downstreram reply:

That's what she said... :kiss:

BendRick 12-03-2020 07:25 PM

Re: misheard lyrics
 
In "The Mountain and Maryann," there is a line that goes:
All is well
As I swing up to the border bent for hell
And the service station man agreed I didn't look too well

Since the 1970's whenever I sang that song, I thought he was saying
All is well
As I swing up to the border fence for help

paskatefan 12-04-2020 06:44 AM

Re: misheard lyrics
 
^ Well, I'll have to listen to that one more carefully, I guess. I love that song!

Gail


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:26 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.