If you could read his mind
You'd know Gordon Lightfoot is happy to be here
Friday, April 20, 2007
BY STEVE HEDGPETH

STAR-LEDGER STAFF

"Jiggy-vous."

That pie slice of French-Canadian patois was a favorite saying of the teenage Gordon Lightfoot. It means "all right."

Now 66, Lightfoot is hardly a boy, but he's still getting jiggy-vous with it. That is, he's all right -- or at least as all right as someone can be who's survived Bell's palsy, a condition that once paralyzed one side of his face; a stomach aneurysm that put him in a coma for two months and a small stroke suffered on stage last September.

Still, Lightfoot -- the Canadian singer-songwriter whose greatest hits include "If You Could Read My Mind," "Sundown," "Carefree Highway," "Rainy Day People," "Early Morning Rain," "For Lovin' Me" and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" -- is embarking on a new tour that brings him to New Jersey for two dates.

He performs Friday at McNeice Auditorium at the Sussex County Technical School in Sparta. After a quick trip to Wilkes-Barre, Pa., on Monday, he's back in New Jersey on Tuesday night at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank. All systems are go, Lightfoot said in a phone interview from his home in Toronto.

"I had what's called a transient stroke back in September," he said. "But I'm back in full service. I've been doing therapy and a lot of (guitar) practicing. I've worked my way back through it all. I'm always ready to fight my way back from any situation."

A prolific songwriter whose songs have been covered by folks ranging from Elvis Presley to Peter, Paul and Mary, Lightfoot has recorded 20 albums, been nominated for a handful of Grammys and won just about every award that Canada has to offer.

More from Lightfoot:

Q: Canadian musicians from Joni Mitchell to Paul Shaffer, from Neil Young to Paul Anka, immigrated to the States to live and to work. Why did you choose to remain in Canada?

A: I had a place for two months in Los Angeles back in the '70s, but I never moved permanently because I love Canada. I love the States, too. I love all of North America. But I just figured I could fly back and forth to Toronto.

Q: You sing with a rich, virile baritone, but didn't you start out as a boy soprano?

A: Yes, I did. I was soloist in a church choir. I was a wedding singer at age 11. I sang at a lot of weddings. That was boy-soprano period. Later, they had me in a barbershop quartet. Right in the middle of that, my voice changed.

Q: Your last album was "Harmony" in 2004. Do you have plans to record soon?

A: I've done 20 albums, but I have no grand designs to make another. It's just too isolating a thing. You have to tear yourself away (from other things) to do an album, and I have a couple of teenagers. I'm just going to keep on playing (live). That's really the fun part for me. That's what I did at the beginning, before I had a recording contract, before I had anything. I still like to noodle around and keep track of things I come up with. My friend Bob Dylan, now he's still prolific. He'll probably continue longer than I do.

Q: Speaking of Bob Dylan, what influence did he have on you back in the '60s when you both played at the Newport Folk Festival?

A: I saw him play one afternoon and it just blew my mind. Every song was a great song. He certainly helped a couple of us with our songwriting. He certainly turned my writing around."

Q: How much touring do you do these days?

A: We only play 55 shows a year, but we really try hard. That's my band that I've had for 20 to 30 years. We're like a sports team getting ready to go out. We practice, we work on technique, the show is well planned. A show is a sum of its parts, and my goal is to make it as perfect a show as I can make it."

Nice interview Annie.

"Only" 55 shows a year but thats ok, 'cause quality is better than quantity. However, I'd like him to make it 56, and tag a Chicago venue on the end! Whatcha say there, Gordon? ;)

Frereh-zacha,frereh-zacha,jiggy-vous-jiggy vous,ah...getting jiggy with it!! :D LOL!

Great article post Annie. ;)

Didn't the phrase 'getting jiggy with it' come from Will Smith during his show The Prince of Bel Aire? Although,I sort of like Borderstone's little tune.

Thanks,glad you liked my little ditty! :)

That song Elizabeth,was actually After "Fresh Prince" had ended. Will Smith (under his own name) took the song to #1 in 1998. Actually 9 years ago this month. :eek:

That term though was already a hip-hop/rap phrase,which after Will's #1,became (unfortunatly) a punchline on TV comedies,most notably "Seinfeld".

The phrase really dates back & relates to something Sister Sledge sang about in 1979...
"He's(or she's)The Greatest Dancer".
Which is the music sampled in Will's song. ;)

Frère Jacques,
Frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous?
Dormez-vous?
Sonnez les matines.
Sonnez les matines.
Din, din, don.
Din, din, don.

Bill :)

Since you know the lyrics Bill,maybe you can answer a long timew question for me. :)

What are the lyrics in English? ;)

Thanks for giving me the correct spelling too by the way. :D LOL!

brother jack, brother jack (or john sometimes)
are you sleeping, are you sleeping?
morning bells are ringing, morning bells are ringing,
ding dang dong, ding dang dong..

(wikipedia -
The most common English language version is:
Are you sleeping,
Are you sleeping,
Brother John?
Brother John?
Morning bells are ringing,
Morning bells are ringing.
Ding, dang, dong.
Ding, dang, dong.


that's what i learned in french class..
A+
lol

Anytime ! But Char beat me to it, thanks Char.

Bill :)

Poor little sparrow. :( *sniff*
What kind of sick person writes a song about that?! [img]tongue.gif[/img] I'm never singing that again.

Actually B, the song is more about someone plucking a lark ( think gamebird ) like your and my grandparents would do a chicken. He's plucking the feathers and singing while he works. He's not killing the bird while he's singing. The bird is now food and it's being prepared for roasting. So go on, sing a little KFC song, LOL.

Peace,

Bill :)

Any idea what song he was singing when he WAS killing the bird ? "Freebird", I hope.

Well if they felt like eating "that" bird,it was something they probably did "on a lark". :D LOL!

Okay....scale of 1 - 10,how good or bad was that joke? :rolleyes: