Gordon Lightfoot Forums - modern day music is a crying shame

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- - modern day music is a crying shame (http://www.corfid.com/vbb//showthread.php?t=13327)

I must admit that inside my truck, you will find thousands of tapes and CD's, and none of them go beyond the year 1990, except for a few Neil Young and Gordon Lightfoot albums. Gordon Lightfoot wrote and performed all of his songs the same way that Jim Croce and Neil Young had done long ago. In today's world, most the the music you hear from all of these 'hip' artists are not songs that came from their hearts. They are songs that came from their wallets and corporate managers, that have bought the song's off of songwriters that only get a paycheck and no public recognition. That is why I will buy a Gordon Lightfoot album because they are songs written from his heart. He is the songwriter singing the song, the way it should be. It is hard to believe that there is still so much song-writing talent that exists out there, but no body wants to see them perform. In my mind, the songwriters of then, and the seemingly non-existant but existant songwriters of today are my heros!

Mark, your comments are right on target.I feel the same way. I am currently writing a song, actually a trilogy, The Songwriter/ The Star Performer/ The Fan ,about this topic.I keep thinking of this performer as the "anti-Gord"
Here is a verse or two from "The Songwriter"

Take down my old guitar from the wall
Look deep into my crystal ball
I reach for paper and pen
It's time to do it once again
I'm gonna write another song

It's not hard for me to turn a phrase
I can put it to you straight or shrouded in a haze
I can't sing worth a damn
And my guitar playing is a sham
But for me, it's all about the words

Chorus
Writing a song, for someone else to sing
He won't have to think or feel, I'll give him everything
But he's the one with the voice and the sexy smile
And he has the luxury of having his own style

I envy him up there on the stage
It's amazing to me how he can engage
The crowd with his eyes
And how he makes the women cry
With the songs that I write

From the "Star Performer"

I'm more than one of the boys in the band
I'm the one up front with microphone in hand
The one with the sexy smile
The one who can beguile
The audience with a song

I cut a new album every year
I give em the tunes they want to hear
I'm always practicing with the band
They're always puttin' new songs in my hand
Who write this s**t anyways?

Chorus

I love to hear them scream when I sing
Then run out , and make, the cash registers ring
It's all about how many CDs I can sell
So they can pay for all my fun in all the best hotels

I love the starmaker machinery
I love to see my name in lights, up on the marquee
My body guards are all well paid
To keep the fans at bay
Who gives a damn about them anyway

From "The Fan"

Fifty bucks a ticket to see this guy
That' a hundred bucks total, I wonder why
She loves him so much
She uses his songs like a crutch
To get her through the day

Chorus

There's another man who has a piece of her soul
This guy makes his living, singing rock 'n' roll
He creates feelings, and puts em, where they don't belong
I hear that he doesn't even write his own songs

From the Songwriter recap

Who knows what damage my songs have done
Too much sucess can ruin anyone
I hear their stories through the grapvine
They're earning millions, I'm gettin' nickels and dimes
I watch them rise, I watch them decline
While their fans build them shrines
Become obsessed if they're so inclined
While my words they try to divine
It's all done by design
To take their money and leave em feeling fine
It doesn't take an Einstein
To write Sweet Caroline
Or My Darlin' Clementine
Or Even Evangeline
As a writer I'm still in my prime
Just give me a pen and a bottle of wine
I'll give you a story line by line
It's not hard to combine
A bunch of words that are all entwined
Some stories dark, some stories shine
Some are rough, some are refined
Some rediculous, some sublime
A careful mixture of honey and brine

But my words will live on in time
But no one knows--- that they are mine

"Some malignant, some benign" comes after "Some rediculous, some sublime"

Mr. H&H,

I like the song you're working on, I hope we get to hear you perform it someday. I don't want to stray too far from Gord here but you have to listen to the song "NEW SONG" on the 1978 album/CD by the WHO, "WHO ARE YOU?" written by Peter Townshend. It's 23 years old but it's still true.

Bill

The song that I am working on was written specifically because of Gordon Lightfoot.Actually, to dramatize the difference between the way that he does things and the way the modern music industry works. Gord treats his craft with respect. He writes his own songs, he composes the music and does the arrangements,and he sings his songs with precision and true heartfelt feelings. On the few "covers " of other songwriters songs, he treats their songs with respect and gives them his full treatment, essentially making them his own. Gord also respects and appreciates his fans. He is well known for going out of his way to be accessable and warm and friendly to his fans. This really hit home for me when I saw him standing out in the rain,getting drenched, signing autographs, chatting and letting his picture be taken with fans after the Denver concert last year. The typical comment was "Thank you for your dedication to your music and for sharing it with us for so long." His typical comment was "Thank you for support and dedication as a fan." Anyways, Gord is special in the way he does his business.A lot of newcomers to the industry could take lessons from him.

Who is this guy anyway?

John,

I hope I get to meet you in Toronto
next year!