Gordon Lightfoot Forums - View Single Post - Song For a Winters Night- What the heck is that?

TheWatchman · 08-17-2003, 10:31 PM

Well, now that you mention it Rebecca, Gordon did tell me this, but not in the recording studio.

I was in my canoe checking some beaver traps along the Chiniguntha River back in '89. When I was finally finished for the day, I was paddling my way back to the cabin when I noticed this canary yellow canoe stuck in some rapids just past this bend in the water, by the old Coletrain settlement of 1856.

Being a very strong, seasoned canoeist, I was able to fight the rapids, despite the half dozen blanket beavers weighing me down, and give the dude a hand in the funny looking canoe.

You won't believe this but I'll tell you anyway (my therapist, BillW, says I should open up more). It was none other than Lightfoot in the canoe. He was by himself and was very scared and almost going into shock. Said he had been stuck there for 3 days. He later told me this is where he wrote the song about his canoe. Said he had nothing else better to do and he was too scared to think about anything else other than his canoe. I don't care what Songbook says.

With my very strong arms, I simply grabbed his canoe with one arm and used my the other to paddle us both to shore. He made some banock for us and I made the coffee. As he was asking me for pointers on canoeing, he asked if there was anything he could do for me in return for rescuing him. I said there is one thing that has been bugging the crap out of me. What the he** is that CLICKING SOUND in "Song For A Winter's Night"?" He admitted it was a metronome to help him keep time.

There you have it. I already feel better.

08-17-2003, 10:31 PM	#11
TheWatchman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Columbia, Maryland Posts: 930	Well, now that you mention it Rebecca, Gordon did tell me this, but not in the recording studio. I was in my canoe checking some beaver traps along the Chiniguntha River back in '89. When I was finally finished for the day, I was paddling my way back to the cabin when I noticed this canary yellow canoe stuck in some rapids just past this bend in the water, by the old Coletrain settlement of 1856. Being a very strong, seasoned canoeist, I was able to fight the rapids, despite the half dozen blanket beavers weighing me down, and give the dude a hand in the funny looking canoe. You won't believe this but I'll tell you anyway (my therapist, BillW, says I should open up more). It was none other than Lightfoot in the canoe. He was by himself and was very scared and almost going into shock. Said he had been stuck there for 3 days. He later told me this is where he wrote the song about his canoe. Said he had nothing else better to do and he was too scared to think about anything else other than his canoe. I don't care what Songbook says. With my very strong arms, I simply grabbed his canoe with one arm and used my the other to paddle us both to shore. He made some banock for us and I made the coffee. As he was asking me for pointers on canoeing, he asked if there was anything he could do for me in return for rescuing him. I said there is one thing that has been bugging the crap out of me. What the he** is that CLICKING SOUND in "Song For A Winter's Night"?" He admitted it was a metronome to help him keep time. There you have it. I already feel better.