Yes - you know Mother of a Miner's Child is in my top drawer list of Gord's as well. Amazing how he can write of a walk of of life as though he's been in the moccassin's for many a mile, but in fact never has (in this case to). Its uncanny.
I love that song. It also is thought provoking (as I interpret the song)of how a young man, upon the loss of his father (and the provider) life demands of the son that he "carry on" as provider, and is faced with a dillemna of how to improve his outlooks in career.
College, learning a new trade, what have you, must seem unreachable to a young man who carries the weight of the world on young shoulders. Lightfoot seems to understand this so well and convey it even better.
I have never read much about Lightfoot's father, who I understand owned a Laundromat, and no doubt offerred the business to GL as a young man, one who had a strong life-path allready chosen. Different economic scale, I can only assume in that case.
To my knowledge, he only wrote of his dad in one song - "Restless" on WFY. I'll wager he was an awfully good man, though. And his mother - still attends home-town concerts as of last report- amazing ! Must be one proud mother.
thats my two bits geo Steve
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