The song was written for/about his wife Elizabeth. See interview by "our" Char, under the thread: Ring,ring: "Hi Char, it's Gordon Lightfoot calling":
CHAR: In your song “Inspiration Lady” who or what is Inspiration Lady?
G.L.: pause….Well, it was, (pause)…, actually it’s kind of one of those songs that could relate to just about anybody… Having a problem of emotional trauma.
CHAR: Oh, okay…
G.L.: Yeah, (pause), yeah…..that’s the answer.
CHAR: Laughing…
G.L.: Emotional trauma.
CHAR: Nothing has changed with you! (laughing) From day one in the old interviews I’ve ever watched you can work your way around an answer pretty good. (laughing)
G.L.: (laughing)…Well thankyou!…
CHAR: Some people think it’s about your guitars or a specific person but we’ll leave that for you.
G.L.: (quietly) I wrote it for my wife, I wrote it for Elizabeth.
CHAR: Okay, … well there ya go….that’s very sweet. And who was Jessie-Jo?
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"There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run. When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun. Long before the white man, and long before the wheel. When the green dark forest was too silent to be real."
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