This is my first reply as I just found the site and signed up. I don't know if there are others my age (24) who belong to the group, I find that there are not too many my age who even know who Gordon Lightfoot is. Well, as many of the replies stated, it is so difficult to pick a favorite Lightfoot song. When I think about it, I always come back to the song that caused me to go out and get my first lightfoot album.
Carefree Highway was one of those songs that I remember hearing on the radio when I was very young. I was too young to comprehend Lightfoot's music then, but his incredible sound stuck with me and one day I decided to get Gord's Gold since it also had Sundown and If You Could Read My Mind, the only Lightfoot songs I knew at the time. What a pot of gold (no pun intended) I stumbled onto. I didn't even realize at the time that the songs on that album were not original recordings. So now my Lightfoot collection has increased quite a bit and every time I get another of his albums I find another gem. This fact above all is what proves to me that he is the greatest songwriter ever and in my opinion the best singer as well (what a voice!).
So Carefree Highway wins for me because of the feeling that it evokes about the very early days of my life (I'm talking like 4 or 5 years old). My favorite line is right in the beginning, "...I wonder how the old folks are tonight.." It's hard to pu into words how that line makes me feel, it reminds me of simpler times and respect.
But there are so many great songs, one that I think is absolutely beautiful is Approaching Lavender. That song is the way I like to hear Lightfoot sing, I really like Sit Down Young Stranger for the same reason.
Well, if anyone bothered to read my two cents on the topic and my introduction of myself, thank-you. It is really nice to see how many people admire Lightfoot's work, still it doesn't seem that enough people appreciate his music. I will try not to be so long-winded in future replies.
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