Inspiration Lady

http://youtube.com/watch?v=RdwMoKJ6C4g

I've noticed this video a few times now and thought, ya, that's really nice, ..but today.. I sat here and really watched it a couple times.. and I must say, it's just lovely, to be sure. There's the painter, the figure skater etc., Gord doin his thing which is great, soft warm imagery, very nice stuff, but right near the end of this, there's a little girl.. who lifts her eye mask and softly smiles into the shot, and then a baby, who lumbers across the floor, and then the last shot of the baby's foot held in hand in the final frame; Inspiration Lady?.. It's as if to say that love is not just sexual (the message we are inundated with in popular culture now ad nauseum) but something else beyond entirely.. deeper and true.. Not sure who put the video together, but a wonderful job mates.. and keep up the good work..

[ September 30, 2006, 21:18: Message edited by: RJ ]

[RJ]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=RdwMoKJ6C4g

I've noticed this video a few times now and thought, ya, that's really nice, ..but today.. I sat here and really watched it a couple times.. and I must say, it's just lovely, to be sure. There's the painter, the figure skater etc., Gord doin his thing which is great, soft warm imagery, very nice stuff, but right near the end of this, there's a little girl.. who lifts her eye mask and softly smiles into the shot, and then a baby, who lumbers across the floor, and then the last shot of the baby's foot held in hand in the final frame; Inspiration Lady?.. It's as if to say that love is not just sexual (the message we are inundated with in popular culture now ad nauseum) but something else beyond entirely.. deeper and true.. Not sure who put the video together, but a wonderful job mates.. and keep up the good work..

[ September 30, 2006, 21:18: Message edited by: RJ ]

[RM]

RJ,

That video is a favorite of mine. I've always thought of it as a salute to the female gender. I was never blessed with a little girl, but the friends I have that were, would walk through fire for them.

[Gitchigumee]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdwMoKJ6C4g

I just discovered this video today! :D This is my favorite song off Harmony, I love it! Can anyone tell me if the ladies in this video are real people in Gord's life or if they are simply actors.

[charlene]

Originally posted by Gitchigumee:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdwMoKJ6C4g

I just discovered this video today! :D This is my favorite song off Harmony, I love it! Can anyone tell me if the ladies in this video are real people in Gord's life or if they are simply actors.

They are actors..

[charlene]

Originally posted by Gitchigumee:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdwMoKJ6C4g

I just discovered this video today! :D This is my favorite song off Harmony, I love it! Can anyone tell me if the ladies in this video are real people in Gord's life or if they are simply actors.

They are actors..

[Peter Bro10]

I don't mean to mince words, but wouldn't that be "actresses"??? lol

It's still a classy video worthy of the man himself! at least in my humble opinion.

[New 12 String Mike]

The song is one of my all time favorites, and it is fun to play and sing. From a guitarist's point of view, it is just tricky enough, because the chord progressions are similar, but with subtle changes, that keep you alert.

The video is nice too since my daughter is a violinist.

[Jennifer]

Originally posted by Peter Bro10:
I don't mean to mince words, but wouldn't that be "actresses"??? lol

It's still a classy video worthy of the man himself! at least in my humble opinion.

Some female performers prefer the term actress, while others prefer "actor". Actor is a gender neutral term.

I like the Inspiration Lady video too, it's really sweet :D

Interesting that the same guy who wrote "for lovin' me" wrote "inspiration", which seems to be an homage to the significant women in his life as opposed to that old love 'em and leave 'em theme Gordon has evolved quite nicely, I think.

[Station Master]

I think Gord's just mellowed and more sensitive to all this politically correctness

just as there are many characters mentioned in his tunes, many of the lyrics are written by the characters in his mind or ones he's run into, typical

Gord's Songbook liner note quotes:

FOR LOVIN' ME
The most chauvinistic song I ever wrote, but, nevertheless, Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul & Mary) saw something in it, a tongue-in-cheek sort of approach to the situation. Fortunately for me, it became a big hit...

I'M NOT SAYIN'
..."I'm Not Sayin'" is about noncommitment, and a little bit of that sexist thing comes into play here.

YOU'LL STILL BE NEEDING ME
Oh, my chauvinism rears its ugly head again. Unrequited love again, and I'm stinging, so I lash out at my love and say that she'll be needing me even though she believes she won't. I look back at it now a bit more philosophically, because it has a nice sound and the message isn't as severe as it seemed at the time. There's a lot of conceit involved; the character has some nerve.


imo, i prefer the term actress, it sounds more beautiful than handsome but that's just the connotation i've come to know...and maybe we should change the term history (not to herstory) but to itstory...and change lyrics to popular tunes like Rudolph so we don't offend anyone, it actually has a nice ring to it..."you'll go down in itstory"

we can get used to anything...I couldnt' get used to calling the hockey arena in boston anything other than the Boston Garden but TD Banknorth centre or whatever it's called actually has grown on me also

btw, most of my post written tongue cheek, same as Gord wrote For Lovin' Me but i wont be seeing similar royalties, lol

back on topic, i can't find my initial totally euphoric at corfid post when this video was released, but i agree, RMD,, this video is gorgeous art...so was glad it allowed to to erase all of his prior video productions and themes from my mind

[ March 17, 2007, 09:19: Message edited by: jj ]

[jj]

I think Gord's just mellowed and more sensitive to all this politically correctness

just as there are many characters mentioned in his tunes, many of the lyrics are written by the characters in his mind or ones he's run into, typical

Gord's Songbook liner note quotes:

FOR LOVIN' ME
The most chauvinistic song I ever wrote, but, nevertheless, Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul & Mary) saw something in it, a tongue-in-cheek sort of approach to the situation. Fortunately for me, it became a big hit...

I'M NOT SAYIN'
..."I'm Not Sayin'" is about noncommitment, and a little bit of that sexist thing comes into play here.

YOU'LL STILL BE NEEDING ME
Oh, my chauvinism rears its ugly head again. Unrequited love again, and I'm stinging, so I lash out at my love and say that she'll be needing me even though she believes she won't. I look back at it now a bit more philosophically, because it has a nice sound and the message isn't as severe as it seemed at the time. There's a lot of conceit involved; the character has some nerve.


imo, i prefer the term actress, it sounds more beautiful than handsome but that's just the connotation i've come to know...and maybe we should change the term history (not to herstory) but to itstory...and change lyrics to popular tunes like Rudolph so we don't offend anyone, it actually has a nice ring to it..."you'll go down in itstory"

we can get used to anything...I couldnt' get used to calling the hockey arena in boston anything other than the Boston Garden but TD Banknorth centre or whatever it's called actually has grown on me also

btw, most of my post written tongue cheek, same as Gord wrote For Lovin' Me but i wont be seeing similar royalties, lol

back on topic, i can't find my initial totally euphoric at corfid post when this video was released, but i agree, RMD,, this video is gorgeous art...so was glad it allowed to to erase all of his prior video productions and themes from my mind

[ March 17, 2007, 09:19: Message edited by: jj ]

I may be way off but I don't equate Inspiration Lady with a woman or the female gender. "Drive Her Blues Away", "Inspiration Every Day", "Sees My Situation Every Day"....I think Gord has written this about his guitar, probably the 1948 D-18. I think the same applies to My Little Love too.

Paul

[Paul (PJB)]

I may be way off but I don't equate Inspiration Lady with a woman or the female gender. "Drive Her Blues Away", "Inspiration Every Day", "Sees My Situation Every Day"....I think Gord has written this about his guitar, probably the 1948 D-18. I think the same applies to My Little Love too.

Paul

[charlene]

Paul - I too have thought it was about his guitar (s)..

[charlene]

Paul - I too have thought it was about his guitar (s)..

Thanks Char. In the song he talks about "the warmth of the morning light" and "night when the day is done" and I think that is when he does his songwriting. Also, he refers to the "age old story" and "life left behind". Gord didn't buy the 1948 D-18 new. The guitar has history he doesn't know about. I think he is talking about a unique relationship with a vintage Martin that he treasures. It could be his 12 string Gibsons of course, but since I love Martins I choose to hear the lyrics that way. We have seen how carefully his guitars are treated.

[Paul (PJB)]

Thanks Char. In the song he talks about "the warmth of the morning light" and "night when the day is done" and I think that is when he does his songwriting. Also, he refers to the "age old story" and "life left behind". Gord didn't buy the 1948 D-18 new. The guitar has history he doesn't know about. I think he is talking about a unique relationship with a vintage Martin that he treasures. It could be his 12 string Gibsons of course, but since I love Martins I choose to hear the lyrics that way. We have seen how carefully his guitars are treated.

[RM]

Originally posted by Paul (PJB):
I think Gord has written this about his guitar, probably the 1948 D-18.

That's an interesting take on the lyrics, and could very well be true. The video, however, seems to say otherwise.

That's a great question for anyone planning on meeting Lightfoot in the the future to ask: "What was the inspiration for "Inspiration Lady" ?". Then be sure and report back.

jj, in my mind the "In My Fashion" video was an exception. I like it.

Ron, I wouldn't be surprised if Gord responded by saying that the lyrics mean what they mean to you. I have been a fan for donkey's years and one of the things I first noticed was the depth of the lyrics - I think there is double entendre in a lot of them. The video for Inspiration Lady is a lovely illustration of one interpretation. The man is a genius.

[Paul (PJB)]

Ron, I wouldn't be surprised if Gord responded by saying that the lyrics mean what they mean to you. I have been a fan for donkey's years and one of the things I first noticed was the depth of the lyrics - I think there is double entendre in a lot of them. The video for Inspiration Lady is a lovely illustration of one interpretation. The man is a genius.

[charlene]

Notice in the video what he's holding onto...one thing that has always been constant in his life..

And the video is possibly the creation/interpretation of the director..not necessarily Lightfoot..

perhaps he'll answer that question one day..

I am currently listening to Leroy Van Dyke singing "The Auctioneer"..it's on one of those tv stations way up the dial that plays music..just a blue screen..
lol

[charlene]

Notice in the video what he's holding onto...one thing that has always been constant in his life..

And the video is possibly the creation/interpretation of the director..not necessarily Lightfoot..

perhaps he'll answer that question one day..

I am currently listening to Leroy Van Dyke singing "The Auctioneer"..it's on one of those tv stations way up the dial that plays music..just a blue screen..
lol

[New 12 String Mike]

I hadn't thought of the song being about the D-18 before either, Paul. Interesting insight.

Although I don't think any of my guitars "will turn and hold me tight" (Though I do the reverse quite ofen).

It does make me think. Thanks again Paul.

[winsomeblond101]

I like the comments on the video. But, the song seems romantic and interesting to me a woman, therefore it really must be a mans interpretation of something immeasureably precious to himself, like a guitar, very possibly...
the video is so very nebulous to me...
I like the song though, whatever the meaning...
ha

[gwen snyder]

I like the comments on the video. But, the song seems romantic and interesting to me a woman, therefore it really must be a mans interpretation of something immeasureably precious to himself, like a guitar, very possibly...
the video is so very nebulous to me...
I like the song though, whatever the meaning...
ha