If it should please you, I have come to play
A glad or a sad tune, I wrote along the way
And a few good songs about the old highway
I been around so long Lord, I guess I'm here to stay
So I'm itching to please you, with a topical song
And a few golden oldies and a little hoedown
And I think I know how to make you feel
We're one and the same now, like a big flywheel
I have seen the best of all those things you can't explain
Wanderlust I did not trust but I never did complain
So if it should please you, put away those blues
Just settle on back now, I'll do my licks for you
It's my own way and that's the way it goes
You're a real good reason for a real good show
I have seen the best of all those things you don't forget
Wanderlust I did not trust and I ain't been done in yet
So if you got the dead end of the dealing shoe
This is your last chance man, we belong to you
It's my own way and that's the way I feel
We're one and the same now, like a big flywheel
So if it should please you, I have come to play
A glad or a sad tune, I wrote along the way
And a few good songs about the old highway
I been around so long Lord, I guess I'm here to stay
We're one and the same now, let's take it away
We're gonna take it real easy, let's take it away
Gordon Lightfoot - Gord's Gold Volume II Album Lyrics
Gordon Lightfoot - Gord's Gold Volume II Lyrics
- If It Should Please You
- Endless Wire
- Hangdog Hotel Room
- Im Not Supposed To Care
- High And Dry
- The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
- The Pony Man
- Race Among The Ruins
- Christian Island
- All The Lovely Ladies
- Alberta Bound
- Cherokee Bend
- Triangle
- Shadows
- Make Way For The Lady
- Ghosts Of Cape Horn
- Baby Step Back
- Its Worth Believin
Writer: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Endless Wire
I ain't got nothin' to hide
My mind is an endless wire
I got both feet on the ground
I ain't got no one for hire
I ain't got a thing to show
My lines have all expired
So don't go foolin' around
And set my wheels afire
Down in the dark of a burnt out soul
There's a few good second hand dreams
Deep in the dark of a heavenly night with you
Down in the black of a bottomless hole
There's a few good second hand scenes
Deep in the dark of the heavenly blue
Where the sea runs green
I ain't got nothin' to give
My life is an endless climb
My love's a paperback dream
I don't have nothin' but time
I ain't got a thing to show
I don't know my own name
So don't go foolin' around
And set my wheels afire
Down in the dark of a burnt out soul
There's a few good second hand dreams
Deep in the dark of a heavenly night with you
Down in the black of a bottomless hole
There's a few good second hand scenes
Deep in the dark of the heavenly blue
Where the sea runs green
I ain't got nothin' to hide
My mind is an endless wire
I got both feet on the ground
I don't have no one for hire
I ain't got a thing to show
My life is an endless dream
My love's a paperback dream
I ain't got nothin' but time
My mind is an endless wire
I got both feet on the ground
I ain't got no one for hire
I ain't got a thing to show
My lines have all expired
So don't go foolin' around
And set my wheels afire
Down in the dark of a burnt out soul
There's a few good second hand dreams
Deep in the dark of a heavenly night with you
Down in the black of a bottomless hole
There's a few good second hand scenes
Deep in the dark of the heavenly blue
Where the sea runs green
I ain't got nothin' to give
My life is an endless climb
My love's a paperback dream
I don't have nothin' but time
I ain't got a thing to show
I don't know my own name
So don't go foolin' around
And set my wheels afire
Down in the dark of a burnt out soul
There's a few good second hand dreams
Deep in the dark of a heavenly night with you
Down in the black of a bottomless hole
There's a few good second hand scenes
Deep in the dark of the heavenly blue
Where the sea runs green
I ain't got nothin' to hide
My mind is an endless wire
I got both feet on the ground
I don't have no one for hire
I ain't got a thing to show
My life is an endless dream
My love's a paperback dream
I ain't got nothin' but time
Writer: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Hangdog Hotel Room
I go in for singing, I do it for my pay
But the kind of gig I can really dig is swiggin' at the break of day
With a few good friends and neighbors into playin' the nighttime tunes
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room
I believe in magic, a little monkeyshines
But the kind of row I can really hoe is playin' in tune on time
With rhythms all around us we're like weavers at the loom
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room
Oh Lord it feels so good to play a nighttime tune
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room
When it comes to mornin' and goin' out at night
Well the kind of test that I like the best is rubbin' the wrong girl right
And a few good friends and neighbors in to playin' the nighttime tunes
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room
Oh Lord it feels so good to play a nighttime tune
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room
With rhythms all around us we're like weavers at the loom
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room
But the kind of gig I can really dig is swiggin' at the break of day
With a few good friends and neighbors into playin' the nighttime tunes
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room
I believe in magic, a little monkeyshines
But the kind of row I can really hoe is playin' in tune on time
With rhythms all around us we're like weavers at the loom
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room
Oh Lord it feels so good to play a nighttime tune
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room
When it comes to mornin' and goin' out at night
Well the kind of test that I like the best is rubbin' the wrong girl right
And a few good friends and neighbors in to playin' the nighttime tunes
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room
Oh Lord it feels so good to play a nighttime tune
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room
With rhythms all around us we're like weavers at the loom
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room
Writer: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Im Not Supposed To Care
I think you have somebody waiting outside in the rain to take you away
You got places to go, you got people to see still I'm gonna miss you
but anyway
I wish you good spaces in the far away places you go
If it rains or it snows may you be safe and warm and never grow old
And if you need someone who loves you, you know I will always be there
I'll do it although I'm not supposed to care
I'll give you the keys to my flying machine if you'd like
I will show you the light and when you call I'm gonna come to you
And when you find someone who loves you, I'll know you would treat me the same
Just lie there, you're not supposed to care
I think you have somebody waiting outside in the rain to take you away.
That's some kind of a game still I'm glad it came down to the final round
but anyway
If you think you need someone who needs you, you know I will always be there
I'll do it although I'm not supposed to care
I'll do it although I'm not supposed to care
You got places to go, you got people to see still I'm gonna miss you
but anyway
I wish you good spaces in the far away places you go
If it rains or it snows may you be safe and warm and never grow old
And if you need someone who loves you, you know I will always be there
I'll do it although I'm not supposed to care
I'll give you the keys to my flying machine if you'd like
I will show you the light and when you call I'm gonna come to you
And when you find someone who loves you, I'll know you would treat me the same
Just lie there, you're not supposed to care
I think you have somebody waiting outside in the rain to take you away.
That's some kind of a game still I'm glad it came down to the final round
but anyway
If you think you need someone who needs you, you know I will always be there
I'll do it although I'm not supposed to care
I'll do it although I'm not supposed to care
Writer: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
High And Dry
With a lady-like devotion
She sails the bitter ocean
If it wasn't for lovesick sailors
There'd be nothin' left but flotsam
Singin' why me oh my
Is there a better man than I
I hope you find your way back home
Before you're lyin' high and dry
I hope you find your way back home
Before you die
Her sails blow like bubbles
While ya sip yer daily doubles
If she wasn't so fond of the weather
She might give the deckhands trouble
Singin' why me oh my
Is there a better man than I
I hope you find your way back home
Before you're lyin' high and dry
I hope you find your way back home
Before you die
One day when I grew older
And I found I could not hold her
She took on a fine young skipper
Who soon run her up on a boulder
Singin' why me oh my
Is there a better man than I
I hope you find your way back home
Before you're lyin' high and dry
I hope you find your way back home
Before you die
Now the pleasures of the harbor
Don't include a lady barber
If it wasn't for Long John Silver
All of us pirates would've been martyrs
Singin' why me oh my
Is there a better man than I
I hope you find your way back home
Before you're lyin' high and dry
I hope you find your way back home
Before you're lyin' high and dry
I hope you find your way back home
Before you die
She sails the bitter ocean
If it wasn't for lovesick sailors
There'd be nothin' left but flotsam
Singin' why me oh my
Is there a better man than I
I hope you find your way back home
Before you're lyin' high and dry
I hope you find your way back home
Before you die
Her sails blow like bubbles
While ya sip yer daily doubles
If she wasn't so fond of the weather
She might give the deckhands trouble
Singin' why me oh my
Is there a better man than I
I hope you find your way back home
Before you're lyin' high and dry
I hope you find your way back home
Before you die
One day when I grew older
And I found I could not hold her
She took on a fine young skipper
Who soon run her up on a boulder
Singin' why me oh my
Is there a better man than I
I hope you find your way back home
Before you're lyin' high and dry
I hope you find your way back home
Before you die
Now the pleasures of the harbor
Don't include a lady barber
If it wasn't for Long John Silver
All of us pirates would've been martyrs
Singin' why me oh my
Is there a better man than I
I hope you find your way back home
Before you're lyin' high and dry
I hope you find your way back home
Before you're lyin' high and dry
I hope you find your way back home
Before you die
Writer: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called 'Gitche Gumee'
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty.
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early.
The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ship's bell rang
Could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the captain did too,
T'was the witch of November come stealin'.
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the Gales of November came slashin'.
When afternoon came it was freezin' rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind.
When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'.
Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya.
At Seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in, he said
Fellas, it's been good t'know ya
The captain wired in he had water comin' in
And the good ship and crew was in peril.
And later that night when his lights went outta sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searches all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her.
They might have split up or they might have capsized;
May have broke deep and took water.
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters.
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion.
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams;
The islands and bays are for sportsmen.
And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her,
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the Gales of November remembered.
In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed,
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral.
The church bell chimed till it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call 'Gitche Gumee'.
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early!
Of the big lake they called 'Gitche Gumee'
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty.
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early.
The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ship's bell rang
Could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the captain did too,
T'was the witch of November come stealin'.
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the Gales of November came slashin'.
When afternoon came it was freezin' rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind.
When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'.
Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya.
At Seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in, he said
Fellas, it's been good t'know ya
The captain wired in he had water comin' in
And the good ship and crew was in peril.
And later that night when his lights went outta sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searches all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her.
They might have split up or they might have capsized;
May have broke deep and took water.
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters.
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion.
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams;
The islands and bays are for sportsmen.
And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her,
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the Gales of November remembered.
In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed,
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral.
The church bell chimed till it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call 'Gitche Gumee'.
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early!
Writer: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
The Pony Man
When it's midnight on the meadow
And the cats are in the shed
And the river tells a story
At the window by my bed
If you listen very closely
Be as quiet as you can
In the yard you'll hear him
It is the pony man
We're always there to greet him
When he tumbles into town
He leads a string of ponies
Some are white and some are brown
And they never seem to kick or bite
They only want to play
And they live on candy apples
Instead of oats and hay
And when we're all assembled
He gives a soft command
And we climb aboard our ponies
As in a row the stand
Then down the road we gallop
And across the fields we fly
And soon we all go sailing off
Into the midnight sky
And as we gaily rock along
Beside a ripplin' sea
There's Tom 'n Dick 'n Sally
And Mary Joe and me
And the pony man is leading
Cause he's travelled here before
And he gives a whoop and a holler
At Mr. Moon's front door
And as we stop to rest a while
Where the soda river glides
Up to the slip comes a pirate ship
To take us for a ride
And the pony man's the captain
And the children are the crew
And we go in search of treasure
And laugh the whole night through
And when the hold is filled with gold
And the sails begin to strain
And the deck's piled high with apple pie
We head for port again
And down the whirling starcase
So swift our ponies fly
And we're safely in our beds again
When the sunbeams kiss the sky
When it's midnight on the meadow
And the cats are in the shed
And the river tells a story
At the window by my bed
If you listen very closely
Be as quiet as you can
In the yard you'll hear him
It is the pony man
And the cats are in the shed
And the river tells a story
At the window by my bed
If you listen very closely
Be as quiet as you can
In the yard you'll hear him
It is the pony man
We're always there to greet him
When he tumbles into town
He leads a string of ponies
Some are white and some are brown
And they never seem to kick or bite
They only want to play
And they live on candy apples
Instead of oats and hay
And when we're all assembled
He gives a soft command
And we climb aboard our ponies
As in a row the stand
Then down the road we gallop
And across the fields we fly
And soon we all go sailing off
Into the midnight sky
And as we gaily rock along
Beside a ripplin' sea
There's Tom 'n Dick 'n Sally
And Mary Joe and me
And the pony man is leading
Cause he's travelled here before
And he gives a whoop and a holler
At Mr. Moon's front door
And as we stop to rest a while
Where the soda river glides
Up to the slip comes a pirate ship
To take us for a ride
And the pony man's the captain
And the children are the crew
And we go in search of treasure
And laugh the whole night through
And when the hold is filled with gold
And the sails begin to strain
And the deck's piled high with apple pie
We head for port again
And down the whirling starcase
So swift our ponies fly
And we're safely in our beds again
When the sunbeams kiss the sky
When it's midnight on the meadow
And the cats are in the shed
And the river tells a story
At the window by my bed
If you listen very closely
Be as quiet as you can
In the yard you'll hear him
It is the pony man
Writer: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Race Among The Ruins
You think you had the last laugh
Now you know that this can't be true
Even though the sun shines down upon you now
Sometimes you must feel blue
You make the best of each new day
You try not to be sad
Even though the sky falls down upon you
Call it midnight feeling bad
When you wake up to the promise
Of your dream world coming true
With one less friend to call on
Was it someone that I knew?
Away you will go sailing
In a race among the ruins
If you plan to face tomorrow, do it soon
The road to love is littered
By the bones of other ones
Who by the magic of the moment
Were mysteriously undone
You try to understand it
But you never seem to find
Any kind of freedom, coming clean
Is just another state of mind.
When you wake up...
So take the best of all that's left
You know this cannot last
Even though your mother was your maker
From her apron strings you pass
Just think about the fool
Who by his virtue can be found
In a most unusual situation
Playing jester to the clown
When you wake up...
Now you know that this can't be true
Even though the sun shines down upon you now
Sometimes you must feel blue
You make the best of each new day
You try not to be sad
Even though the sky falls down upon you
Call it midnight feeling bad
When you wake up to the promise
Of your dream world coming true
With one less friend to call on
Was it someone that I knew?
Away you will go sailing
In a race among the ruins
If you plan to face tomorrow, do it soon
The road to love is littered
By the bones of other ones
Who by the magic of the moment
Were mysteriously undone
You try to understand it
But you never seem to find
Any kind of freedom, coming clean
Is just another state of mind.
When you wake up...
So take the best of all that's left
You know this cannot last
Even though your mother was your maker
From her apron strings you pass
Just think about the fool
Who by his virtue can be found
In a most unusual situation
Playing jester to the clown
When you wake up...
Writer: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Christian Island
I'm sailing down the summer wind
I got whiskers on my chin
And I like the mood I'm in
As I while away the time of day
In the lee of Christian Island
Tall and strong she dips and reels
I call her Silver Heels
And she tells me how she feels
She's a good old boat and she'll stay afloat
Through the toughest gales and keep smiling
But for one more day she would like to stay
In the lee of Christian Island
I'm sailing down the summer day
Where fish and seagulls play
I put my troubles all away
And when the gale comes up I'll fill my cup
With the whiskey of the highlands
She's a good old ship and she'll make the trip
From the lee of Christian Island
Tall and strong she slips along
I sing for her a song
And she leans into the wind
She's a good old boat and she'll stay afloat
Through the toughest gales and keep smilin'
When the summer ends we will rest again
In the lee of Christian Island
When the summer ends we will rest again
In the lee of Christian Island
I got whiskers on my chin
And I like the mood I'm in
As I while away the time of day
In the lee of Christian Island
Tall and strong she dips and reels
I call her Silver Heels
And she tells me how she feels
She's a good old boat and she'll stay afloat
Through the toughest gales and keep smiling
But for one more day she would like to stay
In the lee of Christian Island
I'm sailing down the summer day
Where fish and seagulls play
I put my troubles all away
And when the gale comes up I'll fill my cup
With the whiskey of the highlands
She's a good old ship and she'll make the trip
From the lee of Christian Island
Tall and strong she slips along
I sing for her a song
And she leans into the wind
She's a good old boat and she'll stay afloat
Through the toughest gales and keep smilin'
When the summer ends we will rest again
In the lee of Christian Island
When the summer ends we will rest again
In the lee of Christian Island
Writer: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
All The Lovely Ladies
All the lovely ladies in their finery tonight
I wish that I could know them one by one
All the handsome gentlemen with loving on their minds
Strolling in to take the ladies home
Bless you all and keep you on the road to tenderness
Heaven can be yours just for now.
All the gentle strangers who by nature do not smile
To everyone who cannot hold a pen
To all you heavy rounders with a headache for your pains
Who dread the thought of going 'round the bend
Bless you all and keep you on the road to better things
Heaven can be yours just for now.
To all the lovely ladies in their finery tonight
I wish that I could kiss you while you knit
To all the ones who learn to live with bein' second-guessed
Whose job it is to give more then to get
Bless you all and keep you with the strength to understand
Heaven can be yours just for now.
To all the little dreamers with a dream that cannot last
To all the sleeping giants who must wake
To every man who answers to the letter of the law
And all the rest imprisoned by mistake
Bless you all and keep you with the faith to let it pass
Heaven can be yours just for now
To all the lonely sailors who have trouble beeing seen
To all of you with heartache that remains
Maybe sometime later you might swim back into shore
If someone could relieve you of your chains
Bless you all and keep you all on the land or on the sea
Heaven can be yours, just for now
I wish that I could know them one by one
All the handsome gentlemen with loving on their minds
Strolling in to take the ladies home
Bless you all and keep you on the road to tenderness
Heaven can be yours just for now.
All the gentle strangers who by nature do not smile
To everyone who cannot hold a pen
To all you heavy rounders with a headache for your pains
Who dread the thought of going 'round the bend
Bless you all and keep you on the road to better things
Heaven can be yours just for now.
To all the lovely ladies in their finery tonight
I wish that I could kiss you while you knit
To all the ones who learn to live with bein' second-guessed
Whose job it is to give more then to get
Bless you all and keep you with the strength to understand
Heaven can be yours just for now.
To all the little dreamers with a dream that cannot last
To all the sleeping giants who must wake
To every man who answers to the letter of the law
And all the rest imprisoned by mistake
Bless you all and keep you with the faith to let it pass
Heaven can be yours just for now
To all the lonely sailors who have trouble beeing seen
To all of you with heartache that remains
Maybe sometime later you might swim back into shore
If someone could relieve you of your chains
Bless you all and keep you all on the land or on the sea
Heaven can be yours, just for now
Writer: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Alberta Bound
Oh the prairie lights are burnin' bright
The Chinook wind is a-movin' in
Tomorrow night I'll be Alberta bound
Though I've done the best I could
My old luck ain't been so good and
Tomorrow night I'll be Alberta bound
No one-eyed man could e'er forget
The Rocky Mountain sunset
It's a pleasure just to be Alberta bound
I long to see my next of kin
To know what kind of shape they're in
Tomorrow night I'll be Alberta bound
Alberta bound, Alberta bound
It's good to be Alberta bound
Alberta bound, Alberta bound
It's good to be Alberta bound
Oh the skyline of Toronto
Is somethin' you'll get onto
But they say you've got to live there for a while
And if you got the money
You can get yourself a honey
A written guarantee ta make you smile
But it's snowin' in the city
And the streets and brown and gritty
And I know there's pretty girls all over town
But they never seem ta find me
And the one I left behind me
Is the reason that I'll be Alberta bound
Alberta bound, Alberta bound
It's good to be Alberta bound
Alberta bound, Alberta bound
It's good to be Alberta bound
It's good to be Alberta bound
The Chinook wind is a-movin' in
Tomorrow night I'll be Alberta bound
Though I've done the best I could
My old luck ain't been so good and
Tomorrow night I'll be Alberta bound
No one-eyed man could e'er forget
The Rocky Mountain sunset
It's a pleasure just to be Alberta bound
I long to see my next of kin
To know what kind of shape they're in
Tomorrow night I'll be Alberta bound
Alberta bound, Alberta bound
It's good to be Alberta bound
Alberta bound, Alberta bound
It's good to be Alberta bound
Oh the skyline of Toronto
Is somethin' you'll get onto
But they say you've got to live there for a while
And if you got the money
You can get yourself a honey
A written guarantee ta make you smile
But it's snowin' in the city
And the streets and brown and gritty
And I know there's pretty girls all over town
But they never seem ta find me
And the one I left behind me
Is the reason that I'll be Alberta bound
Alberta bound, Alberta bound
It's good to be Alberta bound
Alberta bound, Alberta bound
It's good to be Alberta bound
It's good to be Alberta bound
Writer: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Cherokee Bend
His father was a man who could never understand
The shame on a red man's face
So they lived in the hills and they never came down
But to trade in the white man's place
It was early in the spring when the snow had disappeared
They came down with a bag of skins
In the fall of the year of 1910
Daddy died by the rope down in Cherokee Bend.
Daddy didn't like what the white man said
'Bout the dirty little kid at his side
Daddy didn't like what the white man did
Nor the deal or the way that he lied
There was blood on the floor of the government store
When the men took his daddy away
But the boy stayed back till he come to his end
And he run like the wind from Cherokee Bend.
Now the mother was alone and the winter was at hand
And she prayed to her spirit kin
It was warm in the lodge in the Kentucky hills
On the day when the boy came in
Then a blizzard came down and it covered up the door
Till they thought that it never would end
And he told her the tale of the terrible affair
In the government store down in Cherokee Bend
Daddy didn't like what the white man said
'Bout the dirty little kid at his side
Daddy didn't like what the white man did
Nor the deal or the way that he lied
For three long days and three long nights
They wept and they mourned and then
She returned to her work and her weavin'
And they tried to forget about Cherokee Bend
Now the boy wasn't big but he hunted what he could
And they lived for a time that way
But the food run low and the meat went bad
And she said to the boy one day
I'm leaving tonight and I never will return
From the land of my Spirit Kin
You must take what you need and trade what you can
For a Red Man's grave down in Cherokee Bend
It wasn't very long till she closed her eyes
And he wrapped her in a robe
He found her a place on the side of the hill
And he buried her in the snow
Early in the spring he was seen in the town
With his load looking ragged and thin
Not a year had gone by till he stood once again
In the government store down in Cherokee Bend
He was ten years tall and a Redskin too
So he hadn't much face to save
And the men sat around and they laughed and they clowned
At the talk of a criminal's grave
Then the man from the east didn't smile when he said
You're the son of that Indian scum
If you value your hide then you better abide
By the white man's rules here in Cherokee Bend.
Daddy didn't like what the white man said
'Bout the dirty little kid at his side
Daddy didn't like what the white man did
Nor the deal or the way that he lied
And he spit on the floor of the government store
And it served him to no good end
At the close of the day they had taken him away
To the white man's school down at Cherokee Bend
It's been 21 years since the boy disappeared
Where he run to, nobody knows
But they say he fell in with a man named Jim
And he rides in the rodeos
And they say he returns all alone to a place
Hidden deep in the Kentucky glen
And it's pretty well known who hauled up the stone
To the grave on the hill above Cherokee Bend
Daddy didn't like what the white man said
'Bout the dirty little kid at his side
Daddy didn't like what the white man did
Nor the deal or the way that he lied
There was blood on the floor of the government store
When the men took his daddy away
It was 1910 and they never had a friend
When he died by the rope down at Cherokee Bend
It was 1910 and they never had a friend
When he died by the rope down at Cherokee Bend
The shame on a red man's face
So they lived in the hills and they never came down
But to trade in the white man's place
It was early in the spring when the snow had disappeared
They came down with a bag of skins
In the fall of the year of 1910
Daddy died by the rope down in Cherokee Bend.
Daddy didn't like what the white man said
'Bout the dirty little kid at his side
Daddy didn't like what the white man did
Nor the deal or the way that he lied
There was blood on the floor of the government store
When the men took his daddy away
But the boy stayed back till he come to his end
And he run like the wind from Cherokee Bend.
Now the mother was alone and the winter was at hand
And she prayed to her spirit kin
It was warm in the lodge in the Kentucky hills
On the day when the boy came in
Then a blizzard came down and it covered up the door
Till they thought that it never would end
And he told her the tale of the terrible affair
In the government store down in Cherokee Bend
Daddy didn't like what the white man said
'Bout the dirty little kid at his side
Daddy didn't like what the white man did
Nor the deal or the way that he lied
For three long days and three long nights
They wept and they mourned and then
She returned to her work and her weavin'
And they tried to forget about Cherokee Bend
Now the boy wasn't big but he hunted what he could
And they lived for a time that way
But the food run low and the meat went bad
And she said to the boy one day
I'm leaving tonight and I never will return
From the land of my Spirit Kin
You must take what you need and trade what you can
For a Red Man's grave down in Cherokee Bend
It wasn't very long till she closed her eyes
And he wrapped her in a robe
He found her a place on the side of the hill
And he buried her in the snow
Early in the spring he was seen in the town
With his load looking ragged and thin
Not a year had gone by till he stood once again
In the government store down in Cherokee Bend
He was ten years tall and a Redskin too
So he hadn't much face to save
And the men sat around and they laughed and they clowned
At the talk of a criminal's grave
Then the man from the east didn't smile when he said
You're the son of that Indian scum
If you value your hide then you better abide
By the white man's rules here in Cherokee Bend.
Daddy didn't like what the white man said
'Bout the dirty little kid at his side
Daddy didn't like what the white man did
Nor the deal or the way that he lied
And he spit on the floor of the government store
And it served him to no good end
At the close of the day they had taken him away
To the white man's school down at Cherokee Bend
It's been 21 years since the boy disappeared
Where he run to, nobody knows
But they say he fell in with a man named Jim
And he rides in the rodeos
And they say he returns all alone to a place
Hidden deep in the Kentucky glen
And it's pretty well known who hauled up the stone
To the grave on the hill above Cherokee Bend
Daddy didn't like what the white man said
'Bout the dirty little kid at his side
Daddy didn't like what the white man did
Nor the deal or the way that he lied
There was blood on the floor of the government store
When the men took his daddy away
It was 1910 and they never had a friend
When he died by the rope down at Cherokee Bend
It was 1910 and they never had a friend
When he died by the rope down at Cherokee Bend
Writer: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Triangle
Oh the gist of it all is the first day of fall is the day when my ship will set sail
The best of all friends will say good-bye again there's still time for one last glass of ale
We'll sail away proudly, our backs to the wall on a southwind and lots of good cheer
And when we've looked over the white cliffs of Dover, We'll be in Bahama next year
From Bermuda on down the Triangle around us will teach us a lesson or two
There's many a mate who unevenyly stated the course he had charted was true
"Don't worry 'bout me," he said "Go down below, give a certified sailor a turn,
Just sip on your rum or I'll give you my thumb and say, son you got something t' learn!"
It's a mighty hard way to come down
And a mighty fine way to be found
So hand me my grip from an old sailing ship
Put the kiss of the dawn on my lips
With some luck tonight I might have her at my fingertips
Oh the best of all things is the first day of spring when when the water runs heavy and fast
The mermaids have all gone to Davy Jones' Ball
And it seems their first trip was their last
They had so much fun
They don't wish to return
to the beach where they lay all day long
They'd rather stay under
And boy it's no wonder
When all the rock lobsters roll on
It's a mighty fine way to be found
Triangle Triangle
Oh see my ship dangle
We're bound for Bahama my friend
Like lovers like danger
Like babies like mangers
But that's where my storybook ends
Like soldiers of fortune, believers in God
And all kings without crosses to bear
All sweepers and cleaners
with no misdemeanors
Should try the triangle out there
It's a mighty hard way to come down
And a mighty fine way to be found
So hand me my grip
From an old sailing ship
Put the kiss of dawn on my lips
With some luck tonight
I might have her at my fingertips
When she took her last tumble
The sea bottom rumbled
There was no confusion or blame
The captain said "Men we must answer again to the sea so ye may not complain"
And as they lay sleeping down there in the deep
With their faces turned up to the stars
A tuna fish turned
To a mermaid in bed and said
"There goes another sandbar"
It's a mighty hard way to come down
And a mighty fine way to be found
So hand me my grip
From an old sailing ship
Put the kiss of the dawn on my lips
With some luck tonight
I might have her at my fingertips
The best of all friends will say good-bye again there's still time for one last glass of ale
We'll sail away proudly, our backs to the wall on a southwind and lots of good cheer
And when we've looked over the white cliffs of Dover, We'll be in Bahama next year
From Bermuda on down the Triangle around us will teach us a lesson or two
There's many a mate who unevenyly stated the course he had charted was true
"Don't worry 'bout me," he said "Go down below, give a certified sailor a turn,
Just sip on your rum or I'll give you my thumb and say, son you got something t' learn!"
It's a mighty hard way to come down
And a mighty fine way to be found
So hand me my grip from an old sailing ship
Put the kiss of the dawn on my lips
With some luck tonight I might have her at my fingertips
Oh the best of all things is the first day of spring when when the water runs heavy and fast
The mermaids have all gone to Davy Jones' Ball
And it seems their first trip was their last
They had so much fun
They don't wish to return
to the beach where they lay all day long
They'd rather stay under
And boy it's no wonder
When all the rock lobsters roll on
It's a mighty fine way to be found
Triangle Triangle
Oh see my ship dangle
We're bound for Bahama my friend
Like lovers like danger
Like babies like mangers
But that's where my storybook ends
Like soldiers of fortune, believers in God
And all kings without crosses to bear
All sweepers and cleaners
with no misdemeanors
Should try the triangle out there
It's a mighty hard way to come down
And a mighty fine way to be found
So hand me my grip
From an old sailing ship
Put the kiss of dawn on my lips
With some luck tonight
I might have her at my fingertips
When she took her last tumble
The sea bottom rumbled
There was no confusion or blame
The captain said "Men we must answer again to the sea so ye may not complain"
And as they lay sleeping down there in the deep
With their faces turned up to the stars
A tuna fish turned
To a mermaid in bed and said
"There goes another sandbar"
It's a mighty hard way to come down
And a mighty fine way to be found
So hand me my grip
From an old sailing ship
Put the kiss of the dawn on my lips
With some luck tonight
I might have her at my fingertips
Writer: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Shadows
Let me reach out love and touch you
Let me hold you for awhile
I've been all around the world
Oh how I long to see you smile
There's a shadow on the moon
And the waters here below
Do not shine the way they should
And I love you just in case you didn't know
Let it go,
Let it happen like it happened once before
It's a wicked wind
And it chills me to the bone
And if you do not believe me
Come and gaze upon the shadow at your door
Won't you lie down by me baby
Run your fingers through my hands
I've been all around the town
And still I do not understand
Is it me or is it you
Or the shadow of a dream
Is it wrong to be in love
Could it be the finest love I've ever seen
Set it free,
Let it happen like it happened once before
It's a wicked wind
And it chills me to the bone
And if you do not believe me
Come and gaze upon the shadow at your door
Please kiss me gently darlin'
Where the river runs away
From the mountains in the springtime
On a blue and windy day
When there's beauty all around
As the shades of night grow deep
As the morning stars grow dim
They will find us in the shadows fast asleep
Let it go,
Let it happen like it happened once before
It's a wicked wind
And it chills me to the bone
And if you do not believe me
Come and gaze upon the shadow at your door
Let me hold you for awhile
I've been all around the world
Oh how I long to see you smile
There's a shadow on the moon
And the waters here below
Do not shine the way they should
And I love you just in case you didn't know
Let it go,
Let it happen like it happened once before
It's a wicked wind
And it chills me to the bone
And if you do not believe me
Come and gaze upon the shadow at your door
Won't you lie down by me baby
Run your fingers through my hands
I've been all around the town
And still I do not understand
Is it me or is it you
Or the shadow of a dream
Is it wrong to be in love
Could it be the finest love I've ever seen
Set it free,
Let it happen like it happened once before
It's a wicked wind
And it chills me to the bone
And if you do not believe me
Come and gaze upon the shadow at your door
Please kiss me gently darlin'
Where the river runs away
From the mountains in the springtime
On a blue and windy day
When there's beauty all around
As the shades of night grow deep
As the morning stars grow dim
They will find us in the shadows fast asleep
Let it go,
Let it happen like it happened once before
It's a wicked wind
And it chills me to the bone
And if you do not believe me
Come and gaze upon the shadow at your door
Writer: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Make Way For The Lady
Some life I've bin livin'
Like a song in the night
Good sounds every moment
Good news and bright lights
Anytime I get lonesome
I just got ta do the things right
Make way for the lady
You can do it my son
Makin' hay with no gravy
Brings the good folk down
Anytime you get lonely
You just got to turn it around
This life I've bin given
It don't tell you no lies
Could've been somewhat wasted
How could it be otherwise
When the sound of the laughter
Brought the tears in to my eyes
Make way for the lady
You can do it my son
Makin' hay with no gravy
Gets the day's work done
When a blue mood gets rollin'
You just got to turn it around
Turn it around
Shake hands with the father
The son and the holy ghost
The impossible believers
And the heavenly host
If you must do it better
You just got to do it the most
Make way for the lady
You can do it my son
Makin' hay with no gravy
Brings all the good folks down
When a blue moon starts risin'
You just got to turn it around
Turn it around
Turn it around
Make way for the lady
And turn it around
Like a song in the night
Good sounds every moment
Good news and bright lights
Anytime I get lonesome
I just got ta do the things right
Make way for the lady
You can do it my son
Makin' hay with no gravy
Brings the good folk down
Anytime you get lonely
You just got to turn it around
This life I've bin given
It don't tell you no lies
Could've been somewhat wasted
How could it be otherwise
When the sound of the laughter
Brought the tears in to my eyes
Make way for the lady
You can do it my son
Makin' hay with no gravy
Gets the day's work done
When a blue mood gets rollin'
You just got to turn it around
Turn it around
Shake hands with the father
The son and the holy ghost
The impossible believers
And the heavenly host
If you must do it better
You just got to do it the most
Make way for the lady
You can do it my son
Makin' hay with no gravy
Brings all the good folks down
When a blue moon starts risin'
You just got to turn it around
Turn it around
Turn it around
Make way for the lady
And turn it around
Writer: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Ghosts Of Cape Horn
All around old Cape Horn
Ships of the line, ships of the morn
Some who wish they'd never been born
They are the ghosts of Cape Horn
Fal deral da riddle de rum
With a rim dim diddy
And a rum dum dum
Sailing away at the break of morn
They are the ghosts of Cape Horn
See them all in sad repair
Demons dance everywhere
Southern gales, tattered sails
And none to tell the tales
Come all of you rustic old sea dogs
Who follow the great Southern Cross
You we're rounding the Horn
In the eye of a storm
When ya lost 'er one day
And you read all yer letters
From oceans away
Then you took them to the bottom of the sea
All around old Cape Horn
Ships of the line, ships of the morn
Those who wish they'd never been born
They are the ghosts of Cape Horn
Fal deral da riddle de rum
With a rim dim diddy
And a rum dum dum
Sailing away at the break of morn
They are the ghosts of Cape Horn
Come all you old sea dogs from Devon
Southampton, Penzance, and Kinsale
You were caught by the chance
Of a sailor's last dance
It was not meant to be
And ya read all yer letters
Cried anchor aweigh
Then ya took them to the bottom of the sea
All around old Cape Horn
Ships of the line, ships of the morn
Those who wish they'd never been born
They are the ghosts of Cape Horn
Fal deral da riddle de rum
With a rim dim diddy
And a rum dum dum
Sailing away at the break of morn
They are the ghosts of Cape Horn
Ships of the line, ships of the morn
Some who wish they'd never been born
They are the ghosts of Cape Horn
Fal deral da riddle de rum
With a rim dim diddy
And a rum dum dum
Sailing away at the break of morn
They are the ghosts of Cape Horn
See them all in sad repair
Demons dance everywhere
Southern gales, tattered sails
And none to tell the tales
Come all of you rustic old sea dogs
Who follow the great Southern Cross
You we're rounding the Horn
In the eye of a storm
When ya lost 'er one day
And you read all yer letters
From oceans away
Then you took them to the bottom of the sea
All around old Cape Horn
Ships of the line, ships of the morn
Those who wish they'd never been born
They are the ghosts of Cape Horn
Fal deral da riddle de rum
With a rim dim diddy
And a rum dum dum
Sailing away at the break of morn
They are the ghosts of Cape Horn
Come all you old sea dogs from Devon
Southampton, Penzance, and Kinsale
You were caught by the chance
Of a sailor's last dance
It was not meant to be
And ya read all yer letters
Cried anchor aweigh
Then ya took them to the bottom of the sea
All around old Cape Horn
Ships of the line, ships of the morn
Those who wish they'd never been born
They are the ghosts of Cape Horn
Fal deral da riddle de rum
With a rim dim diddy
And a rum dum dum
Sailing away at the break of morn
They are the ghosts of Cape Horn
Writer: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Baby Step Back
Now it looks to me like the same old place
In the sky it looks like rain
The same old town with the same old streets
The address has not change
You can find me there
With the door shut tight
And the one wish that remains
Baby step back baby step back
Either step up or step back
No you know I don't write no bad checks
I have no wish to repent
I've seen a few
But whatever I do
I don't cause no accidents
Whiskey and wine help me pass the time
I don't leave no evidence
Baby step back baby step back
Either step up or step back
Baby step back baby step back
Either step up or step back
Still I don't kneel down
I was born to fight
So you'd best leave me alone
Maybe I'll get much more than I need
Or much less than I should own
Last of all let me say it again
Either step up or step on
Baby step back baby step back
Either step up or step back
Baby step back baby step back
Either step up or step back
Baby walk back baby walk back
Either walk on or walk back
Baby step back ...
In the sky it looks like rain
The same old town with the same old streets
The address has not change
You can find me there
With the door shut tight
And the one wish that remains
Baby step back baby step back
Either step up or step back
No you know I don't write no bad checks
I have no wish to repent
I've seen a few
But whatever I do
I don't cause no accidents
Whiskey and wine help me pass the time
I don't leave no evidence
Baby step back baby step back
Either step up or step back
Baby step back baby step back
Either step up or step back
Still I don't kneel down
I was born to fight
So you'd best leave me alone
Maybe I'll get much more than I need
Or much less than I should own
Last of all let me say it again
Either step up or step on
Baby step back baby step back
Either step up or step back
Baby step back baby step back
Either step up or step back
Baby walk back baby walk back
Either walk on or walk back
Baby step back ...
Writer: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Its Worth Believin
There's a warm wind tonight
And the moon turns the tide
When the stars take their ride
She'll be leavin'
Where she goes, I don't know
She won't tell me what it is
That makes her act like this
But I've got a funny feelin' that it's me
It's worth believin'
Should I ask
Do you like to go walking on the sand
And listen to the sea
Or could it be someone kind
Could it be that I'm the fool
There's somethin' wrong with you
And I've got a funny feelin' that it's me
It's worth believin'
There's a breeze from the shore
And the wind's overland
When I've called in the cat
She'll go walkin'
And she cries to herself
In the night when I'm asleep
She lies awake and weeps
Could it be something new
Someone old who has returned
Or is it just a game
But I've got a funny feelin' that it's me
It's worth believin'
There's a warm wind tonight
And the moon turns the tide
When the stars take their ride
She'll be leavin'
Where she goes, I don't know
She won't tell me what it is
That makes her act like this
Should I ask
Do you like to go walking on the shore
Listen to the sea
Could it be someone kind
Could it be that I'm the fool
There's somethin' wrong with you
But I've got a funny feelin' that it's me
It's worth believin'
And the moon turns the tide
When the stars take their ride
She'll be leavin'
Where she goes, I don't know
She won't tell me what it is
That makes her act like this
But I've got a funny feelin' that it's me
It's worth believin'
Should I ask
Do you like to go walking on the sand
And listen to the sea
Or could it be someone kind
Could it be that I'm the fool
There's somethin' wrong with you
And I've got a funny feelin' that it's me
It's worth believin'
There's a breeze from the shore
And the wind's overland
When I've called in the cat
She'll go walkin'
And she cries to herself
In the night when I'm asleep
She lies awake and weeps
Could it be something new
Someone old who has returned
Or is it just a game
But I've got a funny feelin' that it's me
It's worth believin'
There's a warm wind tonight
And the moon turns the tide
When the stars take their ride
She'll be leavin'
Where she goes, I don't know
She won't tell me what it is
That makes her act like this
Should I ask
Do you like to go walking on the shore
Listen to the sea
Could it be someone kind
Could it be that I'm the fool
There's somethin' wrong with you
But I've got a funny feelin' that it's me
It's worth believin'
Writer: GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Gord's Gold Volume II is a compilation album released by Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot in 1988.
Like the first Gord's Gold collection, Volume II features re-recordings of earlier hits alongside the contemporary material. On Gord's Gold only the early songs that didn't match Lightfoot's 1970s sound (and whose original masters were owned by Lightfoot's former label, United Artists) were re-recorded. However, on Volume II all tracks, apart from "Make Way (For the Lady)," "Ghosts of Cape Horn," Baby Step Back," and "It's Worth Believin'" were re-recorded. The album also contains the first appearance of "If It Should Please You," a previously unrecorded song that the band often performed in concert. Some tracks on Volume II that had been released during the 1980s sound almost identical to their original recording. Additionally, the re-recorded tracks were recorded live in the studio.
"Ghosts of Cape Horn" and "It's Worth Believin'" did not appear on the vinyl release.
Performed By:
Gordon LightfootLike the first Gord's Gold collection, Volume II features re-recordings of earlier hits alongside the contemporary material. On Gord's Gold only the early songs that didn't match Lightfoot's 1970s sound (and whose original masters were owned by Lightfoot's former label, United Artists) were re-recorded. However, on Volume II all tracks, apart from "Make Way (For the Lady)," "Ghosts of Cape Horn," Baby Step Back," and "It's Worth Believin'" were re-recorded. The album also contains the first appearance of "If It Should Please You," a previously unrecorded song that the band often performed in concert. Some tracks on Volume II that had been released during the 1980s sound almost identical to their original recording. Additionally, the re-recorded tracks were recorded live in the studio.
"Ghosts of Cape Horn" and "It's Worth Believin'" did not appear on the vinyl release.
Genre(s): Folk, Adult contemporary, Country folk
Length: 64:38
Released: October 11th, 1988
Year: 1988