So Old It’s New set list in tribute to Canadian icon Gordon Lightfoot, who died this past week at age 84. Obviously a pillar of Canadian music and beyond our borders, what is amazingly satisfying and interesting to me has been the ongoing outpouring from people, not just in Canada but everywhere, sharing songs, stories, memories and so on of this artist who obviously deeply touched so many via his ‘story’ songs like The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald and Canadian Railroad Trilogy but also his songs about relationships, usually warts and all, born of his own experiences and therefore relatable to many.
So, a bit of a departure from my usual deep cuts show; instead I offer a mixture of Lightfoot’s hits/well-known tunes and some maybe lesser-known but equally compelling songs. I could have filled much more, obviously, than my 2-hour slot but what follows is what I decided upon. Rest in Peace, Gord, and thanks for all that you brought to so many. No track-by-track tales this week, Lightfoot’s songs speak for themselves.
I couldn’t believe the fact that Gordon had passed away. The news of his passing away really shook me up to quite an extent, and I will miss all he was about.
A huge loss. It’s maybe interesting in that just the week before I had played a song of his on the show, then two days later he was gone. It seemed like so many people were talking about and playing his music in the subsequent days, and not just in Canada, either, which is an indication of his widespread impact. The great thing of course is we’ll have his music, forever.