jimintoronto
Well-known Member
It has been 156 years since our Confederation in 1867. The Railroad Trilogy, by Gordon Lightfoot is a poetic masterpiece
In 1967, the Canadian Broadcasting TV network commissioned Gordon Lightfoot to compose a song to be used on the national Canada Day broadcast. Gord wrote this epic musical tribute to our national railways, the Canadian National, and the Canadian Pacific. He did it over three hectic days and nights. As always he wrote the lyrics, and the score sheets, and the arrangement, by himself. Standing alone on a CBC sound stage in Toronto, he played it live. Over the years I was a big fan of Gord, a man who died this year at age 83. Canada lost it's most prodigious song writer and singer this year. Here are the lyrics. Read it as a poem, in three parts. The first part talks about "the green dark forests, too silent to be real ". "Long before the white man, and long before the wheel, the tall majestic mountains stand alone against the sun ".
Here are the complete lyrics, by Gordon Lightfoot.
gordon lightfoot railroad trilogy lyrics - Search (bing.com)
At 8 minutes long, the Trilogy was three times as long as a contemporary popular song in 1967, but it went on to sell over three million singles, around the world. Over the course of his 50 year career, Gord sold ten million albums, and his songs were "covered by over 300 singers and bands " With over 250 songs in his song book, he could play for seven nights straight, and never repeat a song. He never performed any one else's material on stage, and he never co-wrote with anyone else. A truly amazing talent.
Happy Canada Day to all of my fellow Canadians on SF. Peace, Order, and Good Government is our national motto. From Sea to Sea to Sea. JimB.
In 1967, the Canadian Broadcasting TV network commissioned Gordon Lightfoot to compose a song to be used on the national Canada Day broadcast. Gord wrote this epic musical tribute to our national railways, the Canadian National, and the Canadian Pacific. He did it over three hectic days and nights. As always he wrote the lyrics, and the score sheets, and the arrangement, by himself. Standing alone on a CBC sound stage in Toronto, he played it live. Over the years I was a big fan of Gord, a man who died this year at age 83. Canada lost it's most prodigious song writer and singer this year. Here are the lyrics. Read it as a poem, in three parts. The first part talks about "the green dark forests, too silent to be real ". "Long before the white man, and long before the wheel, the tall majestic mountains stand alone against the sun ".
Here are the complete lyrics, by Gordon Lightfoot.
gordon lightfoot railroad trilogy lyrics - Search (bing.com)
At 8 minutes long, the Trilogy was three times as long as a contemporary popular song in 1967, but it went on to sell over three million singles, around the world. Over the course of his 50 year career, Gord sold ten million albums, and his songs were "covered by over 300 singers and bands " With over 250 songs in his song book, he could play for seven nights straight, and never repeat a song. He never performed any one else's material on stage, and he never co-wrote with anyone else. A truly amazing talent.
Happy Canada Day to all of my fellow Canadians on SF. Peace, Order, and Good Government is our national motto. From Sea to Sea to Sea. JimB.
