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Gordon Lightfoot
About If You Could Read My Mind
"If You Could Read My Mind" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. It reached number one on Canadian music charts and was his first recording to appear on the American music charts, reaching number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in February 1971. Later in the year it reached number 30 in the UK. The song also reached number one for one week on the Billboard Easy Listening chart, and was the first of four Lightfoot releases to reach number one. This song first appeared on Lightfoot's 1970 album Sit Down Young Stranger, which was later renamed If You Could Read My Mind following the song's success. Lightfoot has cited his divorce for inspiring the lyrics, saying they came to him as he was sitting in a vacant Toronto house one summer. At the request of his daughter, Ingrid, he performs the lyrics with a slight change now: the line "I'm just trying to understand the feelings that you lack" is altered to "I'm just trying to understand the feelings that we lack." He has said in an interview that the difficulty with writing songs inspired by personal stories is that there is not always the emotional distance and clarity to make lyrical improvements such as the one his daughter suggested. In 1987 Lightfoot filed a lawsuit against the writer of "The Greatest Love of All", alleging plagiarism of 24 bars of "If You Could Read My Mind". Lightfoot has stated that he dropped the lawsuit when he felt it was having a negative effect on the singer Whitney Houston, as the lawsuit was about the writer and not her. The song is in A major and uses the subtonic chord.more »
- Year:
- 2019
- 3:49
- 2,219Views
- Playlists:
- #5
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Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
If you could read my mind loveWhat a tale my thoughts could tellJust like an old time movieAbout a ghost from a wishing wellIn a castle dark or a fortress strongWith chains upon my feetYou know that ghost is meAnd I will never be set freeAs long as I'm a ghost you can seeIf I could read your mind loveWhat a tale your thoughts could tellJust like a paperback novelThe kind the drugstore sellsWhen you reach the part where the heartachesCome the hero would be meHeroes often failAnd you won't read that book againBecause the ending's just to hard to takeI walk away like a movie starWho gets burned in a three way scriptEnter number two, a movie queenTo play the scene of bringing all the good things out in meBut for now love lets be realI never thought I could act this wayAnd I've got to say that I just don't get itI don't know where we went wrongBut the feelings gone and I just can't get it backIf you could read my mind loveWhat a tale my thoughts could tellJust like an old time movie about a ghost from a wishing wellIn a castle dark or a fortress strongWith chains upon my feetThe story always endsAnd if you read between the linesYou'll know that I'm just trying to understandThe feeling that you leftI never thought I could feel this wayAnd I've got to say that I just don't get itI don't know where we went wrongBut the feeling's goneAnd I just can't get it back
Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
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Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Meredith Lightfoot, Jr. CC OOnt (born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music, and has been credited for helping define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s. He has been referred to as Canada's greatest songwriter and internationally as a folk-rock legend. more »
22 fans
Genre »
Pop, Rock
Style »
Pop Rock, Soft Rock
Sheet Music PDF Playlist
Written by: Gordon Lightfoot
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Artist Background"If You Could Read My Mind" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, who is recognized as one of the most significant musicians in the folk-pop genre and has been referred to as Canada's greatest songwriter. |
Release and SuccessThe song was released in 1970 on his album "Sit Down Young Stranger," which was later renamed after the hit song due to its soaring popularity. It remains Lightfoot's best-known song internationally. |
Chart Performance"If You Could Read My Mind" reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was also a top 10 hit in Canada and Australia, cementing his wide-reaching appeal. |
Lyrics and InterpretationThe song is known for its introspective lyrics that evoke both romance and melancholy. Lightfoot was inspired to write the song by his then-end of his first marriage. |
Critical AcclaimThe song has been lauded for its poetic lyrics, catchy melody, and Lightfoot's emotive vocals. It has been praised as a ‘masterpiece’ and ‘quintessential folk-pop’. |
Cultural Impact"If You Could Read My Mind" has been covered by over 100 artists, including Barbra Streisand, Johnny Cash, Liza Minnelli, and more recently by the indie rock band Stars. This shows its enduring impact in popular music. |
Use in MediaThe song has been featured in numerous films, commercials, and TV shows, demonstrating its staying power and broad appeal. |
Live PerformancesEven in his later years, Gordon Lightfoot frequently includes "If You Could Read My Mind" in his live performances, indicating the song's importance in his repertoire. |
Album ArtThe album cover of "Sit Down Young Stranger," features a contemplative and somber Lightfoot, fitting the reflective and introspective themes of "If You Could Read My Mind." |
RecognitionThe song was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003. |
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