# Does anyone know where the love of God goes? ( RIP Gordon Lightfoot: 2023-May-1 ) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death, music\ **Created:** [May 2, 2023, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445 "2023-05-02T02:51:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/21 "2023-05-02T03:55:10Z")
I had the chance to see him a few years ago, when he was playing a casino near Calgary. Sadly, my schedule got in the way, and I gave the tickets away. Maybe a schedule can be put aside occasionally–a lesson I learned from that. A favourite lyric from “Did She Mention My Name”: > [@](#): > > Is the landlord still a loser, do his signs hang in the hall? > Are the young girls still as pretty in the city, in the fall? > Does the laughter on their faces still put the sun to shame? > And by the way, did she mention my name? > > Did she mention my name just in passing? > And when the talk ran high, > Did the look in her eye seem far away? I think we’ve all been there. Rest well, Gord, you’ve touched us all, and you’ve earned a rest. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/22 "2023-05-02T04:01:19Z")
Lightfoot is a musical icon who takes me back to my youth. As someone who very rarely attends concerts (by which I mean, almost never) it was particularly memorable when Lightfoot performed on campus back in my undergraduate university days. It was a very enjoyable concert and probably helped spur my appreciation of his music, of which I have quite a substantial collection. Another connection to my younger days is that Lightfoot evokes the era when I and several of my friends owned sailboats. Cruising Lake Huron and the gorgeous areas of Georgian Bay and the North Channel, I’d inevitably have Lightfoot on the stereo. He was an avid sailor himself, and of course _Christian Island_ would be part of the mix: _I’m sailing down the summer day_ _Where the 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_ What little I know about Lightfoot’s personal life is that he was a heavy drinker, at least for some part of his life, which probably contributed to premature aging. Whether it accelerated his death we may never know, but still, 84 is a good run. RIP Gordon, you were a national treasure, and part of my youth. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/23 "2023-05-02T04:36:15Z")
Oh, crap! 😢 RIP, Gordon. My next glass of Canadian rye will be for you. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/24 "2023-05-02T04:42:12Z")
I thought about going to see him this past summer at the Canadian National Exhibition, but I wasn’t sure how good his voice was nowadays. I guess I missed my chance. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/25 "2023-05-02T05:02:00Z")
His voice was not good. He had to get helped out onstage, and the audience could barely hear him. Very sad. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/26 "2023-05-02T05:48:00Z")
Very sad news. His music was a big part of my youth, and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” was one of the first 45s I ever bought. The last time I remember seeing him on TV was when he did the halftime show for the 100th Grey Cup game (Canadian Football championship game), which I see was in 2012. He looked old and thin even then, though his voice was still pretty good (even if it wasn’t what it was in the '70s). ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/27 "2023-05-02T06:29:13Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I thought about going to see him this past summer at the Canadian National Exhibition, but I wasn’t sure how good his voice was nowadays. I went to see JD Souther a few years ago at a small venue. His singing and playing both showed his years, but the stories about the soundtrack of my youth made it a great evening even if you wouldn’t want a recording of it. RIP Gordon. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/28 "2023-05-02T06:48:02Z")
I saw him in concert ages ago, probably '82. Nothing too fancy or flashy, just a damn good show. > [@wolfpup](#): > > Another connection to my younger days is that Lightfoot evokes the era when I and several of my friends owned sailboats. Cruising Lake Huron and the gorgeous areas of Georgian Bay and the North Channel, I’d inevitably have Lightfoot on the stereo. I dunno about that. I was on a sailing ship in a storm, once, and I had an earworm of _The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald_. Was not really what I needed to be thinking about, at the time. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/29 "2023-05-02T07:14:04Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I dunno about that. I was on a sailing ship in a storm, once, and I had an earworm of _The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald_. Was not really what I needed to be thinking about, at the time. You should have been thinking about the lyrics of _Christian Island_ instead. 😉 There was a distinct moment in time when I fell in love with sailing, before I owned my own boat, and it happened during the aforementioned Lightfoot era in my life. It was during a sailing course when we happened to be out on Lake Huron in strong winds and rough waters. I was at the wheel when we were tacking against a strong headwind. The boat was heeled over at a seemingly precarious angle, and as it surged through the waves it seemed like a living thing, powered only by the wind, but a huge living thing of many tons with a power and will of its own that I was controlling. And so Gordon perceived it, too … _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 smilin’_ ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/30 "2023-05-02T08:04:43Z")
He ensured that we’d always remember the 29 souls lost on the Fitz. Especially every 10 November. They were so close to Whitefish Bay. If they’d put only 15 more miles behind her. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/31 "2023-05-02T08:21:12Z")
After doing a quick search, we Dopers have remembered the Fitz often. Here are some of the threads with Edmund Fitzgerald in the title. There are some more, still. In a way, these are our way to chime the church bell 29 times… > **[Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wreck-of-the-edmund-fitzgerald/919087)** > > I tend to put youtube on as live action wallpaper - and not use any of my playlists, using the AI generated playlists. I hit on the for lack of a better term, the Woodstock Vintage playlist. I was pleasantly listening along to the generally... > **[Edmund Fitzgerald Day 2016](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edmund-fitzgerald-day-2016/771397)** > > I know one of the old threads was bumped a month or so ago, but I didn’t see it on the first page of this forum. Plus, doing the Billie Joe McCallister and Edmund Fitzgerald annual threads is pretty much my place in the world, so here we are. \*... > **[It's Edmund Fitzgerald Day](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-edmund-fitzgerald-day/737205)** > > Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn minutes to hours? the song, of course > **[Why is the Edmund Fitzgerald so remembered?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-edmund-fitzgerald-so-remembered/561208)** > > Someone makes a thread each year of the anniversary. I was 1 year old when it sank. At the time, was it a national news event? Or is it’s fame due more to the Gordon Lightfoot song? Why did a freighter that lost 29 people become so well known... > **[SS Edmund Fitzgerald](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ss-edmund-fitzgerald/517060)** > > Today is the anniversary of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. > **[Anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald is today...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anniversary-of-the-edmund-fitzgerald-is-today/425914)** > > Nice tribute is here. > **[Edmund Fitzgerald - 30 Years On](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edmund-fitzgerald-30-years-on/330314)** > > Tomorrow will be the 30th anniversary of the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and its 29 crew. November 10, 1975. Yes, I know I am a day early. Growing up in Wisconsin, even southern Wisconsin, the loss of the Fitz and its crew meant something. ... > **["Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wreck-of-the-edmund-fitzgerald/137033)** > > first, I was wondering who EF was & why they named a ship after him- I didn’t find much but enough to satisfy me for a while, but then I realized something… I thought the Wreck occurred back in the 1950’s- but nope, the ship was built then-... > **[Edmund Fitzgerald question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edmund-fitzgerald-question/130924)** > > I was reading the lyrics and came to the bit where it says, They might have split up, or they might have capsized. They may have broke deep, and took water. What does that last bold line mean/refer to? Thanks in advance. > **[Edmund Fitzgerald](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edmund-fitzgerald/106463)** > > Was the ship in that ole Gordon Lightfoot song (The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald) real? Did such a ship sink a hundred or so years ago? > **["The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wreck-of-the-edmund-fitzgerald/9639)** > > Gordon Lightfoot’s saddest song played on the radio this AM while I was out collecting supplies necessary for a proper Sunday - the newspapers, etc. Not a bad tune, actually, and I prolonged my errands to hear it in its entirety. The question I... ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/32 "2023-05-02T09:23:44Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I saw him in concert ages ago, probably '82. Nothing too fancy or flashy, just a damn good show He was one of those guys (along with Neil Young and Bob Dylan and John Prine and JJ Cale) whose songwriting ability was leaps and bounds ahead of their performing and producing. I’ve just been watching a heap of his live performances, in his honour. His songs are phenomenal, his band and production pedestrian at best. And if you [want a laugh, watch thi](https://youtu.be/DSkN8EC6EA4)s. Make sure you stick around for the second version, at around 04.00 ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/33 "2023-05-02T10:35:15Z")
Every time I kayaked on Lake Superior, my goal was not to become a Gordon Lightfoot song… Brian ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/34 "2023-05-02T12:05:41Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > And if you [want a laugh, watch thi](https://youtu.be/DSkN8EC6EA4)s. I thought about this clip from Burton Cummings: > **[Gordon Lightfoot Does Maggie May (Burton Cummings)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rh5slFWPlY%2F)** > > Burton Cummings pretending to be Gordon Lightfoot pretending to be Rod Stewart - and doing an amazing job of it ---
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/35 "2023-05-02T12:30:42Z")
> **[Gordon Lightfoot, Hitmaking Singer-Songwriter, Is Dead at 84](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/arts/music/gordon-lightfoot-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=QxkVmnfVbgFI146yx_QHHHnrO8lxKhGrMIvvUfoQzZwIVt-3WsCcj4Oa55gxJa0Hg1hEHXmtF66qGrI7pYpxlEFCucPfdte8ek-j-4twM2wdj_K8sXPLFUCG78UZyDMJeaoGoXr5UWBrkgdDyvwgJPhYKud6LIrRI5fqk7oigwej8m7wvlVlwiTy8bR5jjZ4_S0fWxuODx7xobs1Q__WmB37TjpSyeTNqic96VCXl2Q3cIx93F9NEW_u08SqapGt3nHj7g-iKnZEWsjmNhIdOTBUHThkwZlMNE7toBoiv9PQyux3dhKPJL620fjqXzlYzJ3v6oj0Gldk0ljoPDI4ozBT&giftCopy=3_Independent&smid=url-share)** > > His rich baritone and gift for melodies made him one of the most popular artists of the 1970s with songs like “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” and “If You Could Read My Mind.” Sundown, you better take care! ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/36 "2023-05-02T12:44:48Z")
[You know that ghost is me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK--A-IaZnA). What a great talent. RIP Mr. Lightfoot. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/37 "2023-05-02T12:54:20Z")
Gordon Lightfoot was an extraordinary singer/songwriter whose legacy goes far beyond the songs we remember as his Top 40 hits. In the 1970s, when his star was shining its brightest, I saw two of his concerts on the college circuit. They remain two of the most memorable performances I’ve ever attended. Over many decades, his music was an important part of my life. I feel almost like I’ve lost a friend. I expect over the next days and weeks to plug in the old turntable and enjoy the eight or so LPs I have all over again. Farewell, Mr. Lightfoot, and thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/38 "2023-05-02T14:01:27Z")
That was one of the first albums I listened to (I don’t remember which of my sisters it belonged to, or maybe it was my brother’s…), and this was the first artist I tried to imitate. The Guess Who wrote a beautiful tribute to him back in '68 - this song pretty much summed up Gordon Lightfoot for me. [The Guess Who - Lightfoot (Official Audio) - YouTube](https://youtu.be/FSCpsV1ze6M) ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/39 "2023-05-02T14:02:18Z")
**Guinastasia** (RIP) participated in most of those threads. An Edmund Fitzgerald info site she linked to in '02, [Awesome Mitten](https://www.awesomemitten.com/the-wreck-of-the-edmund-fitzgerald/) is still there. Now I’m doubly sad, but who knows? Maybe Gordie and Guin are having a little chat right now, waiting in line for some afterlife service. No queuing in the next realm? As if. I love that song and many others by Lightfoot. Great voice. A great storytelling voice. So long,Gordon, your music will live on forever. I just remembered a tiny piece of Lightfoot trivia: he wasn’t descended from any North American tribes. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who thought Lightfoot was Cree or another regional tribal name. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2023, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/40 "2023-05-02T14:15:57Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I thought about this clip from Burton Cummings: And, I thought about this clip from _SCTV_: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZpk0A4hZes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZpk0A4hZes) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445.md?page=3)