# 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:** 5
**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 3, 2023, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/81 "2023-05-03T20:20:41Z")
That very likely affected his voice, yes. But hard living (and hard drinking) was also part of his life. In his younger days Lightfoot quite strongly resembled a very good friend of mine, with that same sort of genial shaggy appearance (ironically, my shaggy friend, although he did once play in a band, was actually an insurance executive!). But in later life Lightfoot deteriorated markedly in physical appearance, looking much older than he was. By the time he hit 80 he looked like he had one foot in the grave. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2023, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/82 "2023-05-03T20:31:07Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > By the time he hit 80 he looked like he had one foot in the grave. By the time a man is 80, half of them have both feet in the grave. He was doing (slightly) better than average at that point simply by being warm and above ground. šŸ˜ But yeah, your real point that hard living ages a body is for sure. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2023, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/83 "2023-05-03T20:35:30Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > To be fair, that was after his triple A, he was in a coma for 6 weeks and had a tracheotomy. Iā€™d give you 3 to 1 that had more to do with his voice. And with his appearance. 6 weeks of muscle wasting away is a lot. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2023, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/84 "2023-05-03T20:39:26Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > I watched a documentary on him. He had disavowed this song, refused to ever play it again. He said it couldnā€™t reconcile the message in the lyrics with his own feelings. > > [He later felt some embarrassment about the song, and said, ā€œI didnā€™t know what chauvinism was.ā€](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/02/arts/music/gordon-lightfoot-songs.html) (Referring to the song ā€œFor Lovinā€™ Meā€) Until I saw that documentary, Iā€™d always thought the singer was supposed to be a self-unaware asshole. I had no idea Lightfoot was singing it straight. ---
**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 3, 2023, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/85 "2023-05-03T23:15:56Z")
I just want to say that Iā€™ve spent hours and hours now reliving Gordā€™s music while sitting at the computer. Iā€™ll never regret my impulsive but expensive purchase of Boston Acoustics MediaTheater computer speakers with virtual surround. Besides fantastic sound enhanced by an excellent subwoofer, they have spatial visualization like Iā€™ve never experienced before with any other speakers. As I sit here Gordā€™s voice is literally coming out of the exact center of my screen, with instrumentals all around. And Iā€™m being drawn back into my past. ---
**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 3, 2023, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/86 "2023-05-03T23:45:14Z")
As I was reading articles and info I think I saw that comment of his too. That song was from the NY Times list, from an article link someone provided upthread. Your comments would explain why that song is not on the list of 9 songs he said that he always played at concerts. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2023, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/87 "2023-05-03T23:46:31Z")
It would be interesting to get a list of all the lyric changes. When I looked for them on a cursory Google check, I could only find the original lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/88 "2023-05-04T06:44:15Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > Every time I kayaked on Lake Superior, my goal was not to become a Gordon Lightfoot songā€¦ Whenever I drive, Iā€™m glad Jan & Dean arenā€™t making music anymore. ---
**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 4, 2023, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/89 "2023-05-04T14:42:03Z")
Rick Beato has done a beautiful tribute to Gord at this link - [Gordon Lightfoot 1938-2023 R.I.P. - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/live/4Iw7Jei8XOo?feature=share) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/90 "2023-05-10T19:59:14Z")
Having lunch in the neighbourhood pub and Ā« Sundown Ā» just came on. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/91 "2023-05-10T20:32:16Z")
He was largely before my time. But what a lyricist! Until reading this thread I did not fully appreciate that. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/92 "2023-05-12T00:14:18Z")
When my brother and I had our boat we complied a mix tape of nautical songs. We would always play one of Gordonā€™s lesser known works, while coming in to Erie harbor the incredibly haunting Ghosts of Cape Horn. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eacnVUCoSyg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eacnVUCoSyg) ---
**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 12, 2023, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/93 "2023-05-12T02:03:18Z")
I too am new to Gordon Lightfootā€™s works, like another poster upthread, and am fascinated by his lyrics. Here is a version with the lyrics to that song: [Gordon Lightfoot: The Ghosts of Cape Horn - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vy-GXG2v-Q) ---
**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 12, 2023, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/94 "2023-05-12T05:33:43Z")
Kickinā€™ around youtube I rediscovered this tune, which hasnā€™t been mentioned, yet. Iā€™d known it from an old forgotten mix tape. [Summer Side of Life - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiMJk7trF00) (apparently I canā€™t embed media items anymore, for some reason) ---
**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 12, 2023, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/95 "2023-05-12T06:50:13Z")
Thanks to this thread, Iā€™ve had Gordon Lightfoot earworms for days now. Not any one song, but a sort of random rotation. He was not only a great lyricist, he sure knew how to compose a tune. ---
**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 12, 2023, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/96 "2023-05-12T11:02:34Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > (apparently I canā€™t embed media items anymore, for some reason) Thereā€™s an ATMB thread about the error and workaround. > [@YouTube links randomly re-starting](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-links-randomly-re-starting/982532/6): > > I get this error on the iPhone: [[image] ](https://i.imgur.com/ydRlN4i.png) Whatā€™s the workaround for iPhone? ---
**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 13, 2023, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/97 "2023-05-13T04:28:01Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > (apparently I canā€™t embed media items anymore, for some reason) You can if you play around with it a bit using the workarounds in the thread mentioned above: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/fiMJk7trF00/maxresdefault.jpg "Summer Side of Life") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiMJk7trF00) > [@YouTube links randomly re-starting](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-links-randomly-re-starting/982532/6): > > Whatā€™s the workaround for iPhone? I donā€™t think the workaround are platform-specific. ---
**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:** [January 22, 2024, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/98 "2024-01-22T23:19:19Z")
Bumping this topic just to say that I recently watched the documentary below, and it rekindled all the old nostalgic memories, and the time I saw him once in concert in my university years (right on campus, yet!). He was of course a great Canadian music icon, but there were a few things about him that I hadnā€™t known. One was just how big a success he was as a performer, and how consummately Canadian he really was. The US music biz helped him greatly, and he spent some time in LA, but unlike Leonard Cohen and other notable Canadian successes, he turned down generous offers to remain there and returned to his true love: the Toronto music scene, and the Canadian northland where he loved to sail and canoe. I also had not realized that he was close friends with Bob Dylan, and the two admired each otherā€™s work. RIP, Gordon. You were one of a kind. > **[Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind (2019) ā­ 7.7 | Documentary,...](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10237902/)** > > 1h 31m | Not Rated Also, despite being a devoted fan, I somehow had never heard this song before, which I tracked down after hearing it in the movie: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/iFU5ryWvCdg/maxresdefault.jpg "Long Way Back Home") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFU5ryWvCdg) ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2024, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/99 "2024-01-23T00:13:52Z")
Thanks for this. I never heard it before either, but itā€™s going on my Gordon playlist. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2024, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-know-where-the-love-of-god-goes-rip-gordon-lightfoot-2023-may-1/983445/100 "2024-01-23T01:27:19Z")
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