Added: 2 years ago
From: anippygirl
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  • Not only a palatable voice, but a very guteral guitar player. Too bad someone could not clone him. Because, I would like to hear him play the mandolin. I have never heard anyone play 12 string that well! Makes me wonder if he could play a mandolin. What a great day in humanity when we can listen to this. Amen.....

  • To me this song is rather poignant, myself being a railwayman, yes not in Canada but still its the same really. "And many are the dead men...to silent to be real", those words always send a shiver down my spine!

  • Well I had to come back and listen to my favorite song by Gordon Lightfoot. 8O) I also added it to the worldunitedmusicDOTblogspotDOT­com website with a share to facebook. 8O)

  • God bless real music :)

  • @JackTiger9 if the white race falls to 1%of the world's population by anytime who's fault is that? Their own. have you ever had one of those genetic scans done of your blood that can trace your genes back 10,000 years? I bet you and me both would be suprised where all our blood line has been. So preach to the right pulpit. This is an amazing song have always loved it. being a 12 string guitar fan and player myself, love about everything Gordon ever did or redone.

  • Recently drove up through some old mining towns in British Columbia, along the Thompson River. You can see from the highway the CPR on the other side of the river; like 100 metres up on the edge (and going through at times) solid rock. Absolutely amazing. It doesn't seem possible that they could build it now, let alone over 100 years ago.

  • COOL!!!

  • Love this song.

  • Lightfoot*

    

  • Man, whenever I have a roadtrip across the country, I just pop in a Gordon Lighfoot or John Denver CD and im set... :D

  • Gord doesn't do this one at his live show, but its' one of my favorites too. Its' one of those Canadian icon songs!

  • It's really great to compare these arrangements with the versions on Gord's Gold that were all re-recorded or remixed (I think).

  • @pacatrue, I had always assumed the "Gord's Gold" version was the original, not knowing much about the artist. This original version isn't quite as "epic" sounding, but still quite good.

  • @Antithropocentric Yeah, it always bothered me because it wasn't quite right. It's slower, lethargic and digitalized. The same happens with Edmund Fitzgerald in gord's gold.

  • @skydome29, I think the Gord's Gold version is better - you may have misunderstood. And it was in the analog-only days.

  • Problem is there is not one photo shows any of the thousands of Chinese labourers that built the rail through the Canadian Rockies, many of whom lost their lives through blasting and doing the dangerous work no one else would.

    For half the pay and no recognition such in this song or vid......you can't change history.....so get it right....

  • Happy belated B-Day Mr. Lightfoot...

    A Canadian treasure..

  • the dislike bar is like air, you don't see it, but you know it's there

  • Dead on the mark Platter......Long Live Canadain Pacific!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • My wife and I saw Gordon Lightfoot this past October at Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. They were great and considering the fact that Gordon survived a near fatal illness and is over 70 years old, he put on a great show. They had just finished an 18 appearance American tour to sold out crowds in most cases.

  • Bless you Jeff from Dallas.. from your neightbour up north!!

  • someone is not good with math @JackTiger9

  • I listened too this everyday, I worked on the Marii Times Pipeline. Sanford to Machias.

    Lowell Lee Morse

  • I'd have paid to see him, but I didn't have to. Canucks I have paid to see were Bryan Addams. And fucking William Shatner.

  • By 2100 whites will be only 1% of the world population, down from 35% in 1900. This kind of music will come to an end. And I don't think the invaders will sing any trilogies for us when we are gone.

  • @JackTiger9 I'm just curious as to what angle you are taking this statement from? Is this to be the trend? What kind of invaders do you speak of? Why won't they speak of us?

  • @JackTiger9 Who are these invaders, Jacko? Do they have antenae and drive spaceships?

  • @JackTiger9 Seriously dude? Only fools like you worry about nonsense. Just to remind you, this is a song about Canadian Railroad history. Has nothing to do with race.

  • Long before the White man,

    and long before the wheel ...

    When the green dark forest,

    was too slient to be real.

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  • The CPR was the link that made Canada but not completed in 1881. But it is a complicated history. I wish you would have included the whole verse (A dollar a day and a toast for the dead...) before your lyrics

  • This was WONDERFUL!!! Thanks for the lyrics and all the great illustrations!! Loved it!!

  • A well written valentine for Canada at her hundredth birthday to the railroad, and the men and women who built that railroad, that helped create Canada.

  • what a song! what a song for me! my lady "wild trout" went away to Canada and I was really sad....but I found this music and even sadness turned into a feeling of freedom. It is personal.

  • Lightfoot sings the heart and soul of this great land like no else can or ever has. The best that ever was, is or ever will be.

  • Lightfoot is one of the best. I'm from Texas, but I appreciate my neighbors to the North. Does he ever tour anymore? I'd like to see him, but it'd be kind of hard for me to get to Canada. My eyes are so bad, I can't drive anymore.

  • aicdethfan84, I live in Orillia, where he is from and have seen him perform a few times now at our local annual folk festival, Mariposa Folk Festival. He is truly one of the best

  • To any of my neighbors in the north (Canada) who may have an opportunity to see Mr. Lightfoot: someone PLEASE tell him that NO ONE holds a candle to his ability to craft a song. Others may try, but sorry: no cigar.

  • @aicdethfan84 Stan Rogers.

  • TO ALL MY FELLOW CANADIANS IT IS VERY SAD TO HEAR OF THE PASSING AWAY OF THE HONOURABLE JACK LAYTON. HE WILL BE DEEPLY MISSED. LET US TAKE TIME OUT TO REMEMBER JACK LAYTON FOR EVERYTHING HE DID FOR CANADA HE NEVER FAILED. I WOULD ASK ALL CANADIANS TO FORGET THERE POLITICAL STRIPES BUT LET US REMEMBER I WISH THAT GORDON LIGHTFOOT COULD WRITE A PHONE ABOUT JACK LAYTON GORDON LIGHTFOOT IS A GREAT SINGER COMPOSER EH

  • One of Canada's treasures!

  • I love when he talks about the rail road he plays his guitar faster very creative.

  • This was a sonf about the working man.

    Sad to say in this day and age we don't give a damn about the plight of labourers.

  • Epic poem by a superlative musician.

  • I feel very proud to be a Canadian when I hear this song.. thanks so much gordon lightfoot

  • could one song more aptly describe the tapestry of a country?

  • My favorite Lightfoot song. The verse toward the end of this song is among my favorite lyric...

    "Oh the song of the future has been sung

    All the battles have been won

    O'er the mountain tops we stand

    All the world at our command

    We have opened up the soil

    With our teardrops and our toil"

    It's also, to me, a shout out to my (U.S.) beloved neighbors to the north, Canada.

    Thanks for uploading :) Jeff. Dallas, Tx

  • @TheScoop8 This was the last song that I played and sang for my Dad the day before he died. He loved this.

  • Happy Canada Day all!

  • Pardon? The artist says he doesn't like a song he wrote and recorded. He may have had a different tempo in mind, but he said it was to his liking when he finished it, and we all have second thoughts, as to do it better. But it is a fine tribute to being a Canadian

  • Great song and artist, but horrible version. Ligthfoot said himself he doesn't like this version. Temp is too fast in parts, looses it's train-like chug, chug, chug tempo.

  • its kinda sad cuzz they broke up the cpr up ..... my town used to have tracks running along the lake but theyre gone now.... :/

  • my adotped dad loves this song.. i grew up lissaning to him sing this song XD its awesome!

  • u have much 2 learn,Grasshopper

  • did u c the Kung Fu episode where Cain stopped a chinese riot that would have killed many because they had a gattling gn so Kwai Chang took it out and about 12 other white guys , by himself

  • remember the chinese volunteered to work,yes,was not what they expected,no humans had done it b4 the trains continental RR

  • Never ever have ehard this song until jsut this moment! A true great North American Folk singer, poet, historian. Thank you! and the video with this is fantastic too!

  • Sir John A Macdonald really had this Railroad built to guard against American encroachment upon Canadian lands and prevent a Civil War from breaking Canada apart. Unfortunately he set off the Metis Rebellion led by the Noble Louis Riel and caused a lot of needless bloodshed because he forced the CPR upon their soil...

  • @SouthwestRanger but no one knows what problem they had in having the CPR running upon their soil...

  • @AlexGudesblat this man may be the best ever in My opinion,the best what? troubador

  • Wonder how Gorden L. thinks about these days ????

  • @mogoger Because he's brillant, of course.

  • can someone educate me about where and when this railroad was built...where it started and where it ended. tia

  • @platter1000 The Canadian Pacific Railway stretches from Montreal to Vancouver. It was built in 1881, because when British Columbia joined Canada in 1871, the Canadian government promised to build a railroad connecting the new province to eastern Canada. It's always been an important symbol of Canadian nationalism, because of how it united our country when it was young. That's all I know, but I hope it helps, and someone can correct me if I'm wrong! :)

  • @ADKubi I'm glad someone else knows one of the foundations of the country. Too bad it's all slipping away!

  • @ADKubi you are right however other significant causes of the railroad were it allowed the, now called RCMP, to fight the first nations in the plains, and keep the Americans from taking the west, and allowed supplies to reach far out west

  • 6 people died making the railroad

  • @Ipodfanz97 6 people died just making the video of the railroad.

  • @alan4sure Hahahaha...genius, sir!

  • absolutly killer

  • good Canadian singer right there!!!!

  • montylorree said Canadian Masterpiece but this is really a World Masterpiece.

  • A Canadian Masterpiece

  • There is a pretty good version that Gord sang on the Johnny Cash Show in 1971. Looks like it's lipsynched but still it's enjoyable. If you check it out , you judge.

    Johnny Cash Show-Canadian Railroad Trilogy

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  • decent song....tho i gotta ask, why is it that every canadian i've met has been nothing but a pompous butthole?????

  • @PeppermintSweetheart, since you asked a question (with five question marks no less), I assume you expect an answer. What's the phrase - "You are the company you keep?" How about "Like attracts like?" Or "Birds of a feather flock together?"

    In other words, your question is that of a pompous butthole.

  • When I vacation to Canada someday, I'd like to see the railroad :)

  • God bless u Gordon

  • Syzygy60 is not of the real world. Beware those who would invent "green" taxes to save the planet. A plastic carrier bag is bad - but OK if you pay for it! I'm all for looking after the planet but not to be mugged by liars! (Missinformed but devious idiots)

    Sorry. This should not detract from enjoying the great Gordon Lightfoot.

  • ☆☆☆☆☆

    

  • yep, my daddy was a railroader, god bless him, i miss him so :)

    thanks lisa ♥ and nippygirl :)

  • TRUE

  • Wow ! Talk about going off on a tangent !!!!

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  • very nice post  cheers

  • George Soros a billionare who owns NBC and all affiliates and General Electric are perpetrating a fraud on the world to make money on "green" energy,what a crock,u gotta have shit for brains to believe that

  • no,because it's a fraud

  • that's why I hate global warmers,even if we were in trouble have they ever suggested planet hopping?

  • to leapfrog from planet or system or spread out is logical

  • is a guess but I believe the reason every system in the universe is in different stages,means we need to time our intelligence and departure

  • did u ever play logic computer games?

  • God made the earth for man,someone did

  • democrats complain capitalism destroys the earth yet they permit abortion,I hate lying hypocrits

  • @Syzygy60 -No one thinks abortion is a good idea. In the 70s abortion was legalized because women were being maimed at illegal abortion clinics. Capitalism need not destroy our Earth to achieve its objective. Your hate is the problem, check the facts more deeply before being so vocal.

  • commies like to point to mistakes of the past,conservatives look forward

  • don't lay guilt on a growing country,the chinese came voluntarily

  • By Disses you goofs!

  • One of my FAVORITE Gordy tunes

  • r we free or r we sheep? we decide

  • at least they weren't fat lazy pigs living off government

  • Remember Freedom isn't Free!

  • the better half if you forget the great lakes

  • praise the human spirit

  • some want to blame I come to praise

  • great song love.... that pickin in the background awsome.....proud CANADIAN

  • What a great tune. The last of good music. This, ladies and gentlemen, Is what music was. Talent.

  • NOBODY and I mean NOBODY, writes a ballad like Gordon Lightfoot writes a ballad. I grew up in Duluth, MN and always thought I was part Canadian mainly because I knew every Gordon Lightfoot song ever written. This guy was always underated in my books. Dylan was great but Gordon was even a notch above. Not just great musicians, but truly gifted as poets. I could listen to GL for hours and hours at a time. What a tremendous gift he was given and shared with the world. God Bless him.

  • Wonderful song...captures the emotion of the sacrifice of things we take for granted. As an American I salute the quality of the Canadian people who appreciate nature and life.

  • a canadian folk singer of the best class there is. true canadiana!

  • its over 9000!

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  • Ayn Rand would love this tune!!!

  • who are the 6 people who don't like this?

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  • while living downtown detroit 1980 two of the greatest broadcast ever on canadian tv a ballet of this song and the Miracle live ballet not my thing but love to see again

  • Canada - No place for the squeamish or weak! If the Landscape, weather and wildlife doesn't get you, the taxes will! Still, I love my country...Faults and all!

  • Looks like you got the "fact" from the Canadian Idol video comments section for "Canadian Trilogy"

  • One of the greatest songs ever written by one of the greatest performers.

  • Ah...Gordon Lightfoot!

    A musical genius!

    Super video Linda......great job!

  • i just saw him live, a dream come true. soooo good.

  • Thank you for this! Learned this on my guitar in the 60s for my dad who was a railroader all his life. One of the most beautiful songs ever written.

  • Job well done my Friend

    Sent chills up my spine, and put a tear in my eye.

    Bravo!!!!!!

  • Excellent Job my friend.

    Sent chills up my back, and put tears in my eyes

  • this is perfection.

  • they say there are 10 commie professors to everyone 1 of me

  • this should be north american anthem

  • This should be Canada's second national anthem

  • I understand that this version is not from Gord's Gold but there is no denying Gord's soulful voice ! Gord can hold a note and that's a fact !

  • Maybe I'm a little slow tonight.

    Why "Trilogy"? Is the music broken into three parts? Something else?

  • @mottledbrain The song is divided into three distinct sections with three unique melodies.

  • Great Song..fantastic story . Check out Canadian Railroad Trilogy pairing Lightfoot's heart-stirring lyrics with stunning pastel images by renowned Canadian illustrator Ian Wallace in a new book published by House of Anansi Press

  • They say, there's one dead Chinese man for every mile of the railroad.

  • @shadow13420 It figures that some asshole has to make a totally off base remark like this. This urban legend has been made before with no supporting evidence of such actions taken by any RR. Cooley's and Gandy Dancers did contribute to most western RR's but to say one per mile is a strong aquisation as many men contributed to the laying of track and to say that Chinese were exploited is not correct.

  • @otet532 One, this is not an off based remark. The chinese contributed to the building of the railroad. Secondly, The chinese were exploited because they hardly made any money and after their contribution to the railroad, a head tax was put on the chinese and finally, they were not allowed to immigrate to Canada at all. There may not be evidence to the chinese dying, but they were cheated by Canada. I still am a proud Canadian.

  • @shadow13420 So how many Europeans died per mile of track?

  • @redhotpepper37 Who said anything about Europeans? I don't know. I just got this fact from a commercial.

  • @shadow13420 ...and a dead dukabhor for every sow sired...

  • @shadow13420 the chinese volunteered

  • @shadow13420 w h o a r e t h e y ? 

  • @shadow13420 how that got so many thumbs up is eerie

  • @shadow13420

    More like one dead Irish man, amirite.

  • @shadow13420

    Tough luck to the f#$cking Chinese.

  • @shadow13420 who's they?...u got a frog in ur pocket?

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  • All though I love this song and Gordon Lightfoot is an amazing song writer, I can tell you that the version of this song released in "Gord's Gold" is SO much better. This version is, well... Less melodious, faster than it should be in some parts, and doesn't sound beautiful like the one in Gord's Gold. That one is amazing. It just blows me away every time I listen to it.

  • Ah, when songs were about something real...

  • ...sp! Gordon Lightfoot is such a great singer/storyteller.

  • What a great ballad.. Gordon Lightfoot is such a singer/storyteller.

  • StevieB..if u wanna hear great 12 string listen to "JBT Best version of Pickapart"..imo best ever, that and Ocean

  • With all due respect to Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot is Canada's poet laureate.

  • Wow! The equivalent & answer to the American Trucker songs. Man, he really kicks ass with that 12 string!! Thanks for the photos & posting this beautiful song. Like an interesting history lesson.

  • Gorden's tribute to the founding of Canada, the better half of North America, and where all good Minnesotans want to go in the afterlife.

  • @ryoushii thats TOO funny ryoushii!! from: a Minnesota man...... but what do you mean?? we are alredy Canadians by proxy!! :)

  • Me think all good Minnesotans want to go to Norway ...

  • @branndotus And all the good Norwegians want to go to Greece or Rio... :-)

  • @ryoushii what do you mean, where do they want to go

  • This is a great song. Gordon Lightfoot will reign as one of the greatest story tellers in pop, or folk. He paints a picture of the early history of railroad workers in Canada, whose toil was never appreciated. He is as true an artist in providing us with verbal imagery as Van Gogh did with his brush. God bless you Gordo.

  • listen and learn ,,Canadians....

  • me and gordy go way back

  • never liked "the boss"

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  • I like how Gordie understands the psychological mindset of migrant workers. He's really gotten into their heads:

    ....across the wide prairies our loved ones lie sleeping...beyond the dark oceans in a place far away....

    ... a dollar a day and a place for my head.... a drink to the living a toast to the dead...

  • @makinawdandy6699 Love your comment. The song is about men who followed their vision through hard times. "We have opened up the soil with our teardrops and our toil." The vision was grand if more than a bit naive. But the spirit of Lightfoot's navvies is noble.

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  • @benhurfanclub I love the Boss too though!

  • @Robbie0Music0Critic I think they are both great lyricists, among the best I have heard in my lifetime.

  • @benhurfanclub Damn straight! Gordon Lightfoot's the king of folk-rock!

  • Travel by train in Canada VIA Rail and or Amtrak in the United States! Especially if you have never been on a train!

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  • follow me

  • real

    

  • long 4 the whte man and long b4 the wheel

  • yes screw us

  • Could not agree more!! And he passed away this year. a Canadian icon