I've come to realize that my
grandfather was the original
stoic bard in the family and
there will be no equal. I'm just a weak
knock-off,
wearing all black to make up for my
shortcomings.
Everything I ever learned of
angst,
unrequited love... all the
pangs of
this mortal coil... I was set to
receive them all by listening to this
song by
Gordon Lightfoot. My
grandpa played the
vinyl over and over again, way
out there in the front room, seemingly
miles away.
Gloom distorts distances in the grandest ways.
I always felt so
priveledged when allowed to sneak in for
sippers of
Pabst Blue Ribbon and a good hard listen to the song that made me the
sinkhole of despondency I am today.
More importantly, I learned that the most
abhorred of tragedies gains
validation in a good
telling.
Without further ado :
If you could read my mind
by
Gordon Lightfoot. First released as a "new" song on the "best of" album
Gord's Gold(1975).*
if you could
read my mind love
what a
tale my thoughts could tell
just like an old time
movie
'bout a
ghost from a wishing well
in a castle dark
or a fortress strong
with
chains upon my feet
you know that ghost is me
and i will never be
set free
as long as
i'm a ghost that you can't see
if i could
read your mind love
what a tale
your thoughts could
tell
just like a
paperback novel
the kind the
drugstores sell
when you reach the part
where the
heartache comes
the
hero would be me
but heroes often fail
and
you won't read that book again
because
the ending's just too hard to take
i'd
walk away
like a
movie star
who gets
burned in a
three way script
enter number two
a
movie queen to play the
scene
of bringing all the
good things out in
me
but for now love, let's be real
i never thought i could feel this way
and i've got to say that
i just don't get it
i don't know
where we went wrong
but
the feeling's gone
and i just can't get it back
if you could read my mind
love
what a tale my thoughts could tell
just like an old time movie
'bout a
ghost from a wishing well
in a castle dark
or a fortress strong
with chains upon my feet
but stories always end
and if you
read between the lines
you'll know that i'm just trying to
understand
the feelings that you
lack
i never
thought i could
feel this way
and
i've got to say that i just to get it
i don't know
where we went wrong
but the feeling's
gone
and
i just can't get it back
*{now property of
Reprise Records. 8.18.2003 - Letter submitted to repriserec.com for permission to reproduce lyric. 8.26.2003 - permission granted.
CST Approved}