![]() “On the corner of Main Street / Just trying to keep it in line” And then the last line is "can you read my mind," which again is saying that they are thinking the same thing.Ī couple in a small-town are breaking up after the girlfriend decides to move away. The song ends on a happy note saying "the stars are blazing like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun," which means they are happy with the way things ended. ![]() It goes one to say "put your back on me," which is the couple saying they will be friends and they can still count on each other. The next verse could mean he did not originally want it to end but knew it was over when she "never returned that call." She knew it hurt him when he knew she wanted it to be over, but now he's so tired with it he just wants it to be over with so he can "breathe that fire again." Then it says, "before you jump" which refers back to the 'city wall and trampoline' and the girl is about to 'jump' and he wants to know if she can 'read his mind.' It goes back to them agreeing it's over and they will remain friends. The last line refers to the verse before meaning now is the right time to end it. The last line says, "a city wall and a trampoline" which means that their relationship is a wall and they are going to 'jump' over it, which would mean ending it. Now these 'random' things are opposite, being a metaphor to their relationship saying the couple is opposite. The next verse is going and saying 'random' things again. The verse could also refer back to the line "A broken wrist and a big trapeze," meaning that this is the time they tried breaking up and it wasn't the right time. It could mean that the girl is possibly 'unhappy' with the relationship? And she wants it to be over, but he really isn't willing yet to break up. They seem like they are still going to stay friends-"cause I don't shine if you don't shine." Then goes back to saying "can you read my mind" meaning again that they are thinking the same thing. Then they are both agreeing that "I don't mind, if you don't mind" saying they both know that the relationship is over and they are okay with it. These series of things suggests that their relationship was good in the beginning because of all the 'good' things that are aligned together. The next part is a series of 'random' things that are being compared together. Then the next verse is talking about how he wants to break "out of this two-star town" and there is a "green light" meaning he see's this as his chance-"i'm gonna turn this thing around," to get out of town and start a new life. The beginning of the song is talking about being "on the corner of main street." This doesn't necessarily have to be an actual street, it could be a metaphor because main street has many different turns and intersections and could possibly mean that they stand on the edge of a 'street' and they've come to a fork in their relationship when the song says, "you say you wanna move on and you say I'm falling behind." The song then says "can you read my mind" meaning he was thinking the same exact thing. Cathy Smith later gained notoriety for being the woman who gave John Belushi his fatal injection of drugs in 1982.To me this song is about this couple that was in relationship and both realize that they have grown apart. The song was written about groupie Cathy Smith (April 25, 1947-August 16, 2020) who Lightfoot had a relationship with. The one surprising anecdote that I had never heard was about the song “Sundown” though it wasn’t a secret like something like Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain”. I can’t say that the documentary is a real shocker as much as it is just a biography of Lightfoot for those who either like him or know little about his background. ![]() Unlike many of his background, Lightfoot went to school and seemed to be voracious about learning the trade…which is evident in his work and composition. Lightfoot comes off as reflective and sometimes regretful about aspects of his story, but for the most part, there is a fondness for the past and the tales he is telling. The documentary pushes a typical older man who lived an untypical life. All four where big songs that received a lot of play here…but the importance of Lightfoot to Canada wasn’t always pushed. It was always exciting when “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” came on or “If You Could Read My Mind”…but I also enjoyed “Sundown” and “Carefree Highway”. Gordon Lightfoot was another musician of childhood.
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