Quote Of The Day By Gordon Lightfoot: 'I Called My Dad And The First Words Out Of His Mouth Were ...'

Born in Ontario, Canada, in 1938, Gordon Lightfoot was a major and decidedly thoughtful and solemn voice in the singer-songwriter movement of the late 1960s and 1970s. With a consistently careful, keen, and kind insight into the human condition and a willingness to pour his own feelings and experiences into his work, Lightfoot became a superstar in Canada and the United States. His hits and most acclaimed works concerned relatable topics like jealousy and heartbreak, like "Sundown" and "If You Could Read My Mind," respectively. There was more ambitious stuff, too, such as "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" and the harrowing and historical "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."

While he was unfortunately snubbed from the Grammys' "In Memoriam" tribute in 2024, Lightfoot's heart-wrenching death capped a lifetime of trials and triumphs. These were both internal and external, and he often turned them into music bursting with curiosity and coping. And so, Lightfoot's recollection of a pivotal moment from his teenage years is today's quote of the day.

"I called my dad and the first words out of his mouth were, 'Are you OK?' I was really lucky I had a kind father."

Many of Gordon Lightfoot's compositions are about reckoning with tragedy and the power of empathy to enhance human connection. As he explained in a 2016 interview with U.K. newspaper The Telegraph, he graciously enjoyed first-hand the benefits of understanding and compassion after a frightening traffic accident in his teens. It's an example of how the big events of youth resonate throughout life — particularly how others react after those life-changing moments.

From the ages of 14 to 16, Gordon Lightfoot worked for his father's large industrial laundry concern, which contracted with hotels to wash their towels and bedsheets. When he turned 16, he was tasked with driving a large truck in and out of Toronto, carrying linens back and forth. He was also traveling a lot in his free time to go see live music at a club north of the city. One day, all that tiring time behind the wheel became too much, and Lightfoot fell asleep while driving and wrecked the vehicle. "I was okay and so was my helper," Lightfoot told The Telegraph in 2016. But he had to call his boss, also his father, to relay the news. 

He feared anger, repercussions, or worse, but was instead met with relief, love, and concern. At the impressionable age of 16, that moment and how he felt stayed with Lightfoot for more than 60 years. Clearly, it was important and influential to the sensitive singer-songwriter forming his worldview as well as his music, which was so often about trying to understand others and feel their pain. With this quote, Lightfoot advocates not only for practicing empathy but also for acknowledging when you're the recipient of it. It also shows that there can be lessons in what might otherwise be traumatic or horrific moments.

• "That's the thing about life. It can be so unexpected."

• "There is always something wrong with a song, you can't be perfect. "

• "You know, some people are like superhuman beings. They're almost leaders, in a way."

• "I was kind of a sad guy, too. I was so very happy and grateful to be able to overcome that. And I had no idea that this was where I was going to be at this point. I'm very grateful."

• "Things are happening and somehow they find their way into the content. We're going through life's roller coaster and it just unconsciously finds its way into the song. It creates a good song."