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About Song For A Winter's Night
Song For A Winter's Night (song clip), by Gordon Lightfoot, is one of his most beautiful love songs. Lightfoot recorded Song For A Winter's Night in the studio twice: the first, original recording is on the United Artists album The Way I Feel; the rerecording is on the Warner/Reprise album Gord's Gold. Unlike all his other rerecordings, Lightfoot uses a different guitar and playing style in the rerecording: the original is finger-picked, Travis-style, on his 6 string Martin; the rerecording is strummed on his 12 string Gibson. Both are exquisite, and you will probably have trouble choosing your favorite.
Interestingly, Song For A Winter's Night was not written during the winter with the snow falling; instead, it was written in July, during a thunderstorm, in Cleveland, OH! Lightfoot enjoys telling this story, and occasionally does so as an introduction to the song in concert.
The clip and MP3 download here are from the United Artists album, The Way I Feel; the MP3 of the Gord's Gold version is not available from Amazon.
Find Lightfoot's Song For A Winter's Night on:
- The Way I Feel United Artists version
- Gord's Gold Reprise version
- Songbook boxed set. United Artists version (remastered)
Covers of Song For A Winter's Night
Over the years, there have been many beautiful covers of Song For A Winter's Night. Although only the sleigh bells in Lightfoot's version hint at a holiday theme, this song has become one of the anthems of Christmas, and is included on many Chrismas compilations. One of the best recent holiday albums was Sarah McLachlan's 2006 release, Wintersong (reviewed here on the Home page).
Other notable covers include:
Also, I would be remiss in not mentioning my friend Cathy Cowette's cover of the song on her debut CD aptly named Songs For A Winter's Night! You'll notice that Cathy's recording has the guitar riffs of the original Lightfoot version; she based her arrangement on the lead played by the late Red Shea, combined with the rhythm part played by Lightfoot. Cathy's CD includes a total of six Lightfoot songs making it very nice gift idea for any Lightfoot fan.
Song For A Winter's Night, ©1967 by Gordon Lightfoot
The lamp is burning low upon my table top
The snow is softly falling
The air is still in the silence of my room
I hear your voice softly calling
If I could only have you near
To breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
On this winter night with you
The smoke is rising in the shadows overhead
My glass is almost empty
I read again between the lines upon each page
The words of love you sent me
If I could know within my heart, that you were lonely too
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
On this winter night with you
The fire is dying now, my lamp is growing dim
The shades of night are lifting
The morning light steals across my windowpane
Where webs of snow are drifting
If I could only have you near, to breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
And to be once again with you
On this winter night with you
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