If You Could Read My Mind

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For the album sometimes known by the same name, see Sit Down Young Stranger.
"If You Could Read My Mind"
Single by Gordon Lightfoot
from the album Sit Down Young Stranger
B-side "Poor Little Allison"
Released December 1970
Genre Pop-Folk
Length 3:48
Label Reprise
Writer(s) Gordon Lightfoot
Producer Lenny Waronker and Joseph Wissert
Gordon Lightfoot singles chronology
"Approaching Lavender"
(1970)		 "If You Could Read My Mind"
(1970)		 "This Is My Song"
(1971)

"If You Could Read My Mind" is a song by Canadian singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. It reached number one on Canadian music charts and was his first recording to appear on the American music charts, reaching number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in February 1971. Later in the year it reached number 30 in the UK. Lightfoot has cited his divorce for inspiring the lyrics,[1] saying they came to him as he was sitting in a vacant Toronto house one summer.[2]

This song first appeared on Lightfoot's 1970 album Sit Down Young Stranger. The success of the single led Lightfoot's label, Reprise Records, to retitle the album after the song. The song also reached number one for one week on the Billboard Easy Listening chart,[3] and was the first of four Lightfoot releases to reach number one.

The song is in A major and uses the subtonic chord.[4]

"If You Could Read My Mind" was the favorite song of porno actor John Holmes. It was used at the end of his biographical 2003 film Wonderland.

Contents

Chart performance[edit]

Chart (1970) Peak
position
Canadian RPM Top Singles 1
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary 1
U.S. Billboard Easy Listening 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 5
New Zealand Singles Chart 19
Australian Go-Set Chart[5] 28
U.K. Singles Chart 30

Other versions[edit]

"If You Could Read My Mind"
Single by Stars on 54
from the album 54 (film)
Released 1998
Format CD single
Recorded 1998
Genre Dance-pop
Length 3:26
Label Tommy Boy Music LTD (UK)
Producer The Berman Brothers for Berman Brothers Media, Ltd.

The song has been covered by many other artists, including Petula Clark, Jack Jones, Joe Dassin, Ultra Nate, Don Williams, Johnny Cash, Duane Steele, Don McLean, Kalan Porter, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Olivia Newton-John, Liza Minnelli, Glen Campbell, Gene Clark, The Spotnicks, Aurora featuring Marcella Detroit, Amber, Gordon Haskell, Vikki Carr, Daliah Lavi, the Mexican Actress/model/singer Isabel Madow covered in Spanish lyrics under the name of "Sí Pudieras Leer Mi Mente", Beckie Menzie and Joe Dassin (in French lyrics "Si tu peux lire en moi"). The covered version by The Spotnicks was adopted as an unofficial theme for the 1972 Summer Olympics [1]

Country music artist Dwight Yoakam performs the song in his live sets on a regular basis.

Holly Cole covers this song on the 2012 album Night

It has also been used in motion pictures and television shows, including:

UK CD maxi single by Stars on 54 (1998)
No. Title Length
1. "If You Could Read My Mind" (Original Edit) 3:27
2. "If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector Club Mix) 7:48
3. "If You Could Read My Mind" (Original Club Mix) 6:10
Total length:
 17:25

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Gordon Lightfoot 'still out there'" South Coast Today (Martin Griffith, Associated Press) 4-Dec-2000
  2. ^ Victoria Ahearn (2010-02-02). "How Gordon Lightfoot wrote 'If You Could Read My Mind'". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2010-02-03. 
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 146. 
  4. ^ Stephenson, Ken (2002). What to Listen for in Rock: A Stylistic Analysis, p.92. ISBN 978-0-300-09239-4.
  5. ^ http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1971/19710522.html
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 281. 
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 20. 

External links[edit]

Gordon Lightfoot
Band musicians
  • Rick Haynes
  • Barry Keane
  • Mike Heffernan
  • Carter Lancaster
Former members
  • Red Shea
  • John Stockfish
  • Terry Clements
  • Pee Wee Charles
Albums
Compilations
  • Early Lightfoot (1969)
  • The Best of Gordon Lightfoot (1970)
  • Classic Lightfoot (1971)
  • The Very Best of Gordon Lightfoot (1974)
  • The Very Best of Gordon Lightfoot, Vol. 2 (1975)
  • Gord's Gold (1975)
  • Early Morning Rain (1976)
  • Songbook (1985)
  • Gord's Gold Volume 2 (1988)
  • The Best of Gordon Lightfoot (1989)
  • The Original Lightfoot (1992)
  • The United Artists Collection (1993)
  • Songbook (1999)
  • Complete Greatest Hits (2002)
Singles
  • "(Remember Me) I'm the One" (1962)
  • "It's Too Late, He Wins/Negotiations" (1962)
  • "Adios, Adios" (1962)
  • "Day Before Yesterday" (1963)
  • "I'm Not Sayin'" (1965)
  • "Ribbon of Darkness" (1965)
  • "Spin Spin" (1966)
  • "Go Go Round" (1966)
  • "The Way I Feel" (1967)
  • "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" (1967)
  • "Black Day in July" (1968)
  • "Bitter Green" (1968)
  • "Me and Bobby McGee" (1970)
  • "If You Could Read My Mind" (1970)
  • "If I Could" (1971)
  • "Talking in Your Sleep" (1971)
  • "Summer Side of Life" (1971)
  • "Beautiful" (1972)
  • "Alberta Bound" (1972)
  • "You Are What I Am" (1972)
  • "The Same Old Obsession" (1972)
  • "Can't Depend on Love" (1973)
  • "It's Worth Believin'" (1973)
  • "Sundown" (1974)
  • "Carefree Highway" (1974)
  • "Rainy Day People" (1975)
  • "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (1976)
  • "Race Among the Ruins" (1976)
  • "The Circle Is Small (I Can See It in Your Eyes)" (1977)
  • "Daylight Katy" (1978)
  • "Dreamland" (1978)
  • "Dream Street Rose" (1980)
  • "If You Need Me" (1980)
  • "Baby Step Back" (1981)
  • "Blackberry Wine" (1982)
  • "In My Fashion" (1982)
  • "Salute (A Lot More Livin' to Do)" (1983)
  • "Without You" (1983)
  • "Anything for Love" (1986)
  • "Stay Loose" (1986)
  • "East of Midnight" (1987)
  • "Ecstasy Made Easy" (1987)
  • "I'll Prove My Love" (1993)
  • "Waiting for You" (1993)
  • "A Painter Passing Through" (1998)
  • "Inspiration Lady" (2004)
Related articles
Ultra Naté
Studio albums
Singles
Featured singles
  • "Altitude"
  • "Party Girl (Turn Me Loose)"
  • "10,000 Screaming Faggots"
  • "Partay Feeling"
  • "If You Could Read My Mind"
  • "Time of Our Lives"
  • "Bittersweet Melody"
  • "Wonderful Place"
  • "No Wasted Hearts"
Labels
Steve "Silk" Hurley discography
songwriter
remixer
producer
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