gordon lightfoot
This song is very personal; it is about Lightfoot divorcing his first wife, but not telling any name it may be performed by almost anyone. People have seen this, and June 2025, 225 covers are registered; by both men and women. First recording was by Gord himself, in November 1969.
A prolific songwriter, Gordon Lightfoot has only had a couple of major hits himself - this one (1971) and "Cold on the Shoulder" (1975). Funny, but he's been covered with success by artists from Anne Murray to Elvis Presley. A considerated assortment of his approximately 500 registered titles belong to any busker's songbook, as well as mine.
if you could read my mind love : what a tale my thoughts could tell
just like an old time movie about 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 come 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 about 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 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
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
E Em7 Asus2 if you could read my mind love what a tale my thoughts could tell E Em7 Asus2 just like an old time movie about a ghost from a wishing well E E7 A B11 B7 C#m in a castle dark or a fortress strong with chains upon my feet Asus2 E you know that ghost is me Asus2 E Asus2 B11 B7 E and I will never be set free as long as I'm a ghost that you can't see E ... E+9 ... E ... E+9 ... E E E7 A B11 B7 C#m I'd walk away like a movie star who gets burned in a three way script B11 B7 E enter number two Asus2 E Asus2 B11 B7 C#m a movie queen to play the scene of bringing all the good things out in me B11 B7 E but for now love let's be real Asus2 E I never thought I could feel this way Asus2 B11 B7 and I've got to say that I just don't get it Asus2 E I don't know where we went wrong Asus2 B11 B7 E but the feeling is gone and I just can't get it back
