From infatuation to the end of relationship. I mean, most pop songs are one or the other, aren’t they? Today, it’s a salute to a legendary Canadian singer-songwriter and his devastating tale about the end of his first marriage.

When Gordon Lightfoot died this spring, I wanted to learn this song as a tribute. If You Could Read My Mind came out in December of 1970, and I remember hearing it on my parents’ stereo as a kid. The song is haunting and poignant both sonically and lyrically. It was a big hit in Canada, reaching the top of the Canadian Singles Chart. This was also Lightfoot’s first hit in the United States, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, and at number one on their easy listening chart.

Producer and educator Rick Beato did a wonderful job breaking down this song a few years ago on his YouTube channel. He explored what made the song great from a musical production and lyrical standpoint.

If you’re not familiar with the lyrics, check them out:

If you could read my mind, Love
What a tale my thoughts could tell
Just like an old-time movie
‘Bout 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 drugstore sells
When you reach the part where the heartaches 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 act 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
‘Bout 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’d know that I’m just trying to understand
The feelings that you lack
I never thought I could act 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

The biggest problem I encountered…how to play the melody of a sad song on an instrument that sounds inherently happy while also capturing the feel of everything else going on in the background? That’s when I thought how cool it would be if Trevor, my teacher, joined me on rhythm guitar. Once I had the basic melody down from sheet music, I made up an arrangement for the verses so they’d be a little different each time. That involved adding chords or changing octaves in multiple spots. Trevor then made up his own arrangement to accompany me, adding the lower end that gave the song more gravitas.

We recorded where I work, doing ukulele and guitar on their own audio tracks. If you listen really closely, you can hear where Trevor went home and played cello on a third track, giving the final chorus an even fuller sound. He did the final music mixing, and I did the video editing from the three separate cameras we used to record. I think it turned out really well:

This was our fourth take, and we both knew it was a keeper immediately. As a student, I play a lot of solo uke, but every so often I get to play with Trevor. Playing with someone else is always a challenge; I really have to lock into my part rather than listen too closely to what he is doing other than my cues. But, this is a fun part of the education process.