Gordon Lightfoot - Summer Side Of Life Lyrics






He came down through fields of green
On the summer side of life
His love was ripe

There were no illusions
On the summer side of life
Only tenderness

And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why he would cry
The whole day long

There was young girls everywhere
On the summer side of life
They talked all night

To the young men that they knew
On the summer side of life
Goin' off to fight

And if you saw them now
You'd wonder why they would cry
The whole day long

He came down through fields of green
On the summer side of life
He prayed all night

Then he walked into a house
Where love had been misplaced
His chance to waste

And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why he would cry
The whole day long

And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why

And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why

And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why





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Gordon Lightfoot Summer Side Of Life Comments
  1. S.... B....

    I was on train from Manitoba to Toronto 1967. The train was full of native Canadians going to Vietnam.

  2. J.... A....

    Martin Thomas Christmas Side Of Life (Request)

  3. H.... S....

    One of his best songs, ever. But then again. Gord has SO many!

  4. A.... U....

    Damn, I was born into the wrong generation of music.

    A.... U....

    Imo the best was from the mid late 60s to the very early 80s.

  5. M.... P....

    I've been humming this the past 2 days. I had to look it up and give it a listen.

  6. L.... C....

    Awesome song by Gordon Lightfoot he’s a great singer 😀

  7. C.... ....

    Gord's greatest work, Summer Side Of Life. Thanks for posting.

  8. S.... B....

    If my government ever took my beautiful son from me over politics I would burn the whole damn thing down I wouldn't be flying a flag.

  9. m.... ....

    Such plaintive vocals...pleading

  10. J.... S....

    A masterpiece for sure.

  11. a.... ....

    I feel this song has a beautiful melancholy.

  12. C.... ....

    Gord's best song, SUMMER SIDE OF LIFE. Thanks for posting.

  13. p.... r....

    My late brother, 10 years older than me joined the H.M.C.S. Canadian Navy in 1957; I was 7. He served on destroyers during the Cuban missile crisis. He had a photographic mind - he excelled in sonar. They could have got torpedoed any time day or night. Thank you for your service brother, I will always love you in a non-sexual way - Honor especially like uncle Arney and so many countless others. Thank you and may God Bless. His favorite Lightfoot song was this one.

  14. A.... M....

    The only regret I ever had, was not having Gordon sing 'Beautiful' to my new wife at our wedding.

  15. R.... K....

    One of the very best singer/songwriters. Up with Bob Dylan and John Prine.

  16. p.... r....

    Canucks all the way! and I ain't talkin' hockey!

  17. p.... r....

    I guess this is my top favorite Lightfoot song.

  18. D.... C....

    Gordon you're awesome! I've been listening to you since I was 10. No wonder you're affiliated with JP. You are both master songwriters!

  19. S.... V....

    I remember I would sing to his songs when I sailed on the M/V Wolverine back in 2004 and do I miss those days

  20. M.... E....

    Thank you Gordon, for your music and to remind me what it is to be Canadian.

  21. C.... L....

    Just one more great song from a unique singer songwriter, troubadour teller of musical tales. I think I'm gonna listen to the Canadian Railway Trilogy next...

  22. A.... H....

    Thank you over and over .

  23. A.... H....

    What a great musician
    Thank you Gordon. .💋

  24. H.... S....

    I keep coming back to this song.  One of Gord's very best amongst so many great songs.

  25. L.... ....

    the whole day long

  26. E.... ....

    Why on his album covers, does Gordon always have this face like he’s at a party and some drunk guy is randomly taking his picture

  27. j.... r....

    songs he ever did. THX GORDIE. DID THEY RENAME THAT PARK BY THE LAKE FROM FROG PARK TO GORDIE LIGHTFOOT PARK YET? THEY WILL IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT.

  28. j.... r....

    one of the best gordie "from orillia"

  29. C.... A....

    Such an uplifting tune. He is so damn good.

  30. Z.... #....

    Im 14 and this song is amazing my dad showed me this artist at a concert. Gl is amazing

  31. D.... D....

    He was so cute!!! What happened LOL. Hard life maybe.

  32. E.... G....

    100% Canadian!

  33. V.... I....

    My parents had a tape of Gordon that I used to listen to in the car on drives home at night. I get really nostalgic when I hear these.

  34. E.... G....

    Canadian folk music at its best !🇨🇦

  35. L.... S....

    This song is about a burnt-out Nam vet!

  36. G.... P....

    One of his best songs though I’ve never heard him play it live.

  37. C.... H....

    1000th upvote!

  38. B.... D....

    "Gord's Gold" I wore out the cassette !

  39. J.... S....

    So many emotions when I hear this song. Gordon beautiful voices ever

  40. D.... ....

    I always preferred the live version of this song more. A bit faster paced.

  41. E.... T....

    My mom and dad had me, their firstborn, in 1999 while students at Texas A&M living in a tiny apartment together at 20. I'm a UT student getting a math degree- I came home for Christmas and my dad told me while we were sitting together listening to "Song For A Winter's Night" and drinking mulled wine that it actually wasn't his favourite Lightfoot song, as I had always thought. He said, "Nope, it's Summer Side of Life." When I asked why he said that when they had me in '99 they listened to this track over and over again and danced with me in their tiny living room for hours. I had to leave the room because I didn't want him to see me cry. This song is now my favourite Lightfoot song- music has such an amazing way of carrying emotional significance and reminding us of a certain time, place, or person.

  42. P.... T....

    He came down through fields of green
    On the summer side of life
    His love was ripe

    There was no illusions
    On the summer side of life
    Only tenderness

    And if you saw him now
    You'd wonder why he would cry
    The whole day long

    There was young girls everywhere
    On the summer side of life
    They talked all night

    To the young men that they knew
    On the summer side of life
    Goin' off to fight

    And if you saw them now
    You'd wonder why they would cry
    The whole day long

    He came down through fields of green
    On the summer side of life
    He prayed all night

    Then he walked into a house
    Where love had been misplaced
    His chance to waste

    And if you saw him now
    You'd wonder why he would cry
    The whole day long

    And if you saw him now
    You'd wonder why
    And if you saw him now
    You'd wonder why
    And if you saw him now
    You'd wonder why

  43. C.... M....

    Happy 80th Birthday Mr Lightfoot

  44. A.... W....

    This is a beautiful song

  45. j.... ....

    He was a genius..

  46. f.... c....

    I bought this album when I was 13. I am now 61 and it's still the most beautiful thing I ever heard. I remember getting out of bed in the middle of the night and going downstairs to sit on the front porch and listen to this. It was balm to a young girl's heart. Beautiful and amazing that anyone could write music like this.

    f.... c....

    Ditto, I remember some of the older boys in my neighborhood " going off to fight " in Vietnam, some never came back and I still think about them .......... beautiful,haunting.

    f.... c....

    But how did you listen to it way back then, where your parents wouldn't catch you lol

  47. h.... b....

    I read once where Dylan said "when I hear his songs I don't want them to end" so nice

  48. d.... r....

    GREAT SONG WOW BETTER THAN ****SUMMER****

  49. M.... P....

    Oh my God...oh my God...oh my dear God above...why did I ever get involved in war? I can't help but listen to this over and over and over. It doesn't CAUSE me to cry...it ALLOWS me to cry...He came down through fields of green, on the summer side of life. He prayed all night. Then he walked into a house where love had been misplaced...his chance to waste. How can God ever forgive me for what I have done? I learned one thing from war, it doesn't matter the colour of one's skin because we ALL bleed red.

  50. M.... P....

    Gord is an acquaintance of mine. His appreciation of his fans and his humble attitude towards them is one of his most beautiful attributes.
    I have cried tubfuls of tears listening to this song about young men who went to Vietnam and when they came home, everything had changed. As a veteran of several conflicts it hits me so hard in my oft-pained heart that I often break down because "if you saw me now, you'd wonder why I cried the whole day long."

  51. j.... r....

    this is my fav lightfoot song.   go gordie go !!!!!   champlain park in Orillia is now renamed gordie lightfoot park, not froggy champlain park, says johnny raider !!!!!!!

  52. e.... ....

    you people don't understand how much I love this song.

  53. r.... ....

    My brother was into Gordon in 90’s, same time I was reading Robert Jordan’s wheel of time book series. To this day when I listen to his music, I always think of those books and how Lightfoot is like the sound track to the books in my head for some odd reason.. lol

  54. F.... G....

    We saw him last night in Concord, NH...saw him there about 15 years ago too. Super!

  55. C.... K....

    CJBK in London, Ontario, 1971. First time I really remember hearing Gordon. This was easily my favorite song on the radio at that time.

  56. H.... M....

    say hello to the greatest song writer of MY lifetime!...my nick name for him  is The Troubador

  57. d.... a....

    This song, I remember my brother who, I just cry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  58. L.... T....

    Love this man since the beginning of is carrier

  59. m.... c....

    about 10-15 years agothere was a wonderful video someone had made and submitted here to the song of "song for a wineters night,,but it was very special..someone put a great deal of effort into it andI'd love to hear it ,again,,it was way befroe sarah amgluckin or what ever ,,it was justspecial,,you old imemers will now the version i am looking for so please ,,please help me out here

  60. G.... L....

    This is such a GREAT song

  61. W.... T....

    What can you say? "Lightfoot" !

  62. M.... F....

    Never tire of this song or any of Gordie Lightfoots songs for that matter. Love the back up singers in this song!!

  63. n.... ....

    Happy birthday Gordon Lightfoot. I love you SO much.

  64. J.... S....

    Gordon's music is good for my soul !!!

  65. C.... M....

    My most favorite one of Gordy....

  66. F.... ....

    This song is a master piece!

  67. S.... ....

    When life was good

  68. F.... ....

    One of the greatest pieces of music ever..... No words...... Time will age this song like a fine Scotch.

  69. F.... M....

    Gordon's one of those few singers who emulate manliness without the faux-macho pretense. You can feel the pain and longing of the characters in his songs, but also the endearing strength to hold on to their dignity. Such a contrast to the nasty misogynistic personas that shared Gordon's time back in the 60s and the 70s. His music feels like my reality from time to time, and it reassures me that we all have to face the music and look into the mirror from time to time to feel hopeful again.

    F.... M....

    well written

  70. M.... M....

    thanks for the tunes.i love it.

  71. K.... S....

    he is god

  72. L.... G....

    This is the song I chose for my dad's funeral in 2001. He was 46, too young. It was completely unexpected and I was 8 months pregnant. His first grandchild was born exactly 1 month after his passing.

    L.... G....

    Liz may God Bless You always. 2001 was a bad year. Yes, 46 years old is too young to lose your loving husband, and you were 8 months pregnant! That grandchild must be extra special to all of you. On 9-11-2001, we lost almost 3,000 people from our County. Neighbor and friend, Jason Matthew Dahl, was the head Pilot of United Flight 93 out of Logan Airport in Boston. The plane crashed in a field in Penna. I remember the day he was born
    and how awful it was to hear the news. God Bless You, Roger C. San Diego

    L.... G....

    Thanks for sharing. Very sweet. Maybe bitter sweet. Congrats on the birth.

  73. R.... B....

    Gordon had Elvis' backing group the Jordinnares singing backup here

    R.... B....

    He recorded the song in Nashville, where the Jordonares have worked for years

    R.... B....

    Record Co would force them to cover each others songs

  74. C.... K....

    One of my favorites.

  75. T.... ....

    The sound on this one isn't balanced -- the piano isn't prominent enough.

  76. B.... D....

    GL is part of my youth, when everything seemed possible, life, love and a future that seemed an adventure.

  77. S.... B....

    SO many memories. Mostly of my lost first love who introduced me to Gordon.

  78. C.... L....

    First heard GL in 1969. My aunt in Canada kindly sent me his records. saw him live in the RAH in London with my late sister, and her late Godfather. His music and lyrics always make me emotional.

  79. W.... M....

    Truly a real Canadian icon so many hits in the the years since the 60's

  80. c.... v....

    who are the 12 clowns who don't like this gem

  81. O.... P....

    Love this song. Great lyrics and melody, and for me it's the sublime bass line that takes it over the the top.

  82. H.... M....

    When I was a small child, my big brother brought Gord's music home during Christmas break. I was hooked. Not until a few months ago did I know exactly what this song is about!
    Now it gives me absolute CHILLS.
    Gord is a Canadian national treasure!

  83. G.... M....

    It could have been written for a 19th century cavalry man fighting on The Plains as much as for a Vietnam Vet.

  84. K.... C....

    He rocks!

  85. j.... m....

    saw him last night, a Canadian classic.

  86. j.... v....

    the melody tumbles and twists in a bittersweet way. its so profound that I feel I can't listen to it enough.

    j.... v....

    jen vel thank you

    j.... v....

    jen vel Gordon does that a lot in his music. The guitars weave intricate lines and the lyrics may seem ordinary but when you get to the end you go wow!! I need to hear that again & again. I have been listening to Gordon for 50 years and hear new things all the time.

    j.... v....

    Bittersweet indeed. Perfect word for this one. I feel happiness and sadness in his voice.

    j.... v....

    I really love the way you worded this. Very true. Love this song.👍🏻

  87. l.... ....

    Songmaster &  balladeer extraordinaire with rugged good looks and knows all about love. What else would a woman want?

  88. R.... M....

    I can remember as a child my mom had all of his 8 tracks...today I have all his cds. I thank her for this.

  89. D.... C....

    I was 11. Friends gave me the album, as a gift. Can't believe I took it to the record store and, exchanged it...for "Sound Magazine"...by the Partridge Family. My favorite Lightfoot song!

  90. P.... B....

    Sadly Gordon Lightfoot is now in the 'winter side of life'.....but gems like this will live on and on. I listen to it now over 40 years after I first heard it - it is as fresh and evocative as ever. Thank you Gordon and I appreciate this one last tour of England in the summer of 2016. You made it to Oxford at the ripe old age of 77!!!

    P.... B....

    I have been listening to Gordon as a child and remember exactly where I was at the time I first heard him singing, "Rainy Day People" Though I was but a young child, I definitely knew that voice is Golden------finally after many years of listening to his amazing voice, songs, music----Thursday September 28 2017, I went to see him in concert at the Paramount in Ashland Kentucky near my home town---I had reserved tickets as close to the stage as possible ( 4 rows from the stage) and when he walked out, I almost cried & did feel tears on my cheeks-------he sang some of his greatest hits as well as some new, though he didn't sing "Summer side of Life" a favorite too even though there's no such thing as a bad Gordon Lightfoot song, ever! But he did sing, Rainy day people, If you could read my mind, Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, The Pony Man , Beautiful and others., as I sat there so many wonderful memories came flooding in-----I always relaxed at the end of a work day while listening to his lovely voice-------and though we may age with the passages of time-----he is still Golden and he is still as Beautiful-----Thank You Gordon Lightfoot~

    P.... B....

    Loved this SA Lawson

    P.... B....

    I saw him in 2010 and thought Gordon was not long for this world but as the concert went on he got stronger. The rich baritone is gone but he can still move a crowd.

    P.... B....

    but we have his recordings to remind us how a kid from Orillia, on., brought the whole f'in world to its feet.   champlain park in Orillia is now gorie lightfoot park, by decree of johnnie raider, now do something right Orillia !!!!!  f the frog champlain !!!!!!!

    P.... B....

    I love Gordon; always have but he needs to retire. I loved Willie Mays but he played too long and his legacy was not helped from the time he played with the Mets. I want to remember both in their prime rather than them trying to hang on and expect to Father Time to give them a pass

  91. C.... ....

    Gord's best tune. Thanks for posting!

  92. K.... O....

    love his voice

  93. K.... O....

    love his voice

  94. K.... O....

    love his voice

    K.... O....

    LOL. I think you love his voice.

  95. K.... O....

    love his voice

  96. e.... ....

    There is no such thing as a bad GL song.

    e.... ....

    u got that right !!!!!!!

    e.... ....

    Not to GL - he actually doesn't like this song much...to each his own, I suppose.

    e.... ....

    @Jaime Babcock people tend to be their own biggest critics

    e.... ....

    every song he did was a hit true canadian singer yes us We are canadian

    e.... ....

    @Jaime Babcock Then again, Gord, the Legend, has always been self-deprecating, anyway!

  97. A.... C....

    Gordon is a musical genius. My Mom went to high school with him in Orillia. He sang at her wedding. Unfortunately i missed that due to the fact i hadn't been born yet.We saw him in the 70's though in concert in kitchener and during the intermission my Mom and i and my 2 sisters met with him for a few minutes. Being a kid that was cool. I will always remember that.

    A.... C....

    Awesome!

    A.... C....

    Great story, thanks for sharing.

    A.... C....

    That’s pretty freakin AWESOME!!😃

    A.... C....

    I wish I had a story half that cool...congrats to you

  98. m.... y....

    the whole album by the same name is his very best

  99. R.... C....

    I offer a comment in the middle of the fall.