In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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 drugstores sell.
When you reached 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'll know that I'm just tryin' 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 feelin's gone
And I just can't get it back!
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 drugstores sell.
When you reached 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'll know that I'm just tryin' 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 feelin's gone
And I just can't get it back!
Lyrics submitted by sens_freak_18
If You Could Read My Mind Lyrics as written by Gordon Lightfoot
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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what can i say? Cash's version is deeper than any other artists redition of this song. I have to give props to Gordon Lightfoot for coming up with such beautiful lyrics. Being one of Johnny's last recordings, his voice is so rough and the sorrow is conyed in a way that reflects everything in his life. You can hear the heartbreak and the tears in his words. Not to mention the beauty in the simple guitar.
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 would imagine this was recorded after June's death, in which case I feel as if he's singing like losing her was his fault, a feeling commonly associated with heartbreak.
great song.
Definitely a voice from beyond the grave... I hold this one dear to my heart. He tailored the song to fit his relationship with his first wife. But the funny thing is, he didn't have to change any words.
This song I didn't pay attention to at first in favor of the other songs on this album, such as 'God's Gonna Cut You Down' or 'Like The 309', but recently I have gotten hung up on it.<br /> <br /> To me, this song really captures his regret towards the end of life. I'd agree with both previous posts in their interpretations. One thing I think though is that it is about his first wife, Vivian, because they wrote over 10,000 pages of love letters to each other, which takes a lot of dedication, only to have their marriage end and him fall in love with June, the "Number 2". <br /> <br /> I think that even though they had a rocky relationship in the end and it didn't turn out to great, he may have regretted that. Not necessarily divorcing her, but not ever giving Vivian the chance she deserved. To my understanding, she never really wanted to divorce him, but was trying to break through his addictions. I don't think Cash was really aware of that until later in his life. This might be a way of saying he is sorry for how it turned out but not sorry that it happened. <br /> <br /> Just my opinion. Regardless of it all, Cash's version of the song is by far my favorite.