The songwriter Neil Young and Bob Dylan both agreed was flawless: “Unique and wonderful”

Neil Young and Bob Dylan have both praised Canadian songwriter Gordon Lightfoot as an exceptional writer, with Dylan saying Lightfoot died in 2023 without ever having written a bad song. Their admiration highlights Lightfoot’s lasting influence and the distinctive quality of his melodies and lyrics.

Dylan described Lightfoot as an inspiration and mentor, and named ‘Shadows’, ‘If You Could Read My Mind’ and ‘Sundown’ among his favourites. Young called him “a songwriter without parallel” whose music would continue inspiring writers, and said it had a “unique and wonderful feeling”.