If You Could Read My Mind

"If You Could Read My Mind" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. Lightfoot wrote the lyrics while he was reflecting on his own divorce. It reached No. 1 on the Canadian Singles Chart on commercial release in 1970 and charted in several other countries on international release in 1971.[1]

For the album sometimes known by the same name, see Sit Down Young Stranger.

"If You Could Read My Mind"
Side A of the Canadian single
Single by Gordon Lightfoot
from the album Sit Down Young Stranger
B-side"Poor Little Allison"
ReleasedDecember 1970
RecordedNovember 1969
StudioSunWest (Hollywood, California)
GenreSoft rock, folk rock
Length3:48
LabelReprise
Songwriter(s)Gordon Lightfoot
Producer(s)Lenny Waronker and Joseph Wissert
Gordon Lightfoot singles chronology
"Approaching Lavender"
(1970)		 "If You Could Read My Mind"
(1970)		 "This Is My Song"
(1971)
Audio
"If You Could Read My Mind" on YouTube

Theme

Lightfoot cited his divorce for inspiring the lyrics.[2] They came to him as he was sitting in a vacant Toronto house one summer.[3] The song compares events in his relationship to a ghost movie and a paperback romance novel. The lyrics include "I don't know where we went wrong. But the feeling's gone and I just can't get it back."

At the request of his daughter Ingrid, he performed the lyrics with a slight change: The line "I'm just trying to understand the feelings that you lack" is altered to "I'm just trying to understand the feelings that we lack." Lightfoot said in an interview that the difficulty with writing songs inspired by personal stories is that there is not always the emotional distance and clarity to make lyrical improvements such as the one his daughter suggested.[4]

Production
Gordon Lightfoot (pictured in 2009) wrote and originally recorded the song.

The song was produced by Lenny Waronker and Joe Wissert at Sunwest Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California,[5] with strings arranged by Nick DeCaro.[6]

Composition

The song is in A major and uses the subtonic chord.[7] According to Duran Duran lead singer Simon Le Bon, the chorus of their song "Save a Prayer" was based on "If You Could Read My Mind".

Format releases

This song first appeared on Lightfoot's 1970 album Sit Down Young Stranger, later renamed If You Could Read My Mind following the song's success.

Chart performance

On release, the song reached No. 1 on the Canadian Singles Chart and was his first recording to appear in the U.S., reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in February 1971. Later in the year, it reached No. 27 on the Australian singles chart and No. 30 on the United Kingdom's singles chart. The song also reached No. 1 for one week on the Billboard Easy Listening chart,[1] and was the first of four Lightfoot releases to reach No. 1.

In 1987, Lightfoot filed a lawsuit against Michael Masser, the composer of Whitney Houston's hit "The Greatest Love of All", alleging plagiarism of 24 bars of "If You Could Read My Mind"; the transitional section that begins "I decided long ago never to walk in anyone's shadow" of the Masser song has the same melody as "I never thought I could act this way and I 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" of Lightfoot's song.

Lightfoot stated that he dropped the lawsuit when he felt it was having a negative effect on the singer Houston because the lawsuit was about the writer and not her.[8] He also said that he did not want people to think that he had stolen his melody from Masser.[9] The case was settled out of court, and Masser issued a public apology.[10]

Charts

Stars on 54 version
"If You Could Read My Mind"
Single by Stars on 54
from the album 54: Music from the Miramax Motion Picture, Volume 2
Released1998
GenreDance-pop
Length3:26
LabelTommy Boy Music (UK)
Songwriter(s)Gordon Lightfoot
Amber singles chronology
"One More Night"
(1997)		 "If You Could Read My Mind"
(1998)		 "Sexual (Li Da Di)"
(1999)
Jocelyn Enriquez singles chronology
"Get Into the Rhythm"
(1998)		 "If You Could Read My Mind"
(1998)		 "When I Get Close to You"
(2000)
Ultra Naté singles chronology
"Release the Pressure"
(1997)		 "If You Could Read My Mind"
(1998)		 "Desire"
(2000)
Music video
"If You Could Read My Mind" on YouTube

House music collective Stars on 54—consisting of Amber, Jocelyn Enriquez, and Ultra Naté—recorded a version of the song for the 1998 film 54, reaching No. 3 on Australia's ARIA Singles Chart and Canada's RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart, as well as No. 6 in New Zealand and No. 10 in Spain. Australian music channel Max included this version of "If You Could Read My Mind" in its list of the "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2012.[17]

"Our favourite production during the '90s was the song "If You Could Read My Mind" by the group Stars on 54. (...) It featured Ultra Nate (to date, our favourite female singer), as well as Amber and Jocelyn Enriquez. Except for the short (but intense) "discussion" between the three performers about who would get the first verse, it was an amazing session. In the end, the film company Miramax re-shot the conclusion of the movie and had the group perform the track. That's how much they loved the song."

—Producers the Berman Brothers talking about the song.[18]

Critical reception

Can't Stop the Pop called "If You Could Read My Mind" "one of the most mind-bogglingly brilliant cover versions of the ‘90s", adding that it "remains a deeply fabulous single" and "a proudly ‘90s homage to disco that is as uplifting and joyous as there could be – and can now be rightly enjoyed as a triumphant celebration of everything that 54 represents."[19]

Music video

A music video was made to accompany the single release. It pays homage to aspects of the disco-era presented through a 1990s lens. Amber and Ultra Naté perform in a room where every surface is covered in LED dancefloor tiles. Jocelyn Enriquez is swinging on a giant disco ball. In the end, the singers performs together on the stage in a night club, all three dressed in red outfits. In between these scenes, several clips from the movie 54 are shown.

Track listings
UK 12-inch vinyl (1998)[20]
No.TitleLength
1."If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector Club Mix)9:30
2."If You Could Read My Mind" (original club mix)6:11
3."If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector Dub Mix)7:00
4."If You Could Read My Mind" (The Shark Dub Mix)8:00
Total length:30:41
European CD single (1998)[21][22]
No.TitleLength
1."If You Could Read My Mind" (original edit)3:27
2."If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector Club Mix)7:48
3."If You Could Read My Mind" (original club mix)6:10
Total length:17:25
US cassette single (1998)[23]
No.TitleLength
1."If You Could Read My Mind" (album version) 
2."If You Could Read My Mind" (instrumental) 

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[44] Gold 35,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Stars on 54 version 25th Anniversary Re-release (2023)
"If You Could Read My Mind (25th Anniversary Edition)"
Single by Stars on 54
from the album 54: Music from the Miramax Motion Picture, Volume 2
ReleasedJuly 14, 2023
GenreDance-pop
LabelTommy Boy Records (Reservoir Media)
Songwriter(s)Gordon Lightfoot
Amber singles chronology
"This is Your Night (Special Edition)"
(2023)		 "If You Could Read My Mind (25th Anniversary Edition)"
(2023)		 "Being With You (Remixes)"
(2023)
Music video
"If You Could Read My Mind" on YouTube

On July 14, 2023, Tommy Boy Records (Reservoir Media) issued the 16-track digital album "If You Could Read My Mind (25th Anniversary Edition)" by Stars on 54 to celebrate the quarter-century anniversary of the original single. This marked the first time that many of the versions were made available on digital platforms. The album, which was the 7th in a planned series of releases of Amber vault remixes, debuted at #1 on the iTunes US Dance Chart.

Track listings
If You Could Read My Mind 25th Anniversary Edition (2023)
Worldwide Digital
No.TitleLength
1."If You Could Read My Mind"3:27
2."If You Could Read My Mind" (Instrumental)3:36
3."If You Could Read My Mind" (Original Club Mix)6:09
4."If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector Remix)3:35
5."If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector Remix - Extended)9:33
6."If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector Epic Piano Mix)4:13
7."If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector Dub Mix)7:04
8."If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector 12 Inch Raw Remix)7:38
9."If You Could Read My Mind" (Hex Hector 12 Inch Raw Instrumental)7:38
10."If You Could Read My Mind" (Silk's Uplifting Mix)10:15
11."If You Could Read My Mind" (Silk's Uplifting Vocal)9:22
12."If You Could Read My Mind" (Silk's Uplifting Reprise Version 1)7:05
13."If You Could Read My Mind" (Silk's Uplifting Reprise Version 2)7:44
14."If You Could Read My Mind" (Silk's House on 54 Mix)9:45
15."If You Could Read My Mind" (Silk's House on 54 - Part 1 & 2)13:37
16."If You Could Read My Mind" (Silk's Anthem Mix)9:10

Other notable cover versions

A 1980 cover by Viola Wills peaked at No. 2 for five weeks on the dance/disco charts with a dance version of the song[45] and at No. 80 in Australia.[46] Duane Steele reached No. 32 on the Canadian country charts with his version in 1998.[47] Johnny Cash also recorded a version of the song that was released posthumously on his 2006 album American V: A Hundred Highways, which topped the Billboard 200.[48]

See also

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 146.
  2. "Gordon Lightfoot 'still out there'" South Coast Today (Martin Griffith, Associated Press) December 4, 2000
  3. Victoria Ahearn (February 2, 2010). "How Gordon Lightfoot wrote 'If You Could Read My Mind'". Toronto Star. Retrieved February 3, 2010.
  4. Lydia Hutchinson (November 17, 2012). "Happy Birthday, Gordon Lightfoot". Performing Songwriter Magazine. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  5. Production credit for the album 'Sit Down Young Stranger' (Reprise Records, 1969).
  6. Production credits on 'If You Could Read My Mind', single (Reprise Records 1970).
  7. Stephenson, Ken (2002). What to Listen for in Rock: A Stylistic Analysis, p.92. ISBN 978-0-300-09239-4.
  8. Wake, Matt (February 17, 2015). "Gordon Lightfoot on Elvis, Dylan covering his songs, not suing Whitney over 'The Greatest Love of All'". AL.com. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  9. Florian BODENSEHER. "Gordon Lightfoot – Biography". Corfid.com. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
  10. "Greatest Love". Storyofsongs.blogspot.com. August 29, 2009. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
  11. "Go-Set Australian charts - 22 May 1971". Poparchives.com.au. May 22, 1971. Archived from the original on January 4, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  12. "RPM Top 100 Singles - February 20, 1971" (PDF). Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  13. "RPM Top 34 MOR - January 9, 1971" (PDF). Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  14. "Gordon Lightfoot Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  15. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  16. "Top 100 Hits of 1971/Top 100 Songs of 1971". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  17. "TOP 1000 GREATEST SONGS OF ALL TIME – 2012". Max. 2012. Archived from the original on April 25, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  18. Arena, James (2017). Stars of 90's Dance Pop: 29 Hitmakers Discuss Their Careers. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc.
  19. "Stars On 54 – If You Could Read My Mind". Can't Stop the Pop. November 16, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  20. Stars on 54 (1998). If You Could Read My Mind (UK 12-inch vinyl disc). Tommy Boy Records. TB 497.
  21. Stars on 54 (1998). If You Could Read My Mind (European CD single liner notes). Tommy Boy Records. TBCD 7497.
  22. "Stars on 54 – If You Could Read My Mind". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  23. Stars on 54 (1998). If You Could Read My Mind (US cassette single sleeve). Tommy Boy Records. TBC 7497.
  24. "Stars on 54 – If You Could Read My Mind" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  25. "Stars on 54 – If You Could Read My Mind" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  26. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7063." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
  27. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 7065." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  28. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 49. December 5, 1998. p. 10. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  29. "Stars on 54 – If You Could Read My Mind" (in French). Les classement single.
  30. "Stars on 54 – If You Could Read My Mind" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
  31. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (10.09.1998 – 17.09.1998)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). September 11, 1998. p. 10. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  32. "Stars on 54 – If You Could Read My Mind". Top 40 Singles.
  33. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  34. "Stars on 54 – If You Could Read My Mind" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  35. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  36. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  37. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  38. "Ultra Nate Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  39. "Ultra Nate Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  40. "Ultra Nate Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  41. "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1998". ARIA. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  42. "RPM's Top 100 Hit Tracks of '98" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 63, no. 12. December 14, 1998. p. 20. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  43. "RPM's Top 50 Dance Tracks of '98". RPM. Retrieved October 29, 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  44. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1998 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  45. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 281.
  46. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 340. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  47. "RPM Country 100 - August 3, 1998" (PDF). Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  48. "Johnny Cash Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
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