Sixteen Miles

March 6, 2015 • 6:40 am

We’re continuing right on along with the songs from Gordon Lightfoot’s 1966 album Lightfoot!, I realized that most of the songs on that album fall into two categories: 1) Lightfoot spurning a woman, and 2) A woman spurning Lightfoot. Today’s song, one of my favorites on the album, falls into class 2. “Sixteen Miles (to Seven Lakes)” falls into class 2. I don’t know much about it save that it’s an original Lightfoot composition, and incorporates his recurring image of the Canadian wilderness.

It’s also the only song, as far as I know, that includes a mention of the puma, also called the cougar (Puma concolor).

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The lonely puma call

12 thoughts on “Sixteen Miles”

  1. Although I disagree with Jerry about this being Lightfoot’s best album, I’ve always thought this one of the better songs on it. More innocent? One great thing though about the whole record is that you can hear his northern Ontario accent very clearly. Later recordings don’t have that. Wonder if he lost it by nature, or nurture?

    1. That’s a good question. It could also be a stylistic choice, whether he punched it up, if you will, for his first album or if a more standard American/Canadian fit better with the rock/pop sound he evolved.

      Joe Strummer said that The Clash’s first record producer told him he needed to pronounce all the words more clearly. I’d be surprised if anyone said that to Gordon Lightfoot, and I doubt he’d comply if they did – he seems like someone who goes his own way (as was Joe Stummer, thankfully).

  2. I agree partially with Jerry. This was one of his better albums. I found my old Lightfoot discs and have been playing them for the first time in years.

    1. Although I no longer have any of my old vinyl, this brings back fond memories of listening to Lightfoot and others on my old portable record player when I was a kid. Remember the kind that looked like a suitcase?

      1. Intimately. My first introduction to classical music and the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkle, the Monkees, etc. on such as device. A B&W tv, and laundry on a clothesline.

        1. My kids think the Beatles, Stones, Monkees and Bach to be contemporaries.

  3. Here is another song that mentions the puma. It’s at the end of a line, so that he can rhyme it with Montezuma.

  4. I love, love, love this song. Always have. I have the CD collection of his United Artists recordings–it’s one of my favorites.

  5. I will always be a fan of his voice. Just like I’m a fan of John Denver’s voice and clarity of singing. I hardly hear of Denver these days which is a terrible pity, as he was an exceptional musician.

    1. Yes, I liked John Denver. And Gordon Lightfoot. I tend to group them together with Glen Campbell in my mental ‘country singers’ category. And Don McLean, I recently came across Castles in the Air
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTqi7iEZEWA
      which was one of my favourites (I’d amost forgotten about it until Youtube)

  6. Does a wild cat= a Puma? Dylan’s , All along the watchtower.
    Just an aside when Dylan was in Toronto he used to stay/and Party with Lightfoot.

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