There is a mistake in the third line in both copies of the lyrics included above. It is:

"The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead"

not "lady".

I didn't read through the entire song, so you may want to double check with my copy, linked from the main page of my http://gordonlightfoot.com web site.

As far as the accusation that his songs sound the same, I won't get into the fray, simply because as a "devoted" fan, I am perhaps not considered objective. BUT, I find it hard to see how people can say this about his music. It certainly isn't true of his biggest hits (If You Could Read My Mind, Sundown and "Wreck"), and when you consider some of his other great songs (Early Mornin' Rain, Canadian Railroad Trilogy, Song For A Winter's Night), the argument becomes even weaker.

What is consistent is the sound of his rhythm guitar - unmistakable - and his voice, also unmistakable. But his originality is really quite amazing considering how many songs he has written and - if you listen to a lot of them (like on the boxed set Songbook) - I think you will agree that his songs do NOT sound alike. You might not love them, as I do, but I think his creativity is pretty well proven in that collection.