A bit of clarification. The web site at gordonlightfoot.com is NOT an official web site. He doesn't have one (and doesn't want one). The site is mine, but I maintain it as if it were his.

On the lyrics, I have gone round and round regarding what to post. There is the version in the published songbooks. Perhaps that is actually what was copyrighted? Assuming nobody made a transcription error. Then there is what he sang ... in the first recording, and sometimes a second and a third. And, finally, there are typos and other little mistakes. When I see one (or someone points one out), I fix it.

In general, I have used either what is in the published lyrics or what he sings - and I can't always say how I make that decision. In some cases, I have a strong preference for one or the other, so I use it. In other cases, it's just the result of having the songbook lyrics and so not carefully listening to the recording. In the cases where the lyrics were not published (a few early songs, and all but one of the "previously unreleased" on Songbook), the lyrics are based on what "many" fans think they are. We've had some lively discussions about some of them! Finally, the lyrics for the songs on his last two albums are printed in the CD insert, but there are obvious mistakes, so again it was a combination of what he sings and what is printed.

FYI, Lightfoot himself no long sings that verse when he does Cotton Jenny in concert today.