Bob's Not Supposed To Care, But He Does

Here is a cover of a Gordon Lightfoot tune, from Toronto in 1998. 

Lightfoot is a highly respected singer songwriter from Toronto who had his heyday in the mid-70s and who, like Bob, still plays out today. He is an old friend of Bob's and hung out for the Toronto nights of the Rolling Thunder Revue in '75. Bob even gave him the coveted penultimate performance slots both nights. Who knows how good of friends they are? (It's Bob after all. Who knows anything?) 

Is there a secret history here? Lightfoot recorded this song a few months after Rolling Thunder. Maybe Bob was the first person Gordo ever played the song for. Maybe Bob helped him fix a lyric here or there. Maybe Gordo wrote the song for Bob, but disguised it as a romantic love song.

The set lists tell us that Bob played "I'm Not Supposed to Care" live only three times in his vast touring career: all on this same '98 tour. First in Vancouver, then Anaheim, and lastly, again in Canada, this time in Toronto. 

Like so many others, Lightfoot is a candle to Dylan's bonfire. There's no comparison--Lightfoot's not even Christopher Marlowe. Bob pays tribute to his old friend by playing the man's own tune his own hometown. Those three performances were it for Bob and "I'm Not Supposed to Care". He put it away, probably for good. I'd bet ol' Gordo felt honored.

I love it when Bob has a great time like he does in this performance. His band is digging it too--because Bob is digging it. Tony's face lights up just as Bob rips into a signature three-note guitar solos. They feed off each other creatively in the best sense. 

And for dessert, here is evidence that the man has turned into my grandfather once and for all.