If You Could Read My Mind

Gordon Lightfoot


If you could read my mind love what a tale my thoughts could tell
Just like an old time movie ‘bout a ghost from a wishin’ well
In a castle dark or a fortress strong with chains upon my feet
You know that ghost is me
And I will never be set free as long as I’m a ghost that you can’t see

If I could read your mind love what a tale your thoughts could tell
Just like a paperback novel the kind that drugstores sell
When you reach the part where the heartaches come the hero would be me
But heroes often fail
And you won’t read that book again because the ending’s just too hard to take

Instrumental

I’d walk away like a movie star who gets burned in a three way script
Enter number two A movie queen to play the scene of bringing all the good things out in me
But for now love, let’s be real
I never thought I could act this way and I’ve got to say that I just don’t get it
I don’t know where we went wrong but the feelin’s gone and I just can’t get it back

If you could read my mind love what a tale my thoughts could tell
Just like an old time movie ‘bout a ghost from a wishin’ well
In a castle dark or a fortress strong with chains upon my feet
But stories always end
And if you read between the lines you’ll know that I’m just tryin’ to understand
The feelin’s that you lack
I never thought I could feel this way and I’ve got to say that I just don’t get it
I don’t know where we went wrong but the feelin’s gone and I just can’t get it back