906. If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot (1970)

At the beginning of the seventies, folk and rock spawned a subgenre of singer songwriters. These artists tended to dwell on personal issues in a more intimate way than is capable in other genres. Gordon Lightfoot channeled his own confusion and emptiness over a divorce into "If You Could Read My Mind."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c8PieKE8rY

The song has been covered by many artists including Barbara Streisand, Johnny Cash, and Dwight Yoakim.

Streisand:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8UJG-mmoOo

Johnny Cash:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lukJAutj4jo

Dwight Yoakam:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYoF1i_NI_Y