Four Strong Winds

Originally Performed ByIan & Sylvia
Original AlbumFour Strong Winds (1964)
Music/LyricsIan Tyson
VocalsNeil Young (lead), Sarah McLachlan (backing)
HistorianErik Swain
Last Update2015-06-17

History

On their only performance of this song on the second day of the 1998 Bridge School Benefit, Phish sat back and let the Canadians have the spotlight. This folk tune, penned by Canadian Ian Tyson and full of Canadian pastoral imagery, followed Phish’s collaboration with Canadian songstress Sarah McLachlan on Cat Stevens’ “Sad Lisa.” Neil Young, the benefit’s organizer and another Canadian, emerged from backstage before “Four Strong Winds” and started to take the lead vocal. The band left Young and McLachlan to handle all the singing and stuck to the arrangement Young used when he covered “Four Strong Winds” on his Comes A Time album. 

Phish with Sarah McLachlan and Neil Young, “Four Strong Winds” - 10/18/98, Mountain View, CA

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