Songfacts®:

• This soothing song was inspired by Gordon Lightfoot's upbringing in Orillia, Ontario. In his Complete Greatest Hits liner notes, he called the area "a very idyllic spot," adding, "it was classic: a river, a pond, and a dam, a stream down below. Not much in the way of fish. The most exciting thing that ever happened there was when they put the highway bypass through, and I used to go out and watch the earth-moving machines by the hour. I was a wonderful childhood."
• The song is part of Lightfoot's third album, Did She Mention My Name?, part of his steady rise as a singer-songwriter. His breakthrough came in 1970 when he landed a big hit with "If You Could Read My Mind." At this point, many of his songs became more personal and less observational, reflecting his life as it got more complicated.
• John Simon produced the track and did the string arrangement. Some famous songs he worked on include "Red Rubber Ball" by The Cyrkle and "Romeo's Tune" by Steve Forbert.