", by far his best known was "Four Strong Winds", first performed in 1963, a melancholy song about moving on down the road. Born in Victoria, British Columbia in 1933, he later moved to Toronto, Ontario, which is where his music career took off. A rodeo rider when young, he became an Albertan at heart, spending much of his time there, hanging out in and singing at Western Clubs like
in Calgary. Inevitably, in 1978 he bought a ranch at Longview, Alberta, southwest of Calgary and lives there still. Having divorced his wife Sylvia, the other half of
, in 1975, in 1978 he also married the daughter of then manager of the Ranchman's, Twylla Dvorkin. They were divorced in 2008.
"Four Strong Winds" is a song written by Ian Tyson in the early 1960s. Ian and Sylvia's single version, (released on Vanguard 35021) entered the Cashbox magazine "Looking Ahead" chart, 9/29/63. It was then recorded by The Brothers Four in a version that "bubbled under" the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1963. Subsequently, it was released by Ian and Sylvia on an album of the same name released in April, 1964, reflecting the Canadian chart success of the song in 1963.
The song is a melancholy reflection on a failing romantic relationship. The singer expresses a desire for a possible reunion in a new place in the future ("You could meet me if I sent you down the fare.") but acknowledges the likelihood that the relationship is over ("But our good times are all gone/And I'm bound for moving on...")
This folk classic has been recorded by many artists including Neil Young, Sarah McLachlan, Hank Snow, The Seekers, Judy Collins, the Chad Mitchell Trio, Bob Dylan, Marianne Faithfull, The Searchers, John Denver, The Brothers Four, The Kingston Trio, Trini Lopez, Waylon Jennings, Chad and Jeremy, The Wolfe Tones, The Tragically Hip, Joan Baez, Vanity Fare, Glenn Yarborough, Tony Rice, Johnny Cash, The Carter Family, and Schooner Fare. It was a hit by Bobby Bare in 1964. It was also a big hit in Norway in 1966 in a Norwegian version: "Mot ukjent sted" by The Vanguards and a big hit in Sweden in 1967 in a Swedish version: "Mot okänt land" recorded by The
Hep Stars.
The song is also referenced in A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. The narrator remembers how the main character, Owen, loved to hear that song as sung by the character of Hester.
In 2005, CBC Radio One listeners chose this song as the greatest Canadian song of all time on the series 50 Tracks: The Canadian Version.
Additionally, the song is sung on the last night of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival each year.
Ian and Sylvia sang the song together at the 50th anniversary of the Mariposa Folk Festival on July 11, 2010, in Orillia, Ontario. On April 5, 2013, a recording of the song by Ian Tyson was played during the funeral of former Alberta Premier Ralph Klein, as the honour guard brought his urn into the Jack Singer Concert Hall.
From Wikipedia
The photo below is where Ian Tyson would have entered Alberta for the first time. It is the Alberta - BC border on the Trans Canada Highway, entering Banff National Park from BC. It is also where the given coordinates were taken.