Hi Max / Hi Jim ~ et al:

Max, to give you an easy answer to your question, regarding songs written by our Canadian songwriters, such as:
Gordon Lightfoot and Joni Mitchell and Ian Tyson/Ian & Sylvia and Leonard Cohen, etc...

All were inspired by American songwriters, including but by no means limited to: Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, etc...

If you go back to Bob Dylan's 2nd & 3rd albums, respectively: "Freewheelin" (1962) + "The Times They Are A-Changin'" (1963)....
and listen to the songs Dylan wrote about war and about suicide and about murder and about racism....
about love and hate and about the uncertainties of life itself:

- Blowin' In The Wind
- Don't Think Twice, It's Alright
- Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
- Masters Of War
- Talkin' World War III Blues
- The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll
- The Rise & Fall Of Hollis Brown
- With God On Our Side

~> there's no question about this type of influence having an affect on our Canadian songwriters and "folksingers".

Canadian songwriters are tremendously inspired by American songwriters.
And that is the "glue"; or special "bond", if you will, that holds us all together.
Witnessing the interaction between (for example) Gordon Ligthfoot or Joni Mitchell when these "pop-stars" perform in New York or in Reno or in Vegas, etc....
You can see and you can sense the love between our Canadian musicians and your American audiences watching them.

It's A 2-Way Street, Max: They Love Each Other

<> JONI MITCHELL: "CLOUDS" (aka: "BOTH SIDES NOW")

In the words of Joni Mitchell:

I was reading "Henderson The Rain King" (by: Saul Bellow/1959) on a plane, and early in the book, Henderson is also up in a plane.
He's on his way to Africa, and he looks down and sees these clouds. I put down the book, looked out the window and saw clouds too.
I immediately had an urge to start writing the song. I had no idea this song about clouds would become as popular as it did."

- Joni Mitchell

ps: Thank You, Peter, for your kind words about our Canadian songwriters. Very much appreciated.
For the record (pun intended), no matter how talented, without acknowledgement and recognition from our American neighbours....
Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Ian & Sylvia, Leonard Cohen, etc... never would have received the popularity and the success that they did.

Brucester

<> Joni Mitchell sings "Clouds" at the Newport Folk Festival (2022) {aka:" Both Sides Now"}