"Four Strong Winds" is a song recorded by Canadian folk duo Ian and Sylvia, from their 1963 album Four Strong Winds. The song was written in 1962 by Ian Tyson, one half of the duo, and was the first song Tyson wrote. Tyson has stated that he wrote the song in about 20 minutes in his then-manager Albert Grossman's New York apartment, and was inspired to write it after hearing Bob Dylan sing.[1] 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 ...").
"Four Strong Winds" is a significant composition of the early 1960s folk revival,[2] and has been recorded by numerous artists, including Bobby Bare, whose 1964 rendition was a hit on the U.S. country chart, and Neil Young, who has performed the song frequently throughout his career.
The song has a clear Canadian context and subtext, including an explicit mention of the province Alberta as well as references to long, cold winters. In 2005, CBC Radio One listeners chose it as the greatest Canadian song of all time on the program 50 Tracks: The Canadian Version.[3] It is considered the unofficial anthem of Alberta.[4][5]
Tyson went to his manager Albert Grossman's New York City apartment and wrote Four Strong Winds ‒ one of the most influential songs of the folk era ‒ in twenty minutes flat.