Canadian national treasure Gordon Lightfoot performs this morning’s CarTune, “Carefree Highway. “

Gordon Lightfoot is one of the world’s most popular and enduring musical performers, yet still, somehow, undervalued as an artist. He crafts songs that are like beloved old sweaters. The first time you hear them, they are already part of you.

Robbie Robertston, fellow Canadian and a co-founder of The Band, calls the Ontario native a national treasure, while Bob Dylan said that when he hears a Lightfoot song, he “wishes it could last forever.” Paying the ultimate compliment, the best songwriters in the business have covered Gordon Lightfoot compositions: Dylan, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson.

“Carefree Highway” isn’t about a lonesome stretch of Canadian road. The setting was inspired by Arizona Route 74, a stretch of which is actually named Carefree Highway—it ends at the town of Carefree, where the street names include Tranquil Trail and Easy Street. But the words here are bittersweet, evoking pain, loss, and a long drive in an old pickup truck. This live performance is from a Canadian country television show a few years ago.