Fun fact, every year the Mariner’s Church of Detroit rings the bell one time for each sailor who died. But this past year, they rang the bell one extra time… in honor of this man and his contribution to honoring that tragic day
My Dad was a naval officer during WW2. When this song was first on the radio we were in the car and shortly after the line "Does anyone know where the love of god goes" Dad pulled over and was quiet for a moment then he said "the weather was worse than the fighting: I never felt helpless in combat but when you see those big waves coming at your little ship it feels like a helpless eternity."
I remember seeing an interview with Gordon Lightfoot where he spoke about that he had over the years reorchestrated many of his songs for live performance to reflect the fact that he no longer possessed the vocal range that he once did. He still wanted the songs to sound right to the audience and was actually able to rearrange them to compensate for that. What an absolute professional. Gordon Lightfoot was also the first concert I ever went to.
My dad played this song for me on the radio when I was 5. I asked who's Edmund fitzgerald? He says its not a who but a what. He the asks me you know how daddy's ship had a name when he was in the navy? I said yes. He then says other ships have names too. He then explained the story to me and i cried. He asked me son why are you crying? I said because those guys died. To this day this song gives me goosebumps.not only is it a remembrance of the men on the ship but also the singer and my dad who's also gone. Not to mention the wives children families of the men lost.
My dad had the cassette! He played the song for me as a kid a bunch. We would take family trips to Duluth every summer. I’ve seen several artifacts including the life boats and the bell from the Fitzgerald. Met a crewman who didn’t go with this run because of medical reasons.
@@MikeBarnett1776 She was actually considered one of the best ships to work on by most of the people who had sailed on her. She had better cabins and food than most lake freighters, and her senior crews were usually the most experienced sailors available. Only in her last couple of seasons, when she was in need of some major repairs (which were scheduled right after her last, fatal trip across the Lakes!) and the company had increased the amount of ore she was carrying past what she was designed for, did anyone mention any concerns about her safety. Yes, she'd had a few minor mishaps, but believe me, every ship on the Lakes has had a scrape or two, and they're built to withstand them.
It was also reported that scholarships were established for the children of the victims, and that the donation was included in his will so any future proceeds will also go to the families.
Lightfoot didn't just tell the story he painted the whole damn picture. Nobody tells a story better in a song. Simply an incredible song by an amazing artist.
I've been asked what my favorite song is of all-time... and it's so *easy* to cite this yet every time I do that, they're surprised. Songwriting gets no better than this.
To me the line “does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours” is one of the most haunting in music. Shivers EVERY time.
The story of how Gordon came up with the idea to cover the story in a song is very interesting too! It started after he read the newspaper article. It should come up quickly on a google search.
Got caught in a bad thunderstorm out in the trenches of Lake Erie...engine trouble.....18ft boot. We got it going but I learned what that line means. That was a LONG white knuckle ride back.
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" One of the greatest lines ever written in music. This is a prime and perfect example of songwriting. Tell a story, evoke an emotion and make it understandable. Love this song. When Gordon passed, the Detroit church bell rang 29 times then rang a 30th for Gord.
@jnaco08--- " I can see her lying there in her satin dress in a room where you do won't you won't confess" Love this line from Sundown. Gordon Lightfoot is a legend.
What gets me in this song is the wailing guitars. Not as in a shredding rock solo, but the constant eerie wailing of the rising and falling wind in a storm, with the drums providing the occasional thunder. It sets the perfect mood to accompany the lyrics.
Agreed, it's absolutely haunting. Also the way they bend and change pitch, but it's "lazy" like it's behind the beat. This whole song is an absolute masterpiece through and through.
Fun Fact: Gordon Lightfoot struggled with writing this song, wanting to avoid inaccuracies. Eventually his guitarist Terry Clements told him to "just tell a story". Gordon heeded his advice, and in ONE TAKE in a darkened studio, the lyrics were produced. The actual song took at least two takes.
Yeh struggling for 2 weeks I Think that was all it took him to write this gem. (I could be wrong) I know he wrote the Railroad Trilogy in a hurry for the CBC. That also is an amazing piece of songwriting.
Wow. What a fun anecdote!! It is amazing how many times I hear some version of these expkanations to write the world's iconic songs. It is very common that it took a song write like 10-15 minutes to write these songs that lived on for 50 years.
I'm 62 and right there with you, Chris. I grew up on the American side of Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Our families were iron ore miners. The death of those sailors was very personal to our community. We never met them, but they were brothers none the less. Gordon Lightfoot's song brought us all some closure in the aftermath of that tragedy.
In 1928, a category 4 hurricane affected Lake Okeechobee FL!! This lake is 40 miles wide, 730 sq. mi. but shallow with water averaging 6-9 feet deep!! The wind blew north to south & blew the water from the north shore to the south shore creating a 14-15-foot freshwater storm-surge with 25-foot waves or 40 feet of water coming ashore!! Those poor folk did not know what was coming & it was in the dark of night when this happened!! Over 3000 people drowned!! In the thirties the US Army Corp of Engineers built levees around the lake to prevent this from happening again!!
My grandfather and father worked with the men that died on the Edmond Fitzgerald. Many of them were invited or even at my parents wedding. This story has been part of our family for as long as I have been alive!
This song resonates with me on a very personal level because I have my own Lake Superior sea story, from only five years after the Edmund Fitzgerald sank. I was in the US Coast Guard serving aboard the USCGC Sundew, a buoy tender and icebreaker much smaller than the Fitz, when we were called out on a search and rescue mission to try to find a man missing on Lake Superior during a similar storm in December of 1980. I was up all night navigating the ship from the Keweenaw Peninsula across the lake to Grand Marais, MN, through 20 to 25 foot seas to get to the area we were to search. This was long before GPS was invented, and our radar didn't help much that far from land in those seas, so my initial estimates of our position were not too accurate, landing me in hot water with my captain. Once I finally got a break in the morning and could leave the bridge, I couldn't sleep as I was woken up twice to go out on deck and help chip off the ice which had accumulated overnight. We had gained 4 inches of ice on the buoy deck and 8 inches on the forecastle which had to be removed by sledge hammer and axe handle to keep the ship from becoming unstable. To our surprise, we found the victim but, to no one's surprise, he was dead from hypothermia and probably had died before we made it out into the big lake from the upper entry of the Keweenaw Waterway near Houghton, MI. My seven years in the Coast Guard included three and a half years of sea duty on three different ships and this was probably the roughest night at sea I ever experienced.
Thank for your service. The Coast Guard deserves much more respect than you get, for you are in effect active duty non stop, not just times of war. Sorry you had to experience that.
That sounds terrifying! I’m thinking of all the ice that splashes up and freezes on lighthouses in the winter… to be out on a small ship is a whole other level. What was someone doing in the Lake that late it in the season? We’re they washed in from the shore? How tragic. Thank you for your service in the Coast Guard! I feel like members of the USCG don’t get enough recognition for all the work you do keeping people safe on our Great Lakes.
Thank you for your good work and service. I've only sailed Superior on a freighter, and in bad weather, I wouldn't want to be in anything smaller! Imho, the Coast Guard are unsung heroes just for going out and doing what you do, when nobody else can or will.
I grew up surrounded by Lightfoot's music and unfortunately not appreciating it and actually have an uncle who worked the freighters on the Great Lakes and became friends with some of the crew on the Fitzgerald. Fast forward many years later I had the opportunity to meet him before one of his concerts. I was blown away by how down to earth and welcoming he was. To this day I consider meeting this great man, shaking his hand and having a genuine conversation with him one of the most memorable parts of my life. He performed this masterpiece at each and every one of his concerts in the later years of his career in honour of those 29 men who lost their lives that night.
Michigander here. This song hits me in the heart everytime i hear it. My cousin was on the Grand Haven Pier (Lake Michigan) with 4 other friends during this storm. 3 of them were washed off the pier and 2 drown. The 3rd one was saved. 1 that drowned and 1 that was saved were brothers. I work with their sister & every November 10th when this plays on the radio i see her stop what she is doing and listen to the song (and remember).
Wow. I had no idea this happened. I am from Holland, MI just down the coast, where Big Red stands tall and proud. Very sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing this.
Wow that's touching Todd. I feel the same way as a native mitten man, though i do not have the personal connection that is in anyway comparable to yours, i still feel an odd sense of ownership or pride in it. The history of shipwrecks on the lakes is long and storied, over 1500 just in Michigan's waters alone (6000 estimate total). Most people just don't understand how big our lakes are and how much shipping goes on.
I'm originally from Michigan and a lover history and ships. I have heard and read sories of those boats and the Lakes and of course "The Fitz" . This song is perfect imp.
I grew up, and still live and work in the Cleveland area. About a year ago, one of my co-workers retired. I remember him telling us a story about when he graduated high school. He and his friend applied to Cleveland Cliffs to work on the freighters. He was rejected, but his friend was accepted. His friend was Bruce Hudson who went down on the Edmund Fitzgerald. He still has the rejection letter, and brought it in to show us. On a separate note, before my current job I worked at steel mill. One of my co-workers there also had a connection to the ship. His wife's uncle was on it when it went down. I have always loved this song, and Lightfoot's ability to tell such wonderful stories through his songs. Lightfoot became friends with Bruce's mother because of this song, and would visit her every time he was in the area until she passed.
One of our good family friends was Ernie Mell. Ernie was the Chief Porter on the Anderson. Ernie never talked much about that night, but when he did, you could see his eyes stare off to nowhere, like every moment had just happened.
Minnesota boy here - this song is one of the few that can make me cry. It doesn't matter how cheery, or serious I am, it instantly sucks my soul in and I empathise with the people involved. "Fellas it's been good to know ya" usually gets the first sob. One of the best story songs I've ever heard
When I see the choppy waters of Lake Michigan during a winter storm this song ALWAYS pops into my head. I've been to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in my hometown numerous times and it always hits me how MANY WRECKS are on the Great Lakes. Most dangerous waters in the world.
I tear up every time the song gets to “and later that night when his lights when out of sight, came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” We’ll never know the horror the men experienced when the Fitzgerald went down. Gordon wrote this song because a news paper spelled names wrong. They deserved better and Gordon Lightfoot delivered.
My family lived on the North Shore of Lake Superior at the time of the storm. My mother was pregnant with me at the time. First time I heard the song was in grade 5, immediately got sick to my stomach. Was in my 20s before hearing the song wouldn't make me feel sick. Closing in on 50 now and heart still races and can barely hold back tears when I hear it.
For whatever reason I cry uncontrollably every time I hear this song. No other song has this emotional impact and I can’t explain it. It is a sadness that bubbles up from somewhere deep. RIP Gordon ❤
Me too. I heard it on the radio as a kid, 6 or 7 years old, my parents told me it had just happened like the year before. Hits me even harder now. Most haunting song ever to me.
The line "Ice water mansion" is a perfect description of Lake Superior, huge, like a mansion compared to a normal house, and the water in the lake is cold!
As an old Coast Guard sailor who has been through a few "gales of November", this song gets me a bit teary eyed every time I hear it. Even surrounded by shipmates, a sailor's life can be a lonely one, and the haunting lyrics and music of this tune makes me imagine how the men of the Edmund Fitzgerald must have felt during their last hours - courageous, but alone.
My salute to you, shipmate. I was career Navy, and everything you expressed is true. When I went topside in the middle of the night once on a break, I watched the bioluminescence around the bow breaking up the pitch darkness, and wondered for the thousanth time if I would see my husband again after this deployment. Why I don't know. But in hindsight it was an omen of sorts, since two months before I retired I lost him to leukemia. He was career Navy, too.
The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and the loss of life of the 29 men on board would be remembered today by only a scant few souls had Gordon Lightfoot not captured it in song. They will live on in memory long after all of us are gone.
Everyone in Michigan from my generation knows every word of this song by heart. This was a huge story in our state and this song got a ton of airplay on the radio for a couple of decades.
Proud Michigander here; the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum up on Whitefish Point near Paradise, MI is a very special and haunting place. This song plays in the museum every day. A true testament to the fateful events on that terrible day. They were almost to the point when the ship went down. 😢
Anyone listening to the radio in the mid-1970's heard this song no matter if you were on the pop, country, or adult contemporary station. It was played on all of them. I was 9 when the Edmund Fitzgerald sank and 10 when Lightfoot released his tribute. It's not until I was much older that I realized the significance of the song to memorialize the loss to the wider public. What a wonderful tribute to Gordon Lightfoot when the Maritime Cathedral in Detroit MI rang its bells 29 times to once again, honor those sailors lost...plus 1 more to honor Lightfoot. This song is a masterpiece. RIP G.L.
I was a young wife and mother, so mainly heard this song on the radio. I had no idea that the tragedy was so current. I had mistakenly thought the ship was lost in the WW1 era. So sad. So many jobs are tough and dangerous. I’m glad Joe Biden is working to get unions going again. That’s who fights the billionaires for regular men. The Union.
"...waves turn the minutes to hours..." and "...rooms of her ice water mansion..." have ALWAYS struck me as potent and beautiful. I was in Sault Ste Marie last summer and there is a freighter docked which is now a maritime museum. There is a large display for the Edmund Fitzgerald, including two small boats (1.5, really) and part of a life ring, as well as photographs and descriptions of the men aboard. It was powerful.
Growing up in Thunder Bay, on the shores of Lake Superior, this song sure hits home. So many ship wrecks and lives lost on the big lake. This is probably the most haunting song you will ever hear. Gordon is a song writing genius ❤❤🇨🇦
It was during the NTSB's inspection of the wreck that prompted several changes to safety measures still used today. Those stricter safety standards and updated instruments and life saving equipment have made a difference. There are still boats that have sunk since the Fitz went down, but not nearly as many commercial freighters. Laws were also put into place to keep people away from any wreck where bodies have not been recovered. Both America and Canada consider these wreck sites to be underwater graves and protect them from photos, salvage and recreation diving.
If you're a Canadian of a certain age, this song (and Lightfoot more generally)is just part of your life growing up. Thanks for your very thoughtful analysis.
We that live on the one of the Great Lakes (Lake Michigan in my case) understand that the melody goes up and down like the “rollers” we see each time we look out over the water. Loved GL❤.
I grew up on Lake Erie, between Cleveland and Buffalo. P&C Dock Company is a huge part of my town. I grew up watching the Ore Boats. This song was a cautionary tale for anyone who had friends or family on the Boats.
@@kengaroo67 that’s true. My dad sailed on the Great Lakes on a ship named the Myron C Taylor during the 40s and early 50s. His job was deemed essential and for that reason was never sent to war. After starting a new family in Wisconsin, he left sailing and went home to find a new career in law enforcement. We have some amazing photos of him on the deck during some “off time” with his shirt off. I never saw him in that kind of physical condition as I was born many years later. He passed away 6 years ago at 99.5 y/o. He always loved the lake and fished almost daily during the late spring, summer and early fall on it until he physically couldn’t get in/out of his small boat. One thing he always had was a very keen respect for weather, especially wind and wind direction before we went out trolling 5 miles off shore in an 18’ boat. He was up early in the morning after retirement checking the tree tops for the wind. I don’t know if anything gave him more pleasure than being on the water. It was in his blood. We grew up in a shipbuilding town where many of today’s major bulk carriers were built and get repaired for the winter.
The repetitive melody is based on the style of a sea shanty. A style of folk song sung by sailors as they performed repetitive, rhythmic labor aboard their vessels. From the French “chanter”, to sing. Born in Detroit. I would occasionally see this ship coming up or down the river. Impressive because it was larger than most freighters as mentioned in the song. My father took me to the maritime cathedral to hear the bells toll. I’m 64 now and I still can’t listen to this song without getting choked up. Beautiful and sad, the best kind of poetry. Thank you for highlighting this incredible song.
I'm 69 years old. Every time I listen to this song I wipe tears from my eyes. This song gives a better understanding of what happened that day than any history book or newscast could.
There were some liberties taken in the lyrics of the original recording. In respect to the surviving families, Lightfoot changed some of the lyrics for his live performances.
I'm 68 and I was in the Navy as were my father and two uncles. Even when it only involves seasickness, the waves can turn the minutes to hours. And to know your life is in danger, and knowing there's nothing you can do but wait it out, must be terrifying. I don't think anyone who has ever been at sea, can say that they can't relate to that phrase.
The way Gordon sings brings to mind the movement of waves, peaks and valleys. I can almost feel the rocking of the big ship. Beautifully done, great song.
0:07 This is why, for millennia before writing was invented, history was passed down through song. That's what ballads are for. This song is a rock ballad.
I think the part where he "rushed" it, he was portraying the fear & frantic experienced by the crew. This song never fails to give me chills. Godon Lightfoot's voice & accompanying music almost makes the listener almost feel they are on the Fitz with her crew. For some reason, the fact that the storm was so vicious, that the crew couldn't even take time to eat, makes it more sad & human.
You can't cook when the kitchen won't stay horizontal. Everything would spill or fall constantly. If they had sandwiches or something similar already made- the guys would have still not been able to eat while trying to survive.
Elizabeth is used to musicians that play to a "click track", I think THAT is one of the biggest flaws in modern music. It strips out the human emotion. Having your voice crack, speeding up or slowing down communicates genuine emotion. The vocals weren't planned out and focus group tested, Gordon reached down deep and told a beautiful, heart rendering story. You don't have to have seen the Great Lakes or been in the Ocean to feel the terror, loss and Courage. It's a timeless tribute to those men and their families.
With no chorus or bridge, the haunting melody sways you like ship, with the crying steel guitar creating the variation, mood, and tension to pull you along, all designed to sit in the background of the story. As a Michigander, this is our state’s unofficial anthem and one of the most haunting songs ever recorded.
When I first encountered the idea of the Homeric poems, I was incredulous that people could remember so many words without writing them down. I was in high school when this song came out, and I've never had any difficulty remembering every word. Lightfoot was the archetypical bard, the storyteller whose stories pulled you in with lyrics and music, and etched an indelible pattern in your mind.
My singing voice is similar to mr. lightfoot ,,,20 years ago, my wife and I and two other couples went to a karaoke night. Where they insisted I sing, the Edmond Fitzgerald. Didn't look at the prompter once, didn't realize it till it was over !
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" Absolutely the most haunting and evocative line in any song I've ever heard. It's stuck with me since the first time I heard the song.
Canada has blessed the world with three of the greatest musician poets in history. Two Gordons, and one Leonard. All leaving us with broken hearts in their passing.
@@haroldbrown6630amen. Along with Rush they are Canada's best artists. No disrespect to GL but Neil is Canada's best in that category. It is worth mentioning too the the greatest musical poet period, BOB DYLAN, while not Canadian northern Minnesota isn't fat off
Im not really a Gordon Lightfoot fan, but I think this song might be the greatest song of the last 100 years. Nobody ever painted a picture with words and sound like GL did here. I can see the ice on the deck and hear the wind in my mind every time I listen to the song.
Not only did GL paint a picture with words and sound, but he sung the song in a way that anybody could get the story or meaning. Nobody did music, lyrics and delivery of both like GL. Rest in Peace Gordon Lightfoot the peacemaker.
As someone who lives in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, sandwiched between Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron, this song has always held a special place in my heart. Just driving westward on M28 along Superior on my way to Marquette on a snowy November night is enough for me. Couldn't imagine how those 29 men felt ON the lake.
I was hiking this past spring along Minnesota's North Shore, along Lake Superior, on a very blustery day, when I heard the news that Gordon Lightfoot had passed away. It was almost surreal to be where I was when that happened, and immediately this song popped into my head, so I pulled it up on my phone as I hiked. An iconic song from a legendary songwriter. RIP Gordon Lightfoot....and thank you.
The 6/8 time and the repeating melody work to evoke the feel of the waves going up and down. And the steel guitar is an absolute miracle of a performance. Ghostly and beautiful.
@@anthonyfuchs9787 Well, you can divide up the measure any way you want, but given the feel of the song, it is typically thought of as either 6/8 or 3/4. If it were 4/4, then the pulse of the song would be 8th note triplets, rather than just straightforward 8th notes. As a drummer, it's a lot easier to think of it as 6/8.
The story of the Edmund Fitzgerald is fascinating. You have to understand how massive this ship was. It was 728 feet long. If you stood it on end against the St. Louis Gateway Arch it would be roughly 100 feet taller. And it vanished in seconds. Other ships were in the area and in contact with the Fitz, which had lost its radars, and had a severe list. And it just vanished. Also, the Love of God go line is my favorite in this song, too.
From a documentary I saw, when that one monster wave hit, she was in shallow water. She was already down by the bow, and they think the wave drove her bow under, her bow hit bottom, and that's what broke her back.
The freakiest thing I remember reading about this was an account from a mariner on a similar ship in the same storm who talked about something that never occurred to a landlubber like me: He described being on corridor/catwalk below deck but over the hold that runs the length of the ship and watching the hatchway at the far end rise out of sight, reappear, then fall out of sight over and over as the ship flexed in the huge lake's waves. That freaky image has stuck in my head ever since.
@@ostlandr - Unfortunately, given the wreckage (which has been very well surveyed) the distance between the bow and the stern pieces (and the debris field between them) is too far for that scenario. The Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck was one of the most thoroughly documented and investigated maritime disasters in history. The experts believe the ship broke up on or very close to the surface of the water. The records of the comms between the Fitz and the Avafors (another freighter that was about 15 knots ahead of her, hence the line about "if they'd put 15 more miles behind her") indicate that the Fitz had two pumps running, they were running low in the water but felt the two pumps were handling it.....and in a matter of about 10 minutes the Avafors lost sight of the lights from the Fitz. Given the storm conditions, it's likely the Fitz didn't realize just how low in the water they were running, and therefore didn't know that the two pumps weren't enough. They likely broke up due to being capsized from a front port wave, which shifted the cargo and caused the ship to break in half (roughly) and both sections sank very quickly, already being low in the water and with the holds considerably flooded. It would have been VERY fast, which explains why there was never any emergency signal from the Fitz, as no-one had time to get to the radio and send it.
Lived on the North Shore of Lake Superior most of my 61 years. My family knew guys on the Fitz. I personally knew guys on the Anderson. They’re all gone now, but they will never be forgotten. Thank you, Gordon.
Love that line, 'when the waves turn the minutes to hours'. Captures the powerlessness. There's another earlier in the song that also gets me, "The good ship and true was a bone to be chewed when the gales of November came early." The contrast that this was a big lake ship with a seasoned crew, but still little more than a plaything against Nature's power. Coming so early in the song, it always leaves me with a pit in my stomach, knowing and dreading what is coming.
At some point, even if just for a moment, those men knew they were going to die. You are right, they were powerless when faced with the circumstances of the storm and the lake.
That is how deep Gordon's lyrics go as it also references the helplessness felt from the waves reducing progress of the Edmond as well as the rescue boats, turning "minutes to hours"... both in perception and reality.
@objectiveobserver4278 That reminds me of the story about the two colonels who watch as a boat loads up with soldiers to be transported down the river. Shortly, downriver the enemy opens fire and kills everyone aboard the transport. The first colonel says "Those are the bravest men I have ever seen." The second colonel points to another transport being loaded up as they speak. He says, "Those men saw what happened to the first transport colonel. I would say THEY are the bravest men I have ever seen."
I`ve had this feeling as tornadoes and Louisiana hurricanes approached. With both you really have no idea where the eye of the storm will hit and do the most damage until it`s too late to run or hide. The roar of a tornado missed me by less than a mile at 2 am last December and in 2020 two hurricanes hit my region knocking out power for over two weeks. Almost ripped the roof off and we could see light through the livingroom ceiling.
@@heinleinreaderThe same could be said of the crew of the Arthur M. Anderson, the freighter that was following behind the Fitz when it sank and that first reported her missing. She did make safe harbor, but the Coast Guard radioed the ship and asked her to turn around and go back out into the storm to look for any survivors from the Fitz. Captain Bernie Cooper, knowing that the storm had already taken out one ship, took the Anderson back out, along with another freighter, the William Clay Ford. The two ships spent the rest of the night searching for survivors in the teeth of the gale.
I was nine years old when this was in the news. Living in Chicagoland, the Great Lakes were always in the news. Superior's water is so cold all year round that cadavers don't float up, they sink and stay preserved at the bottom of the lake. She truly "never gives up her dead". Those men are still there in that "icewater mansion". Superior is so large its storms can reach hurricane levels of intensity. Mr. Lightfoot's dirge is a fitting tribute. Sadly, those men were on their last run of the season before Christmas break, and one of them was on his very first voyage.
In 1928, a cat. 4 hurricane caused the water to be blown out of Lake Okeechobee FL, with a 14-15 foot freshwater wind-driven storm surge & 25 foot waves on top of this, 40 feet of water coming ashore & it was at night & those poor folk never knew what hit them!! This storm drowned over 3000 folk!! Lake Okeechobee is 40 miles wide & 730 sq. mi. & averaging only 6-9 feet deep!!
That repeated drone of the tune. makes the song more haunting than if it was more melodious. JMO. I remember this wreck. Lake Superior is well known for shipwrecks. But this one was unexpected. They did eventually find the ship & left it as a watery tomb. The only thing they brought up was its ship bell, as the song states. A very sad tragedy that will be remembered forever through Gordon's masterful story telling. ❤
I've known this song intimately for nearly 50 years and always took note on how the time signatures added anxiety, suspense, and indeed reflection to the story. The Charismatic Voice picks up on this right away. Beyond the great story telling, it's this pacing that makes the song so effective, and no other reaction video I've watched of this song noticed that. Well done! The other thing about this song that is understandably missed by most, is that it really captures the spirit of the Canadian frontier very well. This is the reason why certain Canadian acts - The Tragically Hip being an obvious one - made a monumental impact in Canadian culture but did not resonate elsewhere. There is something uniquely Canadian about certain music that one can't quite nail down - one knows it when they hear it however. I would think most people around the world can't quite relate to the size and majesty of the Great Lakes, and Lake Superior is the Queen of the Great Lakes. It is so huge, deep and rugged that there really is no freshwater equal. It has very unique thermal properties that Gordon alludes to when he mentions that the lake doesn't give up her dead.
As usual, I feel like I'm in music theory class again, with a very empathetic yet charmingly goofy teacher. I'm surprised you didn't note his Canadian pronunciation of "Detroyit", or point out that there is no actual chorus, just the repeated hook at the end of each verse. Is there a technical term for that structure? I love what you do. I watch a lot of reactors and your channel makes my brain smarter.
Yeah one of the best parts of the song is how he takes his time to tell the story, to develop it over time, and let it naturally build. And the music behind it, so effective. I wonder just what its like to write something like this, you have to know you have done something truly amazing and wonderful.
@@Whatisthisstupidfinghandle yup...there's a channel I've watched before ( believe it's " Ask a Mortician " ) where she analyzes and breaks down why Superior never gives up her dead. ( she's doing a video based on this song and the tragic incident that inspired it )
The thermocline of Superior creates a boundary layer deep in the lake. Anybody growing up in the upper Midwest that spent anytime swimming in the numerous lakes will attest to the influence of those boundary layers. The surface water is warm and a few feet down it's absolutely fridgid. In shallower bodies of water, what they call "turnover" occurs and the stratification breaks down and the deeper, colder waters mix with the warm surface waters. In a lake the depth and size of Superior at that latitude, the break down of the thermocline and stratification never occurs. Those that drown in those lakes are permanently entombed in the "ice water mansions" below the thermocline.
So much imagery in this song. It always makes my heart swell. Whenever "The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald" plays, I stop what I am doing, and I listen to it. Just the other day, I was getting ready to pull out of a parking space and this song came on. I pulled back in and listened to the entire song before leaving.
As a Michigander, this song gives me chills. Played often on the radio in November. It is often said, that the great lakes are some of the most treacherous waters on earth. True, the waves of the sea can rival the great lakes, but it can not rival how brutal our waves can be when they so choose. It is what sunk her. The waves, called the three sisters, are likened to the rogue wave of the ocean. Except the three sisters are three very large, very tight together waves. Not just one random massive wave from nowhere. Both still an uncommon phenomena. Your ship has no time to prepare for the next wave before you are on the next, leaving the center of your ship unsupported, and you risk snapping in half. I have fished decades on Lake Michigan living close to shore, seen her turn nasty very quick. I have heard, not sure how true though, that some who sail the oceans, will not sail the likes of Lakes Michigan and Superior because of how fast they can turn, and how brutal they can be.
And the hulls of freshwater ships have to be lighter than salt water ships because fresh water doesn't provide as much buoyancy. That means that they're more likely to break up in rough seas.
Fellow Michigander here, but I frequent Huron since I've lived nearly my entire life just a short walk from the shores. I love the recognition for the wreck of the Fitz, and this song always gives me full chills every time. I need to see if I can find the song about the wreck of the Carl D Bradley. I grew up close to Rogers City where most of her crew was from.
I worked on lake freighters for a few seasons to help pay my way through school, as well as having lived most of my life on the north shore of the Great Lakes, and I can confirm that they can be absolutely brutal in ways that you don't see on the ocean. Ocean waves have a long roll to them; waves on the Lakes are shorter and choppier, making them more unpredictable and often more dangerous. The Lakes also have fast changing, unpredictable weather systems that can whip up a monster storm faster than anything you'll see on the ocean. And being shallower, there are hidden shoals and sandbars that can snag or damage a ship far too easily. Although shipping companies changed their policies after the Fitz was wrecked, so that in case of bad weather, captains are now urged to run for safe harbour rather than ride it out, the Lakes are still as unforgiving as ever. I love them, but I'll never trust them.
@@mikkj1No, the difference in buoyancy between fresh and salt water has minimal effect on ship design. To the extent that lakers are built to lower scantlings than ocean-going ships, it is primarily because those who operate these ships rightly believe that they will never be so far from a safe harbor that they can’t choose to avoid the worst weather and waves. As in the case of the _Edmund Fitzgerald,_ that doesn’t mean that profit motivation doesn’t push laker operators to skimp on maintenance or challenge the weather, making risky or bad choices, especially when weather predictions were much less good than they are now.
This is one of those songs that makes me stop what I am doing and listen every single time I hear it. Fantastic songwriting, singing and storytelling all wrapped up together. It is a timeless classic even though it tells a story of a tragic incident in time. A definitive musical work of art.
As someone who has lived between or near the lakes Ontario and Erie my entire life, seen the lakers out on the water and running through the Welland Canal, and heard Gordon Lightfoot's songs being played on the radio, this song has continually brought tears to my eyes and is never skipped when it comes on my mp3 playlist. We have truly lost a genius singer/songwriter and Canada one of it's brightest sons. Rest In Peace
The emotional connection I have to this event is entirely existent through this song. And the song is so profound, Gordon's passing inspired me to write only the second poem I've made in my entire life. RIP GL.
I was born in 1971… My mom bought me the 45 single of the song when it came out because I had to spend hours looking for it on the radio, as it was my favorite song at the time. Now, in my 50s, I still get chills every time I hear this song. Especially the “ wind and the wires made a tattletale sound.”
I was in the Safety Office in Duluth as Active Duty Coast Guard. Part of my job was boarding tankers and freighters such as the Arthur. M. Anderson and Mesabi Miner, cohorts in league with the Fitz. I treasure my time aboard those ships. Truly marvels of engineering, yet nothing compared to mother nature. Fall and winter on the water of Superior or even just near it was an endurance test. Thanks for covering this and for the memories.
I'm from the Cleveland area and as a child on a tourist boat we passed the Fitzgerald in the Cuyahoga as it was heading back out to the lake from the mills. I have 3 photos of the crew standing along the rail. I didn't realize it was the Edmund Fitzgerald until about a decade ago. Its spooky to know that most of them likely died that November night. The local radio stations always play this song that day and its earie at night, especially if it is raining to hear the music and words 45+ years later.
@epistte You should get in contact with the museum. It may be the last photos of them alive, which has value not just to their families, but historically.
I've always felt that the song form (repeated melody, chord progression, structure, etc.) for this is basically a modern-day sea shanty... which gives it that captivating & haunting feel. Great song, great pick, by the by...
I wonder if it also might have borrowed from the rhythms of "The Song of Hiawatha," Longfellow's epic set on the shores of Lake Superior - which itself borrowed from the Finnish national epic poem the Kalevala. The Kalevala was composed from a collection of oral stories that were traditionally sung. The repetitive pattern I believe assisted memory and was easy to maintain over a long story.
🎶Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings In the rooms of her ice-water mansion🎶 🎶Old Michigan steams like a young man’s dreams, the islands and bays are for sportsman🎶 🎶And farther below, Lake Ontario takes in what Lake Erie can send her🎶
@frankw - So true. I grew up in the Southern Ontario great lakes area. People that are not familiar with the area don't realize the size of these lakes. They get storms that rival the kinds of storms seen on the open ocean.
Yes, well said. Many people in the Great Lakes have family or friends who work on the freighters as well, and know the dangers of the Lakes. This was such a profound tragedy. The weather had been strange that week, warm and humid--completely out of character for Halloween, when most of the time the kids are wearing winter coats over their costumes and walking in the first snows. A big front pushed through with high winds, we felt it all the way down by the Ohio border. When the news came in about the Eddy Fitz, people were in shock for days. Gordon created a masterpiece in honor of 'that good ship and true' and her crew.
@@auntiegravity7713 It's quite a story & song! I was really excited when I was 15 or 16 b/c my mom got 2 tickets to see him in concert. We were really looking forward to it. He got on stage & opened with one of his hit songs, don't remember which one. Everybody got all fired up & was clapping & singing along. He stopped dead in the middle of the song, glared around at the audience, then asked us whether we paid money for tickets to hear ourselves sing, or him. Then he said that if we wanted to hear him sing, he'd better not hear another person singing or clapping along with him or he'd just leave. I think the whole audience was as stunned as Mom & I were....the rest of the concert was him playing & singing to an absolutely silent audience. People were afraid to even cough or sneeze, I swear. There was a long period of silence after the last song, then some tentative clapping. It was an extremely bizarre concert, but certainly the quietest I ever went to! I've read since then that GL was a great person, really nice....I guess he was having on off day that time! Still, a great singer with utterly iconic songs.
I love how he kept bringing in the instruments as the story got towards the danger/violent part of the song. It makes the song feel like you are experiencing the storm and the chaos of it. His timing gets more chaotic as the disturbance from the storm happens in the story. We lost a legend and the world is a little greyer because of it.
This song is an absolute masterpiece. I remember when I first heard it. 47 years later it's still one of my favorite songs from the 70's among literally hundreds.
There is no one as complete as Lightfoot as a lyricist songwriter and vocalist all combined. His education commitment and genius is unsurpassed. His voice is an exemplar of emotion integrity and beauty. An amazing singer songwriter lyricist and creative genius
I'm from the UP of Michigan and grew up listing to this song. My uncle had the record this came out on and my father had a good friend on the Edmund Fitzgerald, but he would never say who it was or talk about him at all.
I had the privilege of seeing Gordon perform this song shortly before his death. He was 83 years old, and the magic was still there. The concert was in a small theater in Frederick, Maryland.
I’ve always loved this song. I am a lifelong Minnesotan and know the power of Lake Superior. You don’t mess with the power of the lake. I’ve lived in the port of Duluth for many years and this time of year is when we get strong storms that do lots of damage and are very treacherous. Also Gitche Gumee means “Big Sea” or “Huge Water” in Objiwe
Gordon Lightfoot was my mom's favorite musician and songwriter, and the only person I ever remember her going to hear in concert. Now she is 92 years old and remembers nothing save her childhood, but I will remember her love of his music until the day I, too, remember nothing. This song is one of the few that has the power to bring tears to my eyes. It is an absolute masterpiece of storytelling. You will find many other great songs by Gordon Lightfoot, but this will always be my favorite.
Have you played him for her? Music is one of the few things that may cut through the fog of memory. You may have tried, it doesn't always work. At the very least if she loved him before chances are she'd enjoy him again.
Born and raised in Duluth Mn. My dad was a ore boat captain. I watched the Fitz come in and out of the cancal to the duluth/superior harbor many times, including it's last and final departure.
Two things: I live near Lake Superior, and spend time fishing and boating her waters. My father died under mysterious circumstances at sea on the USS Scorpion SSN-589. Both of these fact make this song hit home really hard. I know personally the fury of Lake Superior and her Gales of November. I also understand what it is like to not know how the men perished as nobody knows what exactly happened to them. I also wrote a song, called Brandywine, to honor the 99 men and the families of those lost on the Scorpion.
When I was young, we hunted outside of Duluth, MN which is on Lake Superior. The radio stations would play this song over and over until it just became background noise. However, every now and then, you'd really listen to the lyrics again and it would hit you in your emotions all over again.
A perfect example of simple music and a master story teller. He is more interested in telling a story than making an entertaining song. He was one of the best.
The driving tempo (written 6/8, but it feels like each triplet is a single beat, so directed in two) with the lyrics always makes me feel like Gordon is walking a path, telling a story... it has the feel of a stroll... but the journey is filled with sorrow, and loss.
I think this is one of the greatest songs ever written. The guitar sound just makes me picture a foggy body of water with a big ship. The music fits the story perfectly.
I grew up near the area where the Edmund Fitzgerald sank and it was also when the song was released. They played it incessantly on the radio, but I never tired of it. The words are so haunting. And Gordon’s voice was sublime.
Born on the "big lake" and even sailed on it in my youth Gordon did this tribute justice to mother nature and the sailors that lost their lives. Thanks for your review, he was a legend, r.i.p. Mr. Lightfoot we thank you for your music.
The "company" upgraded the Fitzgerald to haul more ore by making minimal improvements, enough to get the certification a few months before the wreck. Sure, a storm, watch out. But watch out for money grubbing corporations skirting safety rules which is really what sunk the Fitzgerald.
I saw Superior only once, in the summer of 1966. But I've spent many days at Lake Michigan. Camping, or visiting wife's cousin who has two old cottages on the dunes above the water. I've seen storms at the lake, and they can get rough. One storm knocked down every tent and overturned some pop-up campers. This was about 1963 or so. Beautiful lake no matter the weather.
I am a musician because of Gordon Lightfoot. I became a classical/fingerstyle guitarist because if him, and artists like him and Stan Rogers have always been huge in my heart. I always meant to send Gord a letter thanking him for his voice and his art, but he was gone before I got around to it. I was gutted. Thank you for this, I appreciate it so much.
My day is officially made, thank you so much for doing this one! This song is in my humble opinion the anthem for all who live around the Great Lakes. The lakes are so beautiful yet so deadly and I really think very few people truly understand the true power and vastness of the Great Lakes, at least not until this song came out telling the story of The Fitz and her brave and dedicated crew. And its true, Gordon gave all proceeds to the families and was in contact with them all throughout his life. This song is truly something special and Im so happy you're taking a trip into this story! Long Live Gordon Lightfoot, Long Live the crew of The Fitz, and Long Live the S.S Arthur M Anderson who was the last ship in contact with the Fitz, only 10 miles behind her when she sank, and the first ship to go back out into Lake Superior during the storm to search for survivors💖🤘🤘
It really is an anthem for the Great Lakes. When I lived in Chicago, the lake was a presence that everyone was aware of. You can feel it. Everyone took any weather warnings on the lake seriously, even with the relatively benign southern end of Lake Michigan. I would also say even though this is an anthem for the whole region, it also belongs specifically to Michigan. It's part of their history and they've been shaped by the lakes more than anyone else.
I live on Lake Ontario and I’ve seen the lake with 25 foot waves. It’s unreal. I lost a college friend that got washed off the break wall during a storm. It can be so dangerous. You wouldn’t expect ocean types of conditions on a lake.
@@CortexNewsService Ohio has a certain claim on it as well. The Fitzgerald was bound for Detroit first, but much of the crew was based in Toledo and Cleveland, and I believe calls were to be made in each as well. Every year on November 10 the radio stations in Cleveland play this song, and mentions of the anniversary are made on the local news. And as a Clevelander, I've seen the Lake turn ugly. I've watched huge waves crash into the shore both downtown east of the Breakwall and along the coast in Euclid.
My father worked for the St Lawerence Seaway for over forty years. When I was about between 4 - 6 years old, I asked him if he ever saw the Edmund Fitzgerald. He said it wouldn’t fit in the locks, too long. I was born in the spring of ‘75, the year she went down, my dad would’ve been lock master then. I still clearly remember listening to this song on the AM stereo in our living room as a young lad, still a personal favourite to this day.
Fun fact, every year the Mariner’s Church of Detroit rings the bell one time for each sailor who died. But this past year, they rang the bell one extra time… in honor of this man and his contribution to honoring that tragic day
Didn’t know that, very touching!
Oh no! I’m only finding out that he died because of your comment. How did I miss the news? 😢
how beautiful.
@@lydibugmuzikHe died last May 1st.
Didn’t know that. Thank you.🥲
My Dad was a naval officer during WW2. When this song was first on the radio we were in the car and shortly after the line "Does anyone know where the love of god goes" Dad pulled over and was quiet for a moment then he said "the weather was worse than the fighting: I never felt helpless in combat but when you see those big waves coming at your little ship it feels like a helpless eternity."
One of the greatest lines ever written!
Did he sail with Halsey through a couple of typhoons or was he in either the Aleutians or North Atlantic?
I was in the Navy also. Weather was my biggest concern too.
I was navy too - thought the ship was going down a few times . have not been on a boat since !
Was he in Typhoon Cobra and/or Viper with Halsey?
I remember seeing an interview with Gordon Lightfoot where he spoke about that he had over the years reorchestrated many of his songs for live performance to reflect the fact that he no longer possessed the vocal range that he once did.
He still wanted the songs to sound right to the audience and was actually able to rearrange them to compensate for that.
What an absolute professional.
Gordon Lightfoot was also the first concert I ever went to.
My dad played this song for me on the radio when I was 5. I asked who's Edmund fitzgerald? He says its not a who but a what. He the asks me you know how daddy's ship had a name when he was in the navy? I said yes. He then says other ships have names too. He then explained the story to me and i cried. He asked me son why are you crying? I said because those guys died. To this day this song gives me goosebumps.not only is it a remembrance of the men on the ship but also the singer and my dad who's also gone. Not to mention the wives children families of the men lost.
My dad had the cassette! He played the song for me as a kid a bunch. We would take family trips to Duluth every summer. I’ve seen several artifacts including the life boats and the bell from the Fitzgerald. Met a crewman who didn’t go with this run because of medical reasons.
Gordon donated all proceeds from this song to the families of the 29 men lost on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Unfortunate ship, had a total of five collisions before its last voyage! Not the best ship to get on board I think... 😟🙏
@@joergojschaefer3521 the Fitz had a rather unlucky history, especially ironic considering she was commissioned by a life insurance company.
😳
@@MikeBarnett1776 She was actually considered one of the best ships to work on by most of the people who had sailed on her. She had better cabins and food than most lake freighters, and her senior crews were usually the most experienced sailors available. Only in her last couple of seasons, when she was in need of some major repairs (which were scheduled right after her last, fatal trip across the Lakes!) and the company had increased the amount of ore she was carrying past what she was designed for, did anyone mention any concerns about her safety. Yes, she'd had a few minor mishaps, but believe me, every ship on the Lakes has had a scrape or two, and they're built to withstand them.
It was also reported that scholarships were established for the children of the victims, and that the donation was included in his will so any future proceeds will also go to the families.
Lightfoot didn't just tell the story he painted the whole damn picture. Nobody tells a story better in a song. Simply an incredible song by an amazing artist.
Amen. Perhaps a close second is Harry Chapin.
🇨🇦 GOAT imo.
I've been asked what my favorite song is of all-time... and it's so *easy* to cite this yet every time I do that, they're surprised. Songwriting gets no better than this.
Bruce Dickinson does.
@@StacyBaldwin-qv5cj Very good, but Lightfoot is the best. Partially because the style of Lightfoot's music is better for telling stories.
To me the line “does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours” is one of the most haunting in music. Shivers EVERY time.
100 percent! IMO the most chilling lyric ever sung - particularly if you've spent any time around the Great Lakes in November.
Me too. I have always thought that was such a powerful line.
How one feels if you have gone overboard in such a storm and awaiting rescue. 😥
The story of how Gordon came up with the idea to cover the story in a song is very interesting too! It started after he read the newspaper article. It should come up quickly on a google search.
Got caught in a bad thunderstorm out in the trenches of Lake Erie...engine trouble.....18ft boot. We got it going but I learned what that line means. That was a LONG white knuckle ride back.
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" One of the greatest lines ever written in music. This is a prime and perfect example of songwriting. Tell a story, evoke an emotion and make it understandable. Love this song. When Gordon passed, the Detroit church bell rang 29 times then rang a 30th for Gord.
@jnaco08--- " I can see her lying there in her satin dress in a room where you do won't you won't confess" Love this line from Sundown. Gordon Lightfoot is a legend.
Having almost drowned 2x let me tell you how true that is 💔
It was taken from a news paper article
This line strikes the heart of every one of us who has ever worked the sea in rough weather
@@farmerryan182...That was how people got there news back then.🤓
What gets me in this song is the wailing guitars. Not as in a shredding rock solo, but the constant eerie wailing of the rising and falling wind in a storm, with the drums providing the occasional thunder. It sets the perfect mood to accompany the lyrics.
I agree. The instrumentation is just as important as the melody and lyrics.
The pedal steel in this was played by Ed Ringwald, aka pee wee Charles
Agreed, it's absolutely haunting. Also the way they bend and change pitch, but it's "lazy" like it's behind the beat. This whole song is an absolute masterpiece through and through.
Fun Fact: Gordon Lightfoot struggled with writing this song, wanting to avoid inaccuracies. Eventually his guitarist Terry Clements told him to "just tell a story". Gordon heeded his advice, and in ONE TAKE in a darkened studio, the lyrics were produced. The actual song took at least two takes.
Yeh struggling for 2 weeks I Think that was all it took him to write this gem. (I could be wrong)
I know he wrote the Railroad Trilogy in a hurry for the CBC. That also is an amazing piece of songwriting.
Wow. What a fun anecdote!! It is amazing how many times I hear some version of these expkanations to write the world's iconic songs. It is very common that it took a song write like 10-15 minutes to write these songs that lived on for 50 years.
@@campingalanHere's another one for you: Céline Dion's song "Immortality" was written by Barry and Maurice Gibb (of the Bee Gees) in three minutes.
We are holding our own...
@@JeffOfTheMountains And here's another one. Handel wrote "The Messiah" in 24 days. Full orchestration, everything.
The song gives me chills every time I hear it! As a 62 year old Canadian I appreciate you covering this song. Thank you!
I remember this, I was 16, this seemed to really put him out there to the 🌎🌏🌍, as 🇨🇦, we knew of his genius all along
Can you. Do vasc on a mazy grace
I'm 62 and right there with you, Chris. I grew up on the American side of Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Our families were iron ore miners. The death of those sailors was very personal to our community. We never met them, but they were brothers none the less. Gordon Lightfoot's song brought us all some closure in the aftermath of that tragedy.
In 1928, a category 4 hurricane affected Lake Okeechobee FL!! This lake is 40 miles wide, 730 sq. mi. but shallow with water averaging 6-9 feet deep!! The wind blew north to south & blew the water from the north shore to the south shore creating a 14-15-foot freshwater storm-surge with 25-foot waves or 40 feet of water coming ashore!! Those poor folk did not know what was coming & it was in the dark of night when this happened!! Over 3000 people drowned!! In the thirties the US Army Corp of Engineers built levees around the lake to prevent this from happening again!!
I'm with you, Chris. I'm 65 and still tear up when I listen to this song. Gordon's storytelling is incredible.
My grandfather and father worked with the men that died on the Edmond Fitzgerald. Many of them were invited or even at my parents wedding. This story has been part of our family for as long as I have been alive!
This song resonates with me on a very personal level because I have my own Lake Superior sea story, from only five years after the Edmund Fitzgerald sank. I was in the US Coast Guard serving aboard the USCGC Sundew, a buoy tender and icebreaker much smaller than the Fitz, when we were called out on a search and rescue mission to try to find a man missing on Lake Superior during a similar storm in December of 1980. I was up all night navigating the ship from the Keweenaw Peninsula across the lake to Grand Marais, MN, through 20 to 25 foot seas to get to the area we were to search. This was long before GPS was invented, and our radar didn't help much that far from land in those seas, so my initial estimates of our position were not too accurate, landing me in hot water with my captain. Once I finally got a break in the morning and could leave the bridge, I couldn't sleep as I was woken up twice to go out on deck and help chip off the ice which had accumulated overnight. We had gained 4 inches of ice on the buoy deck and 8 inches on the forecastle which had to be removed by sledge hammer and axe handle to keep the ship from becoming unstable. To our surprise, we found the victim but, to no one's surprise, he was dead from hypothermia and probably had died before we made it out into the big lake from the upper entry of the Keweenaw Waterway near Houghton, MI. My seven years in the Coast Guard included three and a half years of sea duty on three different ships and this was probably the roughest night at sea I ever experienced.
❤😢
Thank for your service. The Coast Guard deserves much more respect than you get, for you are in effect active duty non stop, not just times of war.
Sorry you had to experience that.
That sounds terrifying! I’m thinking of all the ice that splashes up and freezes on lighthouses in the winter… to be out on a small ship is a whole other level. What was someone doing in the Lake that late it in the season? We’re they washed in from the shore? How tragic. Thank you for your service in the Coast Guard! I feel like members of the USCG don’t get enough recognition for all the work you do keeping people safe on our Great Lakes.
The Sundew is homeported in Duluth now.
Thank you for your good work and service. I've only sailed Superior on a freighter, and in bad weather, I wouldn't want to be in anything smaller! Imho, the Coast Guard are unsung heroes just for going out and doing what you do, when nobody else can or will.
Rest In Peace Gordon - he passed away May 1, 2023. This song really tugs the heart strings. Every time.
Bob Dylan once said, when Gordon Lightfoot sings a song you never want it to end.
I agree.
He has his wish with this one.
Gordon tried to make sure that didn’t happen with this one
Gordon Lightfoot was a national treasure. One of the greatest Canadian entertainers ever.
I am glad I was able to see him on his last tour. He did a great job.
One of the few likable Canadians
@@cajunoutdoors9994there’s a reason we kicked you people out of Acadia
@@saskrugbydad2227 couldn’t be more happier that y’all did
His work will always be treasured, especially in Canada.
Gordon Lightfoot is one of my all time favorites. ❤❤❤
Mine too.
I grew up surrounded by Lightfoot's music and unfortunately not appreciating it and actually have an uncle who worked the freighters on the Great Lakes and became friends with some of the crew on the Fitzgerald. Fast forward many years later I had the opportunity to meet him before one of his concerts. I was blown away by how down to earth and welcoming he was. To this day I consider meeting this great man, shaking his hand and having a genuine conversation with him one of the most memorable parts of my life. He performed this masterpiece at each and every one of his concerts in the later years of his career in honour of those 29 men who lost their lives that night.
I cannot wait. For some reason the line “Fellas it’s been good to know you” gets me every time. 😢
Me too! Every. Time.
✔
Same. Especially with the haunting arpeggios in the background
Every. Single. Time.
"All that remains are the faces and the names of the wives and the sons and the daughters."
Michigander here. This song hits me in the heart everytime i hear it. My cousin was on the Grand Haven Pier (Lake Michigan) with 4 other friends during this storm. 3 of them were washed off the pier and 2 drown. The 3rd one was saved. 1 that drowned and 1 that was saved were brothers. I work with their sister & every November 10th when this plays on the radio i see her stop what she is doing and listen to the song (and remember).
Wow. I had no idea this happened. I am from Holland, MI just down the coast, where Big Red stands tall and proud. Very sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing this.
I remember hearing about that happening when i was younger. This song just hits people from michigan differently i feel
Wow that's touching Todd. I feel the same way as a native mitten man, though i do not have the personal connection that is in anyway comparable to yours, i still feel an odd sense of ownership or pride in it. The history of shipwrecks on the lakes is long and storied, over 1500 just in Michigan's waters alone (6000 estimate total). Most people just don't understand how big our lakes are and how much shipping goes on.
damn, Nov 10th today watching this video and reading your comment. prays to the sister today if you are still working with her pass a hug along.
I'm originally from Michigan and a lover history and ships. I have heard and read sories of those boats and the Lakes and of course "The Fitz" . This song is perfect imp.
I grew up, and still live and work in the Cleveland area. About a year ago, one of my co-workers retired. I remember him telling us a story about when he graduated high school. He and his friend applied to Cleveland Cliffs to work on the freighters. He was rejected, but his friend was accepted. His friend was Bruce Hudson who went down on the Edmund Fitzgerald. He still has the rejection letter, and brought it in to show us. On a separate note, before my current job I worked at steel mill. One of my co-workers there also had a connection to the ship. His wife's uncle was on it when it went down. I have always loved this song, and Lightfoot's ability to tell such wonderful stories through his songs. Lightfoot became friends with Bruce's mother because of this song, and would visit her every time he was in the area until she passed.
That’s really amazing and wonderful-Lightfoot was a truly profound man.
I also grew up in the Cleveland area so much history I still remember when I went to day camp at the science center and toured the William G Mather.
One of our good family friends was Ernie Mell. Ernie was the Chief Porter on the Anderson. Ernie never talked much about that night, but when he did, you could see his eyes stare off to nowhere, like every moment had just happened.
Minnesota boy here - this song is one of the few that can make me cry. It doesn't matter how cheery, or serious I am, it instantly sucks my soul in and I empathise with the people involved. "Fellas it's been good to know ya" usually gets the first sob. One of the best story songs I've ever heard
When I see the choppy waters of Lake Michigan during a winter storm this song ALWAYS pops into my head. I've been to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in my hometown numerous times and it always hits me how MANY WRECKS are on the Great Lakes. Most dangerous waters in the world.
I served on a submarine, and this phrase still chillls me to the bone as I pictured the water pouring thru the hatch
I tear up every time the song gets to “and later that night when his lights when out of sight, came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” We’ll never know the horror the men experienced when the Fitzgerald went down. Gordon wrote this song because a news paper spelled names wrong. They deserved better and Gordon Lightfoot delivered.
My family lived on the North Shore of Lake Superior at the time of the storm. My mother was pregnant with me at the time. First time I heard the song was in grade 5, immediately got sick to my stomach. Was in my 20s before hearing the song wouldn't make me feel sick. Closing in on 50 now and heart still races and can barely hold back tears when I hear it.
THat is one of the saddest lines in any song I've ever heard
For whatever reason I cry uncontrollably every time I hear this song. No other song has this emotional impact and I can’t explain it. It is a sadness that bubbles up from somewhere deep. RIP Gordon ❤
Me too. 😢
Same here.
Always have myself. Gordon's voice is so perfect for this eulogy.
Me too! has since the first time I heard it as a kid when it first came out.
Me too. I heard it on the radio as a kid, 6 or 7 years old, my parents told me it had just happened like the year before. Hits me even harder now. Most haunting song ever to me.
The line "Ice water mansion" is a perfect description of Lake Superior, huge, like a mansion compared to a normal house, and the water in the lake is cold!
That line, "Does anyone know where the love fo God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours, " for me is pure songwriting genius.
Facing the God delusion before death comes to us all
Another great line: And all that remains is the faces and the names of the wives and the sons and the daughters.
@@davidcox8945 "Delusion" is believing you know the answer to an unanswerable question regardless which side one takes.
@@Gerhardium the answer to the poet’s question is no
To the question ‘is there an immortal, omnipresent, omniscient Leprechaun?’, the answer is also no
As an old Coast Guard sailor who has been through a few "gales of November", this song gets me a bit teary eyed every time I hear it. Even surrounded by shipmates, a sailor's life can be a lonely one, and the haunting lyrics and music of this tune makes me imagine how the men of the Edmund Fitzgerald must have felt during their last hours - courageous, but alone.
@@JohnnyRep-hz5qh Yeah, it's damned cold!
I believe the water temperature in Duluth topped out at 55 degrees this summer.
My salute to you, shipmate. I was career Navy, and everything you expressed is true. When I went topside in the middle of the night once on a break, I watched the bioluminescence around the bow breaking up the pitch darkness, and wondered for the thousanth time if I would see my husband again after this deployment. Why I don't know. But in hindsight it was an omen of sorts, since two months before I retired I lost him to leukemia. He was career Navy, too.
The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and the loss of life of the 29 men on board would be remembered today by only a scant few souls had Gordon Lightfoot not captured it in song. They will live on in memory long after all of us are gone.
Everyone in Michigan from my generation knows every word of this song by heart. This was a huge story in our state and this song got a ton of airplay on the radio for a couple of decades.
Minnesota too.
I'm not sure what generation you are referring to but, yes this song is very special to all of us michaganders.
Us yoopers learn the words to this song in music class extremely early on, like 2nd or 3rd grade
Proud Michigander here; the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum up on Whitefish Point near Paradise, MI is a very special and haunting place. This song plays in the museum every day. A true testament to the fateful events on that terrible day. They were almost to the point when the ship went down. 😢
Michigan is way more connected to any part of Canada than any other part of the US. You're north of us , FFS.
Anyone listening to the radio in the mid-1970's heard this song no matter if you were on the pop, country, or adult contemporary station. It was played on all of them. I was 9 when the Edmund Fitzgerald sank and 10 when Lightfoot released his tribute. It's not until I was much older that I realized the significance of the song to memorialize the loss to the wider public. What a wonderful tribute to Gordon Lightfoot when the Maritime Cathedral in Detroit MI rang its bells 29 times to once again, honor those sailors lost...plus 1 more to honor Lightfoot.
This song is a masterpiece. RIP G.L.
I was a young wife and mother, so mainly heard this song on the radio. I had no idea that the tragedy was so current. I had mistakenly thought the ship was lost in the WW1 era. So sad. So many jobs are tough and dangerous. I’m glad Joe Biden is working to get unions going again. That’s who fights the billionaires for regular men. The Union.
It’s especially interesting that songs of that era were generally 3 minutes long. Yet this one is over 6 minutes, but still received repeated airtime.
"...waves turn the minutes to hours..." and "...rooms of her ice water mansion..." have ALWAYS struck me as potent and beautiful. I was in Sault Ste Marie last summer and there is a freighter docked which is now a maritime museum. There is a large display for the Edmund Fitzgerald, including two small boats (1.5, really) and part of a life ring, as well as photographs and descriptions of the men aboard. It was powerful.
Growing up in Thunder Bay, on the shores of Lake Superior, this song sure hits home. So many ship wrecks and lives lost on the big lake. This is probably the most haunting song you will ever hear. Gordon is a song writing genius ❤❤🇨🇦
It was during the NTSB's inspection of the wreck that prompted several changes to safety measures still used today. Those stricter safety standards and updated instruments and life saving equipment have made a difference. There are still boats that have sunk since the Fitz went down, but not nearly as many commercial freighters. Laws were also put into place to keep people away from any wreck where bodies have not been recovered. Both America and Canada consider these wreck sites to be underwater graves and protect them from photos, salvage and recreation diving.
If you're a Canadian of a certain age, this song (and Lightfoot more generally)is just part of your life growing up. Thanks for your very thoughtful analysis.
True also for those of us growing up during GL's time of musical genius.
We that live on the one of the Great Lakes (Lake Michigan in my case) understand that the melody goes up and down like the “rollers” we see each time we look out over the water. Loved GL❤.
I grew up on Lake Erie, between Cleveland and Buffalo. P&C Dock Company is a huge part of my town. I grew up watching the Ore Boats. This song was a cautionary tale for anyone who had friends or family on the Boats.
@@kengaroo67 that’s true. My dad sailed on the Great Lakes on a ship named the Myron C Taylor during the 40s and early 50s. His job was deemed essential and for that reason was never sent to war. After starting a new family in Wisconsin, he left sailing and went home to find a new career in law enforcement. We have some amazing photos of him on the deck during some “off time” with his shirt off. I never saw him in that kind of physical condition as I was born many years later. He passed away 6 years ago at 99.5 y/o. He always loved the lake and fished almost daily during the late spring, summer and early fall on it until he physically couldn’t get in/out of his small boat.
One thing he always had was a very keen respect for weather, especially wind and wind direction before we went out trolling 5 miles off shore in an 18’ boat. He was up early in the morning after retirement checking the tree tops for the wind. I don’t know if anything gave him more pleasure than being on the water. It was in his blood.
We grew up in a shipbuilding town where many of today’s major bulk carriers were built and get repaired for the winter.
I'm from Southern Canada (Minnesota) and feel as you about GL and Superior.
The repetitive melody is based on the style of a sea shanty. A style of folk song sung by sailors as they performed repetitive, rhythmic labor aboard their vessels. From the French “chanter”, to sing.
Born in Detroit. I would occasionally see this ship coming up or down the river. Impressive because it was larger than most freighters as mentioned in the song. My father took me to the maritime cathedral to hear the bells toll. I’m 64 now and I still can’t listen to this song without getting choked up. Beautiful and sad, the best kind of poetry. Thank you for highlighting this incredible song.
I love the guitar tone in this song. It just runs right up the spine like that cold wind blowing over the ship.
THIS.
It mimics the wind in the wires as well!
I don't know if the guitar is supposed to feel like the wind or the waves. Having been in some big seas it feels like the waves to me.
The slides on the pedal steel guitar gives me the chills.
This song has always given me instant goosebumps from the opening note. Every time I hear it I try to stop what I’m doing and just listen.
I'm 69 years old. Every time I listen to this song I wipe tears from my eyes. This song gives a better understanding of what happened that day than any history book or newscast could.
There were some liberties taken in the lyrics of the original recording. In respect to the surviving families, Lightfoot changed some of the lyrics for his live performances.
I'm 68 and I was in the Navy as were my father and two uncles. Even when it only involves seasickness, the waves can turn the minutes to hours. And to know your life is in danger, and knowing there's nothing you can do but wait it out, must be terrifying. I don't think anyone who has ever been at sea, can say that they can't relate to that phrase.
The way Gordon sings brings to mind the movement of waves, peaks and valleys. I can almost feel the rocking of the big ship. Beautifully done, great song.
This is such a haunting song. Being from Michigan, I've been hearing this song for almost 50 years and I still get goosebumps from it.
Growing up on Oklahoma, I believe we’ve heard it as many times and I’m sure that’s true for the whole country, as it was a horrific tragedy!
❤ I think we had a special relationship to the Edmund Fitzgerald tragedy, and to this song, growing up in Michigan.
Can't listen to it without crying. Epic tribute for those men and their families
As I wipe away some tears here, I agree
@@_evildoer Same
Every single time
@@charlieghostwolf6161 yep
Got me again this time.
0:07 This is why, for millennia before writing was invented, history was passed down through song. That's what ballads are for. This song is a rock ballad.
I didn't plan on having a cry this early, but here we go. This song gets me every time.
same
Yep
Gets me EVERY time
I think the part where he "rushed" it, he was portraying the fear & frantic experienced by the crew. This song never fails to give me chills. Godon Lightfoot's voice & accompanying music almost makes the listener almost feel they are on the Fitz with her crew. For some reason, the fact that the storm was so vicious, that the crew couldn't even take time to eat, makes it more sad & human.
You can't cook when the kitchen won't stay horizontal. Everything would spill or fall constantly.
If they had sandwiches or something similar already made- the guys would have still not been able to eat while trying to survive.
Elizabeth is used to musicians that play to a "click track", I think THAT is one of the biggest flaws in modern music. It strips out the human emotion. Having your voice crack, speeding up or slowing down communicates genuine emotion. The vocals weren't planned out and focus group tested, Gordon reached down deep and told a beautiful, heart rendering story. You don't have to have seen the Great Lakes or been in the Ocean to feel the terror, loss and Courage. It's a timeless tribute to those men and their families.
"When afternoon came it was freezing rain, In the face of a hurricane West wind" is one of my favorite lines of all time.
With no chorus or bridge, the haunting melody sways you like ship, with the crying steel guitar creating the variation, mood, and tension to pull you along, all designed to sit in the background of the story. As a Michigander, this is our state’s unofficial anthem and one of the most haunting songs ever recorded.
Even the opening guitar twang is haunting
The melody is from a sea shanty called “Back Home in Derry.” So that feeling makes a lot of sense.
When I first encountered the idea of the Homeric poems, I was incredulous that people could remember so many words without writing them down. I was in high school when this song came out, and I've never had any difficulty remembering every word. Lightfoot was the archetypical bard, the storyteller whose stories pulled you in with lyrics and music, and etched an indelible pattern in your mind.
Very well said.
My singing voice is similar to mr. lightfoot ,,,20 years ago, my wife and I and two other couples went to a karaoke night.
Where they insisted I sing, the Edmond Fitzgerald. Didn't look at the prompter once, didn't realize it till it was over !
Mr. Lightfoot
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
Absolutely the most haunting and evocative line in any song I've ever heard. It's stuck with me since the first time I heard the song.
Canada has blessed the world with three of the greatest musician poets in history. Two Gordons, and one Leonard.
All leaving us with broken hearts in their passing.
the other 2 being Gord Downie and Leonard Cohen??
Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, I think.
Don't forget Justin Bieber. @@haroldbrown6630
@@haroldbrown6630amen. Along with Rush they are Canada's best artists. No disrespect to GL but Neil is Canada's best in that category. It is worth mentioning too the the greatest musical poet period, BOB DYLAN, while not Canadian northern Minnesota isn't fat off
Might as well throw a big Stan in there as well.
Im not really a Gordon Lightfoot fan, but I think this song might be the greatest song of the last 100 years. Nobody ever painted a picture with words and sound like GL did here. I can see the ice on the deck and hear the wind in my mind every time I listen to the song.
Not only did GL paint a picture with words and sound, but he sung the song in a way that anybody could get the story or meaning. Nobody did music, lyrics and delivery of both like GL. Rest in Peace Gordon Lightfoot the peacemaker.
Agreed. Another amazing song is Cold Missouri Waters by Cry Cry Cry, based on the book Young Men and Fire. Worth a listen.
As someone who lives in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, sandwiched between Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron, this song has always held a special place in my heart. Just driving westward on M28 along Superior on my way to Marquette on a snowy November night is enough for me. Couldn't imagine how those 29 men felt ON the lake.
I was hiking this past spring along Minnesota's North Shore, along Lake Superior, on a very blustery day, when I heard the news that Gordon Lightfoot had passed away. It was almost surreal to be where I was when that happened, and immediately this song popped into my head, so I pulled it up on my phone as I hiked. An iconic song from a legendary songwriter. RIP Gordon Lightfoot....and thank you.
It’s very fitting that he passed away on a dark and stormy night.
The 6/8 time and the repeating melody work to evoke the feel of the waves going up and down. And the steel guitar is an absolute miracle of a performance. Ghostly and beautiful.
I'm hearing 4/4.
@@anthonyfuchs9787 Well, you can divide up the measure any way you want, but given the feel of the song, it is typically thought of as either 6/8 or 3/4. If it were 4/4, then the pulse of the song would be 8th note triplets, rather than just straightforward 8th notes. As a drummer, it's a lot easier to think of it as 6/8.
I think its in 6/8 or 3/4, bit if I was conducting it I'd probably conduct it in one (which feels more like 4/4)
Hearing it on nylon does make it feel completely different
I’m a 63 year old man from Detroit, I still cry every time I hear this song. 😥
The story of the Edmund Fitzgerald is fascinating. You have to understand how massive this ship was. It was 728 feet long. If you stood it on end against the St. Louis Gateway Arch it would be roughly 100 feet taller. And it vanished in seconds. Other ships were in the area and in contact with the Fitz, which had lost its radars, and had a severe list. And it just vanished. Also, the Love of God go line is my favorite in this song, too.
From a documentary I saw, when that one monster wave hit, she was in shallow water. She was already down by the bow, and they think the wave drove her bow under, her bow hit bottom, and that's what broke her back.
Fun fact, the depth of the water where the Edmund sank is shallower than the length of the ship.
The freakiest thing I remember reading about this was an account from a mariner on a similar ship in the same storm who talked about something that never occurred to a landlubber like me: He described being on corridor/catwalk below deck but over the hold that runs the length of the ship and watching the hatchway at the far end rise out of sight, reappear, then fall out of sight over and over as the ship flexed in the huge lake's waves. That freaky image has stuck in my head ever since.
Yes that is correct. She is lying in 450ft of water@@lazurusknight2724
@@ostlandr - Unfortunately, given the wreckage (which has been very well surveyed) the distance between the bow and the stern pieces (and the debris field between them) is too far for that scenario. The Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck was one of the most thoroughly documented and investigated maritime disasters in history. The experts believe the ship broke up on or very close to the surface of the water. The records of the comms between the Fitz and the Avafors (another freighter that was about 15 knots ahead of her, hence the line about "if they'd put 15 more miles behind her") indicate that the Fitz had two pumps running, they were running low in the water but felt the two pumps were handling it.....and in a matter of about 10 minutes the Avafors lost sight of the lights from the Fitz. Given the storm conditions, it's likely the Fitz didn't realize just how low in the water they were running, and therefore didn't know that the two pumps weren't enough. They likely broke up due to being capsized from a front port wave, which shifted the cargo and caused the ship to break in half (roughly) and both sections sank very quickly, already being low in the water and with the holds considerably flooded. It would have been VERY fast, which explains why there was never any emergency signal from the Fitz, as no-one had time to get to the radio and send it.
I'm 64 and I've bee listening to this song ever since it was released, and it still sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it!
Lived on the North Shore of Lake Superior most of my 61 years. My family knew guys on the Fitz. I personally knew guys on the Anderson. They’re all gone now, but they will never be forgotten. Thank you, Gordon.
Love that line, 'when the waves turn the minutes to hours'. Captures the powerlessness. There's another earlier in the song that also gets me, "The good ship and true was a bone to be chewed when the gales of November came early." The contrast that this was a big lake ship with a seasoned crew, but still little more than a plaything against Nature's power. Coming so early in the song, it always leaves me with a pit in my stomach, knowing and dreading what is coming.
At some point, even if just for a moment, those men knew they were going to die. You are right, they were powerless when faced with the circumstances of the storm and the lake.
That is how deep Gordon's lyrics go as it also references the helplessness felt from the waves reducing progress of the Edmond as well as the rescue boats, turning "minutes to hours"... both in perception and reality.
@objectiveobserver4278 That reminds me of the story about the two colonels who watch as a boat loads up with soldiers to be transported down the river. Shortly, downriver the enemy opens fire and kills everyone aboard the transport. The first colonel says "Those are the bravest men I have ever seen." The second colonel points to another transport being loaded up as they speak. He says, "Those men saw what happened to the first transport colonel. I would say THEY are the bravest men I have ever seen."
I`ve had this feeling as tornadoes and Louisiana hurricanes approached. With both you really have no idea where the eye of the storm will hit and do the most damage until it`s too late to run or hide. The roar of a tornado missed me by less than a mile at 2 am last December and in 2020 two hurricanes hit my region knocking out power for over two weeks. Almost ripped the roof off and we could see light through the livingroom ceiling.
@@heinleinreaderThe same could be said of the crew of the Arthur M. Anderson, the freighter that was following behind the Fitz when it sank and that first reported her missing. She did make safe harbor, but the Coast Guard radioed the ship and asked her to turn around and go back out into the storm to look for any survivors from the Fitz. Captain Bernie Cooper, knowing that the storm had already taken out one ship, took the Anderson back out, along with another freighter, the William Clay Ford. The two ships spent the rest of the night searching for survivors in the teeth of the gale.
My dad was in the Navy during the Korean War, one of his buddies was on the Edmond Fitzgerald, the song really meant a lot to him
Which crew member, if I may?
I was nine years old when this was in the news. Living in Chicagoland, the Great Lakes were always in the news. Superior's water is so cold all year round that cadavers don't float up, they sink and stay preserved at the bottom of the lake. She truly "never gives up her dead". Those men are still there in that "icewater mansion". Superior is so large its storms can reach hurricane levels of intensity. Mr. Lightfoot's dirge is a fitting tribute. Sadly, those men were on their last run of the season before Christmas break, and one of them was on his very first voyage.
In 1928, a cat. 4 hurricane caused the water to be blown out of Lake Okeechobee FL, with a 14-15 foot freshwater wind-driven storm surge & 25 foot waves on top of this, 40 feet of water coming ashore & it was at night & those poor folk never knew what hit them!! This storm drowned over 3000 folk!! Lake Okeechobee is 40 miles wide & 730 sq. mi. & averaging only 6-9 feet deep!!
That repeated drone of the tune. makes the song more haunting than if it was more melodious. JMO. I remember this wreck. Lake Superior is well known for shipwrecks. But this one was unexpected. They did eventually find the ship & left it as a watery tomb. The only thing they brought up was its ship bell, as the song states. A very sad tragedy that will be remembered forever through Gordon's masterful story telling. ❤
I've known this song intimately for nearly 50 years and always took note on how the time signatures added anxiety, suspense, and indeed reflection to the story. The Charismatic Voice picks up on this right away. Beyond the great story telling, it's this pacing that makes the song so effective, and no other reaction video I've watched of this song noticed that. Well done! The other thing about this song that is understandably missed by most, is that it really captures the spirit of the Canadian frontier very well. This is the reason why certain Canadian acts - The Tragically Hip being an obvious one - made a monumental impact in Canadian culture but did not resonate elsewhere. There is something uniquely Canadian about certain music that one can't quite nail down - one knows it when they hear it however. I would think most people around the world can't quite relate to the size and majesty of the Great Lakes, and Lake Superior is the Queen of the Great Lakes. It is so huge, deep and rugged that there really is no freshwater equal. It has very unique thermal properties that Gordon alludes to when he mentions that the lake doesn't give up her dead.
As usual, I feel like I'm in music theory class again, with a very empathetic yet charmingly goofy teacher. I'm surprised you didn't note his Canadian pronunciation of "Detroyit", or point out that there is no actual chorus, just the repeated hook at the end of each verse. Is there a technical term for that structure? I love what you do. I watch a lot of reactors and your channel makes my brain smarter.
Yeah one of the best parts of the song is how he takes his time to tell the story, to develop it over time, and let it naturally build. And the music behind it, so effective. I wonder just what its like to write something like this, you have to know you have done something truly amazing and wonderful.
Yes. Those thermal properties. The most frightening thing. They are all still down there. Superior must be one of the most haunted places on Earth
@@Whatisthisstupidfinghandle yup...there's a channel I've watched before ( believe it's " Ask a Mortician " ) where she analyzes and breaks down why Superior never gives up her dead. ( she's doing a video based on this song and the tragic incident that inspired it )
The thermocline of Superior creates a boundary layer deep in the lake. Anybody growing up in the upper Midwest that spent anytime swimming in the numerous lakes will attest to the influence of those boundary layers. The surface water is warm and a few feet down it's absolutely fridgid. In shallower bodies of water, what they call "turnover" occurs and the stratification breaks down and the deeper, colder waters mix with the warm surface waters. In a lake the depth and size of Superior at that latitude, the break down of the thermocline and stratification never occurs. Those that drown in those lakes are permanently entombed in the "ice water mansions" below the thermocline.
So much imagery in this song. It always makes my heart swell. Whenever "The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald" plays, I stop what I am doing, and I listen to it. Just the other day, I was getting ready to pull out of a parking space and this song came on. I pulled back in and listened to the entire song before leaving.
As a Michigander, this song gives me chills. Played often on the radio in November. It is often said, that the great lakes are some of the most treacherous waters on earth. True, the waves of the sea can rival the great lakes, but it can not rival how brutal our waves can be when they so choose. It is what sunk her. The waves, called the three sisters, are likened to the rogue wave of the ocean. Except the three sisters are three very large, very tight together waves. Not just one random massive wave from nowhere. Both still an uncommon phenomena. Your ship has no time to prepare for the next wave before you are on the next, leaving the center of your ship unsupported, and you risk snapping in half. I have fished decades on Lake Michigan living close to shore, seen her turn nasty very quick. I have heard, not sure how true though, that some who sail the oceans, will not sail the likes of Lakes Michigan and Superior because of how fast they can turn, and how brutal they can be.
And the hulls of freshwater ships have to be lighter than salt water ships because fresh water doesn't provide as much buoyancy. That means that they're more likely to break up in rough seas.
Same here, Minnesotan here
Fellow Michigander here, but I frequent Huron since I've lived nearly my entire life just a short walk from the shores. I love the recognition for the wreck of the Fitz, and this song always gives me full chills every time. I need to see if I can find the song about the wreck of the Carl D Bradley. I grew up close to Rogers City where most of her crew was from.
I worked on lake freighters for a few seasons to help pay my way through school, as well as having lived most of my life on the north shore of the Great Lakes, and I can confirm that they can be absolutely brutal in ways that you don't see on the ocean. Ocean waves have a long roll to them; waves on the Lakes are shorter and choppier, making them more unpredictable and often more dangerous. The Lakes also have fast changing, unpredictable weather systems that can whip up a monster storm faster than anything you'll see on the ocean. And being shallower, there are hidden shoals and sandbars that can snag or damage a ship far too easily. Although shipping companies changed their policies after the Fitz was wrecked, so that in case of bad weather, captains are now urged to run for safe harbour rather than ride it out, the Lakes are still as unforgiving as ever. I love them, but I'll never trust them.
@@mikkj1No, the difference in buoyancy between fresh and salt water has minimal effect on ship design. To the extent that lakers are built to lower scantlings than ocean-going ships, it is primarily because those who operate these ships rightly believe that they will never be so far from a safe harbor that they can’t choose to avoid the worst weather and waves. As in the case of the _Edmund Fitzgerald,_ that doesn’t mean that profit motivation doesn’t push laker operators to skimp on maintenance or challenge the weather, making risky or bad choices, especially when weather predictions were much less good than they are now.
This is one of those songs that makes me stop what I am doing and listen every single time I hear it. Fantastic songwriting, singing and storytelling all wrapped up together. It is a timeless classic even though it tells a story of a tragic incident in time. A definitive musical work of art.
As someone who has lived between or near the lakes Ontario and Erie my entire life, seen the lakers out on the water and running through the Welland Canal, and heard Gordon Lightfoot's songs being played on the radio, this song has continually brought tears to my eyes and is never skipped when it comes on my mp3 playlist. We have truly lost a genius singer/songwriter and Canada one of it's brightest sons. Rest In Peace
Lyrically, vocally, and musically haunting. I've loved this song since I was a child; it is chilling yet sensitive and never fails to make me cry.
Timeless Canadian Classic. Driving the North Shore of Lake Superior while listening to this is a gripping experience. Rest In Peace Gordon....
It's an international classic
@@mikelawson6456Gordon Lightfoot was Canadian.
The emotional connection I have to this event is entirely existent through this song. And the song is so profound, Gordon's passing inspired me to write only the second poem I've made in my entire life. RIP GL.
I was born in 1971… My mom bought me the 45 single of the song when it came out because I had to spend hours looking for it on the radio, as it was my favorite song at the time. Now, in my 50s, I still get chills every time I hear this song. Especially the “ wind and the wires made a tattletale sound.”
I was in the Safety Office in Duluth as Active Duty Coast Guard. Part of my job was boarding tankers and freighters such as the Arthur. M. Anderson and Mesabi Miner, cohorts in league with the Fitz. I treasure my time aboard those ships. Truly marvels of engineering, yet nothing compared to mother nature. Fall and winter on the water of Superior or even just near it was an endurance test.
Thanks for covering this and for the memories.
I'm a Michigander and I almost couldn't watch this because it is so emotional, I love the song, great job breaking it down.
I agree. Michigander here also.
I'm from the Cleveland area and as a child on a tourist boat we passed the Fitzgerald in the Cuyahoga as it was heading back out to the lake from the mills. I have 3 photos of the crew standing along the rail. I didn't realize it was the Edmund Fitzgerald until about a decade ago. Its spooky to know that most of them likely died that November night. The local radio stations always play this song that day and its earie at night, especially if it is raining to hear the music and words 45+ years later.
@epistte You should get in contact with the museum. It may be the last photos of them alive, which has value not just to their families, but historically.
I second what Tolkas said. Contact the museum, because those photos are potentially VERY historically valuable.
I've always felt that the song form (repeated melody, chord progression, structure, etc.) for this is basically a modern-day sea shanty... which gives it that captivating & haunting feel.
Great song, great pick, by the by...
I agree, the rhythm is much like a working song. Imagine a crew pulling on a line aboard ship.
Yes! That’s the term I was looking for-a sea shanty
I wonder if it also might have borrowed from the rhythms of "The Song of Hiawatha," Longfellow's epic set on the shores of Lake Superior - which itself borrowed from the Finnish national epic poem the Kalevala. The Kalevala was composed from a collection of oral stories that were traditionally sung. The repetitive pattern I believe assisted memory and was easy to maintain over a long story.
It's definitely written with that maritime feel, fittingly.
Also, the words that nearly rhyme, but don't quite, make it sound like an old sea shanty to me.
My husband sailed for 25+ years. He said the comment by the cook "its been a pleasure knowin you" carries the note we all know we are doomed.
Probably the most amazing eulogy ever written. So many powerful emotions are brought forth listening to Gordon's soulful voice
This song has/had a huge impact on many, but if you live, work, or play on the Great Lakes, it is on a whole different level.
🎶Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings In the rooms of her ice-water mansion🎶
🎶Old Michigan steams like a young man’s dreams, the islands and bays are for sportsman🎶
🎶And farther below, Lake Ontario takes in what Lake Erie can send her🎶
@frankw - So true. I grew up in the Southern Ontario great lakes area. People that are not familiar with the area don't realize the size of these lakes. They get storms that rival the kinds of storms seen on the open ocean.
Lake Erie almost took my life...don't underestimate its power 🙏
Yes, well said. Many people in the Great Lakes have family or friends who work on the freighters as well, and know the dangers of the Lakes. This was such a profound tragedy. The weather had been strange that week, warm and humid--completely out of character for Halloween, when most of the time the kids are wearing winter coats over their costumes and walking in the first snows. A big front pushed through with high winds, we felt it all the way down by the Ohio border. When the news came in about the Eddy Fitz, people were in shock for days. Gordon created a masterpiece in honor of 'that good ship and true' and her crew.
@@Brighid45 💯 Such a beautiful, yet haunting song.
I freaking LOVE how your eyes flutter when you're thinking hard
I've heard this song a thousand times and at certain points in the lyrics, I still start to choke up. This was such an amazing song and performance.
Yup...same
Ditto. I was a teenager when the album came out & must've played it hundreds of times. I never got tired of it, but I'm guessing Mom did.
@@kellyhoward6941 I go through periods where I get obsessed with this song as well :)
@@auntiegravity7713 It's quite a story & song! I was really excited when I was 15 or 16 b/c my mom got 2 tickets to see him in concert. We were really looking forward to it. He got on stage & opened with one of his hit songs, don't remember which one. Everybody got all fired up & was clapping & singing along. He stopped dead in the middle of the song, glared around at the audience, then asked us whether we paid money for tickets to hear ourselves sing, or him. Then he said that if we wanted to hear him sing, he'd better not hear another person singing or clapping along with him or he'd just leave. I think the whole audience was as stunned as Mom & I were....the rest of the concert was him playing & singing to an absolutely silent audience. People were afraid to even cough or sneeze, I swear. There was a long period of silence after the last song, then some tentative clapping. It was an extremely bizarre concert, but certainly the quietest I ever went to! I've read since then that GL was a great person, really nice....I guess he was having on off day that time! Still, a great singer with utterly iconic songs.
I love how he kept bringing in the instruments as the story got towards the danger/violent part of the song. It makes the song feel like you are experiencing the storm and the chaos of it. His timing gets more chaotic as the disturbance from the storm happens in the story.
We lost a legend and the world is a little greyer because of it.
this is such a majestic, honorable song. captivating.
and it is the first time ever a male singer made me cry.
This song is an absolute masterpiece. I remember when I first heard it. 47 years later it's still one of my favorite songs from the 70's among literally hundreds.
Sundown is another great Gordon Lightfoot song that’s worth a listen.
Yeah , that " her in her satin dress" was not a very nice person. However I do love the song.
@@anneahlefeld1989She is the same woman who was with John Belushi the night he died.
I was also going to suggest this!
Same here, lol.
@@Beethoven5th
Yup
There is no one as complete as Lightfoot as a lyricist songwriter and vocalist all combined. His education commitment and genius is unsurpassed. His voice is an exemplar of emotion integrity and beauty. An amazing singer songwriter lyricist and creative genius
I'm from the UP of Michigan and grew up listing to this song. My uncle had the record this came out on and my father had a good friend on the Edmund Fitzgerald, but he would never say who it was or talk about him at all.
I had the privilege of seeing Gordon perform this song shortly before his death. He was 83 years old, and the magic was still there. The concert was in a small theater in Frederick, Maryland.
Having worked offshore for 20+ years up to 120 miles out, this song tears me up. Been through many storms and very high seas. I can't imagine....
I’ve always loved this song. I am a lifelong Minnesotan and know the power of Lake Superior. You don’t mess with the power of the lake. I’ve lived in the port of Duluth for many years and this time of year is when we get strong storms that do lots of damage and are very treacherous.
Also Gitche Gumee means “Big Sea” or “Huge Water” in Objiwe
Thank you for telling me that and providing the words and definition 👍.
Gordon Lightfoot was my mom's favorite musician and songwriter, and the only person I ever remember her going to hear in concert. Now she is 92 years old and remembers nothing save her childhood, but I will remember her love of his music until the day I, too, remember nothing. This song is one of the few that has the power to bring tears to my eyes. It is an absolute masterpiece of storytelling. You will find many other great songs by Gordon Lightfoot, but this will always be my favorite.
Have you played him for her? Music is one of the few things that may cut through the fog of memory. You may have tried, it doesn't always work. At the very least if she loved him before chances are she'd enjoy him again.
I'm a life-long resident of Michigan. This song brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it.
Born and raised in Duluth Mn. My dad was a ore boat captain. I watched the Fitz come in and out of the cancal to the duluth/superior harbor many times, including it's last and final departure.
If You Could Read My Mind, Sundown, & Carefree Highway are 3 other really great songs by him. Thank you for choosing Gordon Lightfoot!!
She's analyzed If You Could Read My Mind previously.
Song for a Winters Night is a favorite of mine.
Canadian Railroad Trilogy. It's a slog but just amazing storytelling!
Canadian Railroad Trilogy, Did She mention my name, Cotton Jenny Early Morning Rain, That’s What You Get for Loving Me, ..
Two things:
I live near Lake Superior, and spend time fishing and boating her waters. My father died under mysterious circumstances at sea on the USS Scorpion SSN-589.
Both of these fact make this song hit home really hard. I know personally the fury of Lake Superior and her Gales of November. I also understand what it is like to not know how the men perished as nobody knows what exactly happened to them.
I also wrote a song, called Brandywine, to honor the 99 men and the families of those lost on the Scorpion.
When I was young, we hunted outside of Duluth, MN which is on Lake Superior. The radio stations would play this song over and over until it just became background noise. However, every now and then, you'd really listen to the lyrics again and it would hit you in your emotions all over again.
A perfect example of simple music and a master story teller. He is more interested in telling a story than making an entertaining song. He was one of the best.
I never realized how deliberate the melody was- seems to be a part of the story itself. What a really brilliant breakdown
The driving tempo (written 6/8, but it feels like each triplet is a single beat, so directed in two) with the lyrics always makes me feel like Gordon is walking a path, telling a story... it has the feel of a stroll... but the journey is filled with sorrow, and loss.
The only melody I heard that matches this one in FEELING like you're on the water is Billy Joel's "The Downeaster Alexa."
I think this is one of the greatest songs ever written. The guitar sound just makes me picture a foggy body of water with a big ship. The music fits the story perfectly.
I grew up near the area where the Edmund Fitzgerald sank and it was also when the song was released. They played it incessantly on the radio, but I never tired of it. The words are so haunting. And Gordon’s voice was sublime.
Born on the "big lake" and even sailed on it in my youth Gordon did this tribute justice to mother nature and the sailors that lost their lives. Thanks for your review, he was a legend, r.i.p. Mr. Lightfoot we thank you for your music.
The "company" upgraded the Fitzgerald to haul more ore by making minimal improvements, enough to get the certification a few months before the wreck. Sure, a storm, watch out. But watch out for money grubbing corporations skirting safety rules which is really what sunk the Fitzgerald.
I saw Superior only once, in the summer of 1966. But I've spent many days at Lake Michigan. Camping, or visiting wife's cousin who has two old cottages on the dunes above the water. I've seen storms at the lake, and they can get rough. One storm knocked down every tent and overturned some pop-up campers. This was about 1963 or so. Beautiful lake no matter the weather.
It is modern folklore told by a true master. The Fitzgerald and her song will live for millennia.
I am a musician because of Gordon Lightfoot. I became a classical/fingerstyle guitarist because if him, and artists like him and Stan Rogers have always been huge in my heart. I always meant to send Gord a letter thanking him for his voice and his art, but he was gone before I got around to it. I was gutted. Thank you for this, I appreciate it so much.
Stan Rogers was the best. Barretts Privateers, the song about the Bluenose, the prairie farmer, etc. Amazing story telling, in my opinion.
And don't forget about Fred Small's Heart of the Appaloosa.
Same here.
My day is officially made, thank you so much for doing this one! This song is in my humble opinion the anthem for all who live around the Great Lakes. The lakes are so beautiful yet so deadly and I really think very few people truly understand the true power and vastness of the Great Lakes, at least not until this song came out telling the story of The Fitz and her brave and dedicated crew. And its true, Gordon gave all proceeds to the families and was in contact with them all throughout his life. This song is truly something special and Im so happy you're taking a trip into this story! Long Live Gordon Lightfoot, Long Live the crew of The Fitz, and Long Live the S.S Arthur M Anderson who was the last ship in contact with the Fitz, only 10 miles behind her when she sank, and the first ship to go back out into Lake Superior during the storm to search for survivors💖🤘🤘
It really is an anthem for the Great Lakes. When I lived in Chicago, the lake was a presence that everyone was aware of. You can feel it. Everyone took any weather warnings on the lake seriously, even with the relatively benign southern end of Lake Michigan.
I would also say even though this is an anthem for the whole region, it also belongs specifically to Michigan. It's part of their history and they've been shaped by the lakes more than anyone else.
I live on Lake Ontario and I’ve seen the lake with 25 foot waves. It’s unreal. I lost a college friend that got washed off the break wall during a storm. It can be so dangerous. You wouldn’t expect ocean types of conditions on a lake.
Also live near Lake Ontario, this song just feels like home. You don't underestimate the Great Lakes. Full stop.
@@CortexNewsService Ohio has a certain claim on it as well. The Fitzgerald was bound for Detroit first, but much of the crew was based in Toledo and Cleveland, and I believe calls were to be made in each as well. Every year on November 10 the radio stations in Cleveland play this song, and mentions of the anniversary are made on the local news. And as a Clevelander, I've seen the Lake turn ugly. I've watched huge waves crash into the shore both downtown east of the Breakwall and along the coast in Euclid.
So true. There's a research buoy off Erie city....it has extra chain to take up to 25ft waves. It's been washed over on more then one occasion.
My father worked for the St Lawerence Seaway for over forty years. When I was about between 4 - 6 years old, I asked him if he ever saw the Edmund Fitzgerald. He said it wouldn’t fit in the locks, too long. I was born in the spring of ‘75, the year she went down, my dad would’ve been lock master then. I still clearly remember listening to this song on the AM stereo in our living room as a young lad, still a personal favourite to this day.
Gordon Lightfoot was an amazing singer/songwriter and a Canadian legend. His 'Canadian Railroad Trilogy' is one of his (many) masterpieces.