Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian singer songwriter, great storyteller. This is based on true event, I remember when it happened. He gave all profits of this song to the families of the men who died
I was 8 when the ship went down. When the song came out there was a spokesperson (I don't remember who) for the Mariner's Church in Detroit who complained that the hall isn't musty at all.
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" has to be the most mood setting line I have ever heard in a song
@@slider6535 my brother did his 25 years in the Navy. He retired as a Master Chief. I have the utmost respect for anyone who served, especially those who put in the kind of time that you did sir. Thank you for your service.
The story is detailed because this tragic event actually happened. I live near Detroit and remember when the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior. I remember watching the memorial service on television and all the times the bell rang. It seemed like it wouldn't stop. This still makes me very sad to think about it. RIP
Me too, I grew up in Wisconsin 3 hours from Lake Superior. I was 10 at the time and it was big news, everyone held out hope that there would be some survivors. I remember the memorial service on television and like you said it really sunk in with every ring of the bell how many good men died.
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but Gordon Lightfoot is the exception. Every line paints a sensory picture. I can feel the freezing winds on the lakes, hear the rattling and creaks, and see those lights disappear. It makes my heart ache and brings a tear to my eyes every time I play it. A beautiful tribute to the men of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Gordon Lightfoot is a great storyteller. This song was in constant rotation on the radio when it came out. I'm sure his donating the money didn't hurt that not to mention it's a great song.
This was a true and tragic event. Those 29 men on the Edmund Fitzgerald were in their early 20's and into their 60's. Their bodies were never recovered. And this did not happen on the sea/ocean waters, it actually happened on 'Lake Superior' which is one of the five 'Great Lakes'. The other four are: 'Huron', 'Michigan', 'Erie' and 'Ontario'. The 'Five Great Lakes' are just as rough as sea storms and scary when those lakes get hit with those storms.
After Gordon Lightfoot died in 2023, the bell rang 30 times: once for each of the men on the Fitz, and once more for the artist who kept their memory alive and donated his profits from this song.
A magnificent tribute to the men of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I remember this tragedy clearly. I was 18 when it happened. May God rest the Captain and crew of the "Big Fitz"🙏🙏
Gitche Gumee is the Ojibwe tribe's name for Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes. There's no harmonica in the song. That's Terry Clements playing the haunting electric guitar riff you hear repeating through the song. Ed Ringwald played the iconic pedal steel guitar riffs. This was my first 45 rpm single when I was 8 years old. It may also be the most prominent example of a modern "sea chantey", a traditional genre of folk work-songs, developed especially on merchant vessels in previous centuries.
Hey Biz, I'm from Minnesota and Lake Superior is really impacting, amazing. When you roll up on the city of Duluth you think you're looking at the sky and then you realize it's the lake, it's so huge, an inland sea. That water is black and cold, scary as hell.
In the late afternoon early evening of November 10th, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald's Captain told the Captain of the Aurther M Anderson, another big iron ore carrier that had been sailing with the Fitz that he lost radar, sometime later he reported his pumps were having to work overtime and he was slowing down to let the Arther M Anderson close the distance a bit. By 630 PM the Anderson had the Fitz on radar and was near enough that they could occasionally see her lights on the horizon. at about 650 the Arther was hit by a freakishly large swell from behind but with the sea topping out at 30-40 feet every swell was a toe curler. However, the event shook the Captin of the trailing ship enough to make him worry about the Fitz. So, within a moment of recovering the captain of the Arther M Anderson called and made a point of asking the Fits; "How are you holding up", The captain of the Fitz replied, "We are holding our own, going along like an old shoe". After that the Captain of the Anderson went below and they did a shift change. At 705 the captain of the Anderson came back up and was thinking of calling the Fitz again because he was worried about the way the other captain had sounded and the reference to plodding along got him thinking what if he bottomed out on a shole they passed earlier, and the Fitz was taking on more than they knew. Thats when another big swell swung the Aurther hard, and he was takin up with maneuvering and checking on his ship for a bit. At 708 he looked up and watched the Fitz disappear into a snow squall. Something made him walk to the Radar to double check her position, but she was not showing up on his radar. It was 710 PM and the Fitz was off radar, yet it was working, and he had literally just seen her a few miles ahead. He called numerous times and had all able crew up scanning with lights and looking for her. When the wreck was found the ship was in two parts and there was some bow damage. Some years later after the final inquiries he was Recalling the big swell that rocked them just before he lost sight of her in the snow that night and looking at the damage, he surmised that Fitz being overloaded and taking on water was overcome by the swell from her stern. Her bow shot under and hit the lake bottom, (Fitz was 728 feet long and rests now in 530 feet but the shole she passed over was 310 feet), the stern sheared off instantly and both halves would have been completely submerged in a matter of moments. To him this was the only way to explain her disappearing so fast. I grew up in a commercial fishing Family from Alaska and that story fascinated me. I have lost family and friends to the sea and even spent many scarry nights out in bad weather while I listened to others calling out for help on the radio. The radio calls from that night are surreal to listen to. Professional yet heart breaking. Its here on youtube at; th-cam.com/video/W1fOWi0teiY/w-d-xo.html
I remember when this song came out. What an incredibly tragic event! 11-10-75 on Lake Superior! So very sad! 💯 Gordon Lightfoot is a true master‼🔥 "If You Could Read My Mind" & "Sundown" are also incredible cuts‼☮ ❤ 🎶
I was a senor in high school when this happened and believe Gordon Lightfoot wrote this song in a day or two in tribute to all the people who lost their lives.
The words "the lake never gives up her dead" refers to the lake always being so cold, and deep, that when a person drowns their body doesn't decompose or float, just sinks. Prayers to those sailors. It's more like an ocean than lake. Check out ice surfing in Lake superior in winter. Peace from Michigan!
It's the worst of both worlds for shipping. It gets the huge waves of the open ocean, within a constrained area so ships just can't "ride it out" without risking running into something.
I lived in the Great Lakes region when she went down. EVERYONE in Canada,Wisconsin,Michigan, Ohio,Pennsy, NY, felt the pain. We all cried for months. This song almost made it harder to deal with. I love this song,and I despise this song. I still cry every time I hear it.
A word you don't hear often these days - troubadour. That's the best word to describe Gordon. A real folk storyteller. Somehow he makes a true event from the 1970s sound like it happened a century or more ago. An excellent song. The "harmonica" sounds were electric guitar and lap steel guitar (a common instrument in country music). Try his songs "Sundown", "If You Could Read My Mind", and "Old Dan's Records".
It's a true story. I live 90 miles from Duluth Minnesota where the Edmund Fitzgerald took off from the last time. I was about 9. I can still see newsman Walter Cronkite telling this story on the nightly news. We all held our breath and hoped the men and the ship would be found but they weren't until decades later. Divers found the ship broken in half with the bodies still inside. It was left as a grave site no diving allowed.they put a plaque on the ship honoring the men and did take up the ships bell though. Erily as soon as bell broke the surface it rang. Thanks for this reaction and RIP the men of the Fitzgerald.
Part of what makes this so sad is they had radar, radio contact with a ship just ahead of them. A lot of the technology that ships to this day count on to help keep them safe. It still wasn't enough to save the ship or crew. Such a heartbreaking story told in a beautiful song
It's been said that in one single pass of the radar, they were there and they were just.......gone. For the men on that ship, their end would have come very quickly.
After reading the news article, Gordon wrote this masterpiece. Another news article impacted his soul and he wrote another great song, "BLACK DAY IN JULY" of that Detroit days of violence 1967. Listen to this one.
What inspired him to write this song was the article not showing the ship and crew the respect they deserved (not even spelling the ship’s name right). And Gordon took painstaking care to make sure he got the details right (though he does take a few artistic liberties), and has actually changed some of the lyrics as new info about the sinking has come out.
When Gordon sings "They might have split up or they may have capsized, they may have broke deep and took water", he had no idea how true his words were be the ship did ALL THREE!
Lightfoot had the knack of bringing us some chilling or pleasant stories in this calm, educated way that made you appreciate the music and narrative while at the same time you were riveted to yer seat because of the way he got you invested in what he was telling you. Cheers Biz.
A song in the style of an old sea shanty about a wreck on the Great Lakes becoming the #1 hit was amazing, There's been nothing else like it before or since.
I remember this Biz. I was young, in school and locally/State news is active and my parents were talking about it as the event/search were happening. Gordon wrote the song after he read an article about it...and I heard it...blew me away. 10Nov EVERY year in Duluth, MN they toll the bell 29 times in honor of those who perished. Plus there's a documentary including finding the wreckage. Gordon in Canadian treasure, perfect fit for Canada day!! 🇨🇦 Personal fav, "Sundown." ❤👍🏽
Now you know the story. I grew up on the great lakes and I was a teen when this happened. Everyone was in tears. Its not the first ship to sink on the lakes for sure..but technology had been developed that was supposed to have ended the vulnerability of the ships to the huge waves that were common in those storms. Everyone took it hard in all areas surrounding the lakes..Canada included. I cry every time I hear this remembering my mom and dad weeping as we had watched the Edmund steam past their home many times on Lake Huron for years. Meteorology improvements/advancements have greatly affected when a large freighter can sail these days. There is simply no way to predict the waves produced in gales especially Lake Superior.. I got to see Gordon a few times over the years. The best by far is when he opened for Jethro Tull in Detroit.
Lake Superior is a crazy place. It can be just as dangerous as any ocean. And it's as big as the states of Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire combined. I believe it's the largest freshwater lake in the world. There have been almost 400 shipwrecks (Lake Eerie has almost 2000 shipwrecked ships ). BTW, there's also cars, a house and an airplane that have been swallowed by Lake Superior. The water at the bottom stays at or below freezing; this means the bodies in the wreck will stay there (with the families blessings) and the decomposition of the bodies slow to a crawl and will never float up. Sad thing is, the helmsman and the captain were going to retire after this trip. The area where the Fitzgerald sank in 1975, is legally a graveyard and under control of the families of the crew. There are buoys deployed on the site and alarms will sound if someone goes within the boundaries. (All of the shipwrecks that went down with their crew are considered sacred) If you want to know more about the event in detail (it's truly a wild story), look up Ask A Mortician. Caitlin does wonderful research on events like this (she also has a degree in medieval history). She has info on the Donner Party, the Franklin Expedition that Money Dick was based on, etc.
This song was written almost immediately after the ship sank. It was released a year later to remember the first anniversary. Gordon Lightfoot never took a penny in royalties for this song. Every penny still goes to support the families of the men that died.
@@objectiveobserver4278 Sort of how Steven Spielberg never took a cent of profit for Schindler's List. I was 9 when the Fitzgerald went down. I remember hearing about it down here in Texas. My mom had some distant relatives in that area.
My father was a Great Lakes merchant marine for a few years. His travels had taken him along the same path as the Edm. Fitz was on when it wrecked. Will never forget his look on his face when the news came over the radio. Watching, here on the shore of Lake Michigan, where the slogan about our great beaches is No Salt, No Tide , No Sharks!
This studio version we hear is the first take. They did other takes but wound up using #1, as the emotion could not be reproduced the same after it was done.
The Edmund Fitzgerald went down on Nov. 10, 1975, and no one knew just what happened to her. Theories are still formed and talked about--they did bring up her bell, and it is situated on the coast of Lake Superior and dedicated to the 29 crew who died. It is said that the Great Lakes are really "inland seas" and every bit as dangerous an the oceans. Superior is the largest, and 1000's of vessels have sunk due to weather. These lakes are HUGE, and deep.
Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian folk singer, songwriter & guitarist. Most popular in the 60's & 70's. A fantastic story teller through his music. This song tells true story of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. Being a native Detroiter & an adult already at the time, I remember this event very well. As a kid we used to love to watch the freighters come down the Detroit River, which is a connection of the upper lakes to the lower ones. You should listen to IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND.
Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian Treasure and I love this song although it is tragic and a true story. The only thing is you were talking about the sea, this happened on Lake Superior or Gitche Gumee as the natives called it. Thanks Biz! BTW, I think others have mentioned it but GL donated all proceeds from this song to "the wives and the sons and the daughters". He has many other songs you should check out "If You Could Read My Mind" was probably his biggest hit.
Bob Dylan said that Gordon Lightfoot is one of the best storytellers that he's known. This is classic Gordon. This was a big hit when I was a young man and I'm still rocking now. I like the live version.
Gitche Gumme is the name various native tribes called Lake Superior.. In various similar forms.. Reminds me of reading Last of the Mohicans and literally every tribe had a different name for Lake Champlain.. Didnt figure out they were talking about the same place till halfway through the book..
Lake Superior has seen her share of hurricane-like storms, and that's what happened to the Big Fitz. Being from the Detroit area, we've all grown up listening to this particular song. The song itself is truly haunting.
Sooo Sad! Those lakes are like oceans. I believe they did actually bring the bell up from the wreckage not too awfully long ago. The men who lost their lives most likely froze to death quickly, I hope. I can't imagine being home, waiting for news, then getting it. He also does a great song called 'Sundown" which is a really fantastic song. I really think you should have a Patreon account to take requests for songs. That way, we get to hear a couple of songs that we requested and you actually get to make money from it! You deserve it Biz. You work so hard on this channel. Hard work deserves to bring in money! Think about it.
@@kylev.2373 That is the best news! Thank you for letting me know. I should have looked it up, but I take care of my 92 yr. old father-in-law and also at the time I made this comment, I was taking care of 3 dogs and 4 cats. Truly appreciate your message!
You should watch one of the documentaries on it, incredible story. Captain was retiring after the season, they were squeezing in one more trip, another boat was a few miles behind and saw the lights disappear, the other boat was like the only one to go back out and look for the Fitz…
The song chronicles the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. It provides all the details of the crew and the weather they were facing. What it does not tell is a yearly memorial for the crew is held which Gordon Lighfoot attends each year. He is loved for his dedication to the wreck of this ship.
It’s a beautiful and super sad song. It’s all true. As a person who has grown up surrounded by commercial fishers and all sorts of lifestyles related to the ocean (coastal Alaska) - I have lost several loved ones to the waters here. It hits me hard when I listen to this but I still love it.
This is based on a true story that happened in November 1975. Lightfoot was intrigued when he read about the story in a news story, much like when Truman Capote read about a quadruple murder in Kansas in 1959, then wrote a whole book about it.
You are checking out a lot of the 'singer/songwriter' types. I was a fan in my younger days. Singer/songwriters made their name writing good lyrics, usually playing guitar but piano too. The best of this group includes Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Carole King, Leonard Cohen (off top of my head)
My husband is a crewmember on a ship in the Bay of Fundy. The waves in the Bay and the winds scare me when he's working. This song makes me cry every time I hear it, because I think of my beloved husband and how I'd feel if anything tragic ever happened.
The Fitzgerald family were the founders of northwestern mutual insurance company. The family also, back when, were the owners of the Milwaukee Brewers. Edmund Fitzgerald was the patriarch of the family.
Gordon donated all the proceeds from record sales to the families of the sailors who perished. He attended the memorial service in Detroit for years after..
My mom and dad were born in Duluth. I used to love visiting and watching the Great Lakes freighters going out and coming in through the Duluth ship channel. There is a lift bridge that they pass under that blows a horn in salute for every boat that passes under it. The freighters all blow their horns back in reply. It is a big attraction to this day. They even post the schedule so people will know when to be there to see them. There are TH-cam channels dedicated to it if you want to check it out. Those freighters are HUGE and it's an amazing experience.
Thanks for your reaction! I really enjoy your reactions to such a wide variety of great music. Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian singer/songwriter and great story teller. You would really enjoy his song "Sundown" and the shocking story behind that one.
He had stopped to see my father who was his band director before he left.. asked him to help him find a college to attend as he had saved enough money to pay for his education.
I'm a lifelong Michigander and was 11 years old when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down. It was one week before my sister's birthday. We don't have hurricanes on the Great Lakes, but there are massive gale storms that can pack a punch with hurricane force winds. Add to that the sleet and the high waves, you got something wicked.
This a folk song in the old tradition of workingman ballads, songs for common folk, about common folk. Gordon Lightfoot is a celebrated singer/songwriter from Canada who cracked the US market in the '70's.
This is from a great overall record, "Summertime Dream" and the title track is a fun little tune you could almost hear being played 'round the campfire. I had a good friend bsck in high school & college and we'd usually get asked to bring our guitars along. He was a better singer than me, but we played well together and could play a lot of songs for the campfire and at parties. We'd do "Wildwood Weed" by Jim Stafford and "Friendly Neighborhood Narco Agent" by Jef Jaisun either of which I'd guess you'll enjoy. Of course, this was the mid 1070s and cannabis wasn't legal in any way, shape or form at the time. So there was a bit of "rebel" in us. We'd do Arlo Guthrie's "Coming Into Los Angeles" and Ray could remember all the words to "Alice's Restaurant" and we both loved playing it (I still do, Ray passed in the 80s). So there are a few you might like that are also by great singer-songwriters if some are lesser known, like Jef Jaisun.
There is a Park in Chicago called Calumet Park, during my younger years I would see these barges and ships traveling in the distance in Lake Michigan. I would say to myself, safe travels.
I live near Cleveland on the Shores of Lake Erie....Thats where the Fitzgerald was suppose to be going. So it does hold a special place in my Heart. A Local Brewery Named a Beer after it....Edmund Fitzgerald Porter.
Hell of a song. Lyrics are mesmerizing, song arrangement sets a haunting mood. Gives you chills all the way through, as you said. One of the best composed songs I've ever heard, and I'm so glad you got a chance to listen to it.
Gordon Lightfoot also wrote another song about another ship wreck that not many people know. The song is "Ballad of Yarmouth Castle". As the person who told me about this song mentioned, this song is about an ocean going cruise ship. While the Edmond Fitzgerald's sinking might not have been preventable, the sinking of the Yarmouth Castle was preventable. I understand that safety regulations on cruise ships were made much more strict, no matter what country owned it.
Happy Canada Day! The Canadian Railroad Trilogy by Gordon Lightfoot is another of his great songs: th-cam.com/video/9O_qxJAmW4c/w-d-xo.html (You are so right about songs around the campfire. Singing all the lyrics of "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" or "Alice's Restaurant" made you very popular in the 1960s!) Apropos of nothing here is the link to Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant": th-cam.com/video/m57gzA2JCcM/w-d-xo.html
I don't know if it's still taught, but all the kids in my generation learned in grade school the Ojibwa names for the Great Lakes. Gitchee Goomie was for Lake Superior.
I saw Lightfoot live in 1970, 1990 and 2010... every 20 years... I was looking forward to seeing him again in 2030... R.I.P. Gordon Lightfoot... thank you Bizmatic for your reaction.
Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian singer songwriter, great storyteller. This is based on true event, I remember when it happened. He gave all profits of this song to the families of the men who died
I was 8 when the ship went down.
When the song came out there was a spokesperson (I don't remember who) for the Mariner's Church in Detroit who complained that the hall isn't musty at all.
Me too...I was a teen in Chicago
@@chrisbaldwin5676 I was 20ish, grew up on the lakes and rember the Fitz well
7.3.22. It was my senior year in high school……..remember it like it was yesterday, it was big news‼️
Gordon is one of my all time fave singers.
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" has to be the most mood setting line I have ever heard in a song
Agree!!!
Did 14 years in the US Navy, I've been though storms like that, not a lot of fun.
Yeah. Hits me. Makes me cry.
Profound is what it is.
@@slider6535 my brother did his 25 years in the Navy. He retired as a Master Chief. I have the utmost respect for anyone who served, especially those who put in the kind of time that you did sir. Thank you for your service.
The story is detailed because this tragic event actually happened.
I live near Detroit and remember when the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.
I remember watching the memorial service on television and all the times the bell rang.
It seemed like it wouldn't stop.
This still makes me very sad to think about it. RIP
I remember it too. I'm from the downriver area (Southgate).
same I remember when it happened, I think I was 7 at the time...so sad
@@tracycartwright3340 royal oak in high school, will never forget
I remember too well. I live in the Chicago burbs and was just out of college when this happened. People here still talk about it.
Me too, I grew up in Wisconsin 3 hours from Lake Superior. I was 10 at the time and it was big news, everyone held out hope that there would be some survivors. I remember the memorial service on television and like you said it really sunk in with every ring of the bell how many good men died.
"And all that remains is the faces and the names of the sons and the wives and the daughters" - that line is a gut punch every time I hear this song
Yes. And the one about where does God go. 🔥
Brings a tear to my eye almost every time.
To this day they still ring the bell 29 times. Honor 🎖
Everyday or just on the anniversary?
@@John_Locke_108 just on the anniversary. It's the actual 🔔 from the ship.
@@richardworton4597 They saved the bell but the not the crew? That's messed up but priorities I guess.
@@John_Locke_108 the crew is still with the ship. People used to be able to dive down to the wreckage but not anymore out of respect for the dead.
There are still ships that, when they pass over the spot where the Edmund Fitzgerald went down, sound their own ship's bell, 29 times.
It’s so detailed because it’s a true story. So sad.
I believe all proceeds from this song went to the families of the deceased crewmen.
You feel like you're one there with them.
I didnt realize it was based on a true story
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but Gordon Lightfoot is the exception. Every line paints a sensory picture. I can feel the freezing winds on the lakes, hear the rattling and creaks, and see those lights disappear. It makes my heart ache and brings a tear to my eyes every time I play it. A beautiful tribute to the men of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
“If you could read my mind” by Gordon Lightfoot is my favorite song of all times. ❤️
Yes, it's my favorite too along with this one
Gordon Lightfoot is a great storyteller. This song was in constant rotation on the radio when it came out. I'm sure his donating the money didn't hurt that not to mention it's a great song.
Class act
On my bad days when I am emotionally fragile this song sometimes makes me cry
This was a true and tragic event. Those 29 men on the Edmund Fitzgerald were in their early 20's and into their 60's. Their bodies were never recovered. And this did not happen on the sea/ocean waters, it actually happened on 'Lake Superior' which is one of the five 'Great Lakes'. The other four are: 'Huron', 'Michigan', 'Erie' and 'Ontario'. The 'Five Great Lakes' are just as rough as sea storms and scary when those lakes get hit with those storms.
After Gordon Lightfoot died in 2023, the bell rang 30 times: once for each of the men on the Fitz, and once more for the artist who kept their memory alive and donated his profits from this song.
A magnificent tribute to the men of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I remember this tragedy clearly. I was 18 when it happened. May God rest the Captain and crew of the "Big Fitz"🙏🙏
"Sundown" by him is really fun. When I'm feeling a "vibe", I play that one. -Amber (Edited to say that I hope everyone is doing well).
Gitche Gumee is the Ojibwe tribe's name for Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes. There's no harmonica in the song. That's Terry Clements playing the haunting electric guitar riff you hear repeating through the song. Ed Ringwald played the iconic pedal steel guitar riffs. This was my first 45 rpm single when I was 8 years old. It may also be the most prominent example of a modern "sea chantey", a traditional genre of folk work-songs, developed especially on merchant vessels in previous centuries.
I thought he said Get Your Goonie.
Hey Biz, I'm from Minnesota and Lake Superior is really impacting, amazing. When you roll up on the city of Duluth you think you're looking at the sky and then you realize it's the lake, it's so huge, an inland sea. That water is black and cold, scary as hell.
My mom was born in Duluth. When she died, we scattered her ashes over Lake Superior.
In the late afternoon early evening of November 10th, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald's Captain told the Captain of the Aurther M Anderson, another big iron ore carrier that had been sailing with the Fitz that he lost radar, sometime later he reported his pumps were having to work overtime and he was slowing down to let the Arther M Anderson close the distance a bit. By 630 PM the Anderson had the Fitz on radar and was near enough that they could occasionally see her lights on the horizon. at about 650 the Arther was hit by a freakishly large swell from behind but with the sea topping out at 30-40 feet every swell was a toe curler. However, the event shook the Captin of the trailing ship enough to make him worry about the Fitz. So, within a moment of recovering the captain of the Arther M Anderson called and made a point of asking the Fits; "How are you holding up", The captain of the Fitz replied, "We are holding our own, going along like an old shoe". After that the Captain of the Anderson went below and they did a shift change. At 705 the captain of the Anderson came back up and was thinking of calling the Fitz again because he was worried about the way the other captain had sounded and the reference to plodding along got him thinking what if he bottomed out on a shole they passed earlier, and the Fitz was taking on more than they knew. Thats when another big swell swung the Aurther hard, and he was takin up with maneuvering and checking on his ship for a bit. At 708 he looked up and watched the Fitz disappear into a snow squall. Something made him walk to the Radar to double check her position, but she was not showing up on his radar. It was 710 PM and the Fitz was off radar, yet it was working, and he had literally just seen her a few miles ahead. He called numerous times and had all able crew up scanning with lights and looking for her. When the wreck was found the ship was in two parts and there was some bow damage. Some years later after the final inquiries he was Recalling the big swell that rocked them just before he lost sight of her in the snow that night and looking at the damage, he surmised that Fitz being overloaded and taking on water was overcome by the swell from her stern. Her bow shot under and hit the lake bottom, (Fitz was 728 feet long and rests now in 530 feet but the shole she passed over was 310 feet), the stern sheared off instantly and both halves would have been completely submerged in a matter of moments. To him this was the only way to explain her disappearing so fast. I grew up in a commercial fishing Family from Alaska and that story fascinated me. I have lost family and friends to the sea and even spent many scarry nights out in bad weather while I listened to others calling out for help on the radio. The radio calls from that night are surreal to listen to. Professional yet heart breaking. Its here on youtube at; th-cam.com/video/W1fOWi0teiY/w-d-xo.html
I remember when this song came out. What an incredibly tragic event! 11-10-75 on Lake Superior!
So very sad!
💯 Gordon Lightfoot is a true master‼🔥
"If You Could Read My Mind" & "Sundown" are also incredible cuts‼☮ ❤ 🎶
I was a senor in high school when this happened and believe Gordon Lightfoot wrote this song in a day or two in tribute to all the people who lost their lives.
To all the men that died on the Edmund Fitzgerald... Rest In Peace.
The words "the lake never gives up her dead" refers to the lake always being so cold, and deep, that when a person drowns their body doesn't decompose or float, just sinks. Prayers to those sailors. It's more like an ocean than lake. Check out ice surfing in Lake superior in winter. Peace from Michigan!
It's the worst of both worlds for shipping. It gets the huge waves of the open ocean, within a constrained area so ships just can't "ride it out" without risking running into something.
I lived in the Great Lakes region when she went down. EVERYONE in Canada,Wisconsin,Michigan, Ohio,Pennsy, NY, felt the pain. We all cried for months. This song almost made it harder to deal with. I love this song,and I despise this song. I still cry every time I hear it.
Don't forget Minnesota!
A word you don't hear often these days - troubadour. That's the best word to describe Gordon. A real folk storyteller. Somehow he makes a true event from the 1970s sound like it happened a century or more ago. An excellent song. The "harmonica" sounds were electric guitar and lap steel guitar (a common instrument in country music). Try his songs "Sundown", "If You Could Read My Mind", and "Old Dan's Records".
Gordon Lightfoot is one of the greatest story tellers. This isn't my favorite Lightfoot song but it is a great history lesson.
It is thrilling to se so many of you discovering the work of Gordon Lightfoot. The Fitz lives on!
Being a veteran of the US NAVY the first number of times we.hit rough.weather its amazing how fast this pops into your head
I was NAVY also. We knew there was never a guarantee of returning when we went out.
It's a true story. I live 90 miles from Duluth Minnesota where the Edmund Fitzgerald took off from the last time. I was about 9. I can still see newsman Walter Cronkite telling this story on the nightly news. We all held our breath and hoped the men and the ship would be found but they weren't until decades later. Divers found the ship broken in half with the bodies still inside. It was left as a grave site no diving allowed.they put a plaque on the ship honoring the men and did take up the ships bell though. Erily as soon as bell broke the surface it rang. Thanks for this reaction and RIP the men of the Fitzgerald.
Part of what makes this so sad is they had radar, radio contact with a ship just ahead of them. A lot of the technology that ships to this day count on to help keep them safe. It still wasn't enough to save the ship or crew. Such a heartbreaking story told in a beautiful song
It's been said that in one single pass of the radar, they were there and they were just.......gone.
For the men on that ship, their end would have come very quickly.
After reading the news article, Gordon wrote this masterpiece. Another news article impacted his soul and he wrote another great song, "BLACK DAY IN JULY" of that Detroit days of violence 1967. Listen to this one.
What inspired him to write this song was the article not showing the ship and crew the respect they deserved (not even spelling the ship’s name right). And Gordon took painstaking care to make sure he got the details right (though he does take a few artistic liberties), and has actually changed some of the lyrics as new info about the sinking has come out.
True story and beautifully written and sung. The humanity is so present...I remember how transfixed I was back when I first heard it...
When Gordon sings "They might have split up or they may have capsized, they may have broke deep and took water", he had no idea how true his words were be the ship did ALL THREE!
Lightfoot had the knack of bringing us some chilling or pleasant stories in this calm, educated way that made you appreciate the music and narrative while at the same time you were riveted to yer seat because of the way he got you invested in what he was telling you. Cheers Biz.
Never more history jammed into 5 minutes. Brings tears to my eyes. PRAY FOR THE SAILORS PEACE
A song in the style of an old sea shanty about a wreck on the Great Lakes becoming the #1 hit was amazing, There's been nothing else like it before or since.
I remember this Biz. I was young, in school and locally/State news is active and my parents were talking about it as the event/search were happening.
Gordon wrote the song after he read an article about it...and I heard it...blew me away.
10Nov EVERY year in Duluth, MN they toll the bell 29 times in honor of those who perished.
Plus there's a documentary including finding the wreckage.
Gordon in Canadian treasure, perfect fit for Canada day!! 🇨🇦
Personal fav, "Sundown."
❤👍🏽
A fellow Canadian - Gordon Lightfoot and Neil Young are my fav Canadian artists. Other good songs by Gord are Sundown, and If You Could Read My Mind
Now you know the story. I grew up on the great lakes and I was a teen when this happened. Everyone was in tears. Its not the first ship to sink on the lakes for sure..but technology had been developed that was supposed to have ended the vulnerability of the ships to the huge waves that were common in those storms. Everyone took it hard in all areas surrounding the lakes..Canada included. I cry every time I hear this remembering my mom and dad weeping as we had watched the Edmund steam past their home many times on Lake Huron for years. Meteorology improvements/advancements have greatly affected when a large freighter can sail these days. There is simply no way to predict the waves produced in gales especially Lake Superior.. I got to see Gordon a few times over the years. The best by far is when he opened for Jethro Tull in Detroit.
Lake Superior is a crazy place. It can be just as dangerous as any ocean. And it's as big as the states of Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire combined. I believe it's the largest freshwater lake in the world.
There have been almost 400 shipwrecks (Lake Eerie has almost 2000 shipwrecked ships ). BTW, there's also cars, a house and an airplane that have been swallowed by Lake Superior.
The water at the bottom stays at or below freezing; this means the bodies in the wreck will stay there (with the families blessings) and the decomposition of the bodies slow to a crawl and will never float up.
Sad thing is, the helmsman and the captain were going to retire after this trip.
The area where the Fitzgerald sank in 1975, is legally a graveyard and under control of the families of the crew. There are buoys deployed on the site and alarms will sound if someone goes within the boundaries. (All of the shipwrecks that went down with their crew are considered sacred)
If you want to know more about the event in detail (it's truly a wild story), look up Ask A Mortician. Caitlin does wonderful research on events like this (she also has a degree in medieval history). She has info on the Donner Party, the Franklin Expedition that Money Dick was based on, etc.
This song was written almost immediately after the ship sank. It was released a year later to remember the first anniversary. Gordon Lightfoot never took a penny in royalties for this song. Every penny still goes to support the families of the men that died.
@@objectiveobserver4278 Sort of how Steven Spielberg never took a cent of profit for Schindler's List.
I was 9 when the Fitzgerald went down. I remember hearing about it down here in Texas. My mom had some distant relatives in that area.
My father was a Great Lakes merchant marine for a few years. His travels had taken him along the same path as the Edm. Fitz was on when it wrecked. Will never forget his look on his face when the news came over the radio.
Watching, here on the shore of Lake Michigan, where the slogan about our great beaches is No Salt, No Tide , No Sharks!
This song gives me chills every time I hear it.
Truly atmospheric, and such a tragedy. We all feel for them and their families. Thank you for your sympathies.
I remember when the Fitz went down, in high grade school 😎
This studio version we hear is the first take. They did other takes but wound up using #1, as the emotion could not be reproduced the same after it was done.
Bob Dylan really liked Gordon Lightfoot's songwriting and covered a couple of his songs. Some favorites *Early Morning Rain* *Sundown*
The Edmund Fitzgerald went down on Nov. 10, 1975, and no one knew just what happened to her. Theories are still formed and talked about--they did bring up her bell, and it is situated on the coast of Lake Superior and dedicated to the 29 crew who died. It is said that the Great Lakes are really "inland seas" and every bit as dangerous an the oceans. Superior is the largest, and 1000's of vessels have sunk due to weather. These lakes are HUGE, and deep.
Gordon is a Canadian legend of a storyteller who can sing great melodies.
Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian folk singer, songwriter & guitarist. Most popular in the 60's & 70's. A fantastic story teller through his music. This song tells true story of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. Being a native Detroiter & an adult already at the time, I remember this event very well. As a kid we used to love to watch the freighters come down the Detroit River, which is a connection of the upper lakes to the lower ones. You should listen to IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND.
Gordon Lightfoot is a beast man. Story telling at its best. I have seen him 10x in my life and enjoyed every minute of it.
In my book this is one of the best story songs ever. Great reaction.
Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian Treasure and I love this song although it is tragic and a true story. The only thing is you were talking about the sea, this happened on Lake Superior or Gitche Gumee as the natives called it. Thanks Biz! BTW, I think others have mentioned it but GL donated all proceeds from this song to "the wives and the sons and the daughters". He has many other songs you should check out "If You Could Read My Mind" was probably his biggest hit.
Bob Dylan said that Gordon Lightfoot is one of the best storytellers that he's known. This is classic Gordon. This was a big hit when I was a young man and I'm still rocking now. I like the live version.
i remember when this happened. it was so sad. all those guys-husbands, fathers and sons-lost to Lake Superior.
This is a true story he is relaying. The ship sank on November 10 1975. Another great song by Gordon is "Sundown".
So sad that Gordon Lightfoot passed away on May, 1, 2023! He was a National Treasure!! R.I.P Gordon Lightfoot 🙏❤️
Growing up in Michigan, this is an anthem.
Gitche Gumme is the name various native tribes called Lake Superior.. In various similar forms.. Reminds me of reading Last of the Mohicans and literally every tribe had a different name for Lake Champlain.. Didnt figure out they were talking about the same place till halfway through the book..
I love that you're listening to these 50-year-old folk-rock songs. Absolutely everything about this song is out of step with current musical trends.
Lake Superior has seen her share of hurricane-like storms, and that's what happened to the Big Fitz. Being from the Detroit area, we've all grown up listening to this particular song. The song itself is truly haunting.
Probably the best "story song" ever -- anyway, please do more GL songs:
- - -
Sundown
Carefree Highway
If You Could Read My Mind
- - -
Sooo Sad! Those lakes are like oceans. I believe they did actually bring the bell up from the wreckage not too awfully long ago. The men who lost their lives most likely froze to death quickly, I hope. I can't imagine being home, waiting for news, then getting it. He also does a great song called 'Sundown" which is a really fantastic song. I really think you should have a Patreon account to take requests for songs. That way, we get to hear a couple of songs that we requested and you actually get to make money from it! You deserve it Biz. You work so hard on this channel. Hard work deserves to bring in money! Think about it.
They did! The bell now resides at the Great Lakes ship wreck museum at whitefish point, Michigan
@@kylev.2373 That is the best news! Thank you for letting me know. I should have looked it up, but I take care of my 92 yr. old father-in-law and also at the time I made this comment, I was taking care of 3 dogs and 4 cats. Truly appreciate your message!
You should watch one of the documentaries on it, incredible story. Captain was retiring after the season, they were squeezing in one more trip, another boat was a few miles behind and saw the lights disappear, the other boat was like the only one to go back out and look for the Fitz…
Such a heartbreaking story! So devastating in it's recount. It makes a soul tear-up and cry.
I remember when this happened. I still cry every time I hear this song!
The song chronicles the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. It provides all the details of the crew and the weather they were facing. What it does not tell is a yearly memorial for the crew is held which Gordon Lighfoot attends each year. He is loved for his dedication to the wreck of this ship.
It’s a beautiful and super sad song. It’s all true. As a person who has grown up surrounded by commercial fishers and all sorts of lifestyles related to the ocean (coastal Alaska) - I have lost several loved ones to the waters here. It hits me hard when I listen to this but I still love it.
Gordon painted a Picasso with this one...
This is based on a true story that happened in November 1975. Lightfoot was intrigued when he read about the story in a news story, much like when Truman Capote read about a quadruple murder in Kansas in 1959, then wrote a whole book about it.
You are checking out a lot of the 'singer/songwriter' types. I was a fan in my younger days. Singer/songwriters made their name writing good lyrics, usually playing guitar but piano too. The best of this group includes Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Carole King, Leonard Cohen (off top of my head)
My husband is a crewmember on a ship in the Bay of Fundy. The waves in the Bay and the winds scare me when he's working. This song makes me cry every time I hear it, because I think of my beloved husband and how I'd feel if anything tragic ever happened.
The Fitzgerald family were the founders of northwestern mutual insurance company. The family also, back when, were the owners of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Edmund Fitzgerald was the patriarch of the family.
Gordon donated all the proceeds from record sales to the families of the sailors who perished. He attended the memorial service in Detroit for years after..
it's an incredibly touching story because it's a true story that happened in the late 70's the ship went down with the entire crew lost at sea
Gitche Gumee means “Big Sea” or “Huge Water,” but just about always refers to Lake Superior.
I'm from Chicago...I remember this event well...I was a teen then. What a tragedy! I have been to the museum.
Deep rabbit hole for the great Mr. Lightfoot.
My mom and dad were born in Duluth. I used to love visiting and watching the Great Lakes freighters going out and coming in through the Duluth ship channel. There is a lift bridge that they pass under that blows a horn in salute for every boat that passes under it. The freighters all blow their horns back in reply. It is a big attraction to this day. They even post the schedule so people will know when to be there to see them. There are TH-cam channels dedicated to it if you want to check it out. Those freighters are HUGE and it's an amazing experience.
A great song by a great storyteller
Thanks for your reaction! I really enjoy your reactions to such a wide variety of great music. Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian singer/songwriter and great story teller. You would really enjoy his song "Sundown" and the shocking story behind that one.
Lost a friend/classmate to this terrible wreck. It was supposed to be his last voyage. He was 20. Love to Karl Peckol.
He had stopped to see my father who was his band director before he left.. asked him to help him find a college to attend as he had saved enough money to pay for his education.
Growing up in Michigan, the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald was taught in grade school. I highly recommend the museum at Whitefish Point.
This is master class in singer songwriter.
I'm a lifelong Michigander and was 11 years old when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down. It was one week before my sister's birthday. We don't have hurricanes on the Great Lakes, but there are massive gale storms that can pack a punch with hurricane force winds. Add to that the sleet and the high waves, you got something wicked.
This a folk song in the old tradition of workingman ballads, songs for common folk, about common folk. Gordon Lightfoot is a celebrated singer/songwriter from Canada who cracked the US market in the '70's.
This is from a great overall record, "Summertime Dream" and the title track is a fun little tune you could almost hear being played 'round the campfire. I had a good friend bsck in high school & college and we'd usually get asked to bring our guitars along. He was a better singer than me, but we played well together and could play a lot of songs for the campfire and at parties.
We'd do "Wildwood Weed" by Jim Stafford and "Friendly Neighborhood Narco Agent" by Jef Jaisun either of which I'd guess you'll enjoy. Of course, this was the mid 1070s and cannabis wasn't legal in any way, shape or form at the time. So there was a bit of "rebel" in us. We'd do Arlo Guthrie's "Coming Into Los Angeles" and Ray could remember all the words to "Alice's Restaurant" and we both loved playing it (I still do, Ray passed in the 80s).
So there are a few you might like that are also by great singer-songwriters if some are lesser known, like Jef Jaisun.
I was in the NAVY. One thing we were taught is when you leave port there was no guarantee of returning.
There is a Park in Chicago called Calumet Park, during my younger years I would see these barges and ships traveling in the distance in Lake Michigan. I would say to myself, safe travels.
I live near Cleveland on the Shores of Lake Erie....Thats where the Fitzgerald was suppose to be going. So it does hold a special place in my Heart. A Local Brewery Named a Beer after it....Edmund Fitzgerald Porter.
"If you could read my mind", or, " Sundown" are good songs as well.
Lightfoot is one of the great songwriters. He has many songs that are less literal, but just as vivid in their imagery.
the great lakes has the capability of creating it's own weather.
A few years ago they raised the ship's bell, rang it 29 times then sank it back to the ship.
Hell of a song. Lyrics are mesmerizing, song arrangement sets a haunting mood. Gives you chills all the way through, as you said. One of the best composed songs I've ever heard, and I'm so glad you got a chance to listen to it.
Gordon Lightfoot also wrote another song about another ship wreck that not many people know. The song is "Ballad of Yarmouth Castle".
As the person who told me about this song mentioned, this song is about an ocean going cruise ship. While the Edmond Fitzgerald's sinking might not have been preventable, the sinking of the Yarmouth Castle was preventable. I understand that safety regulations on cruise ships were made much more strict, no matter what country owned it.
Happy Canada Day! The Canadian Railroad Trilogy by Gordon Lightfoot is another of his great songs:
th-cam.com/video/9O_qxJAmW4c/w-d-xo.html
(You are so right about songs around the campfire. Singing all the lyrics of "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" or "Alice's Restaurant" made you very popular in the 1960s!)
Apropos of nothing here is the link to Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant":
th-cam.com/video/m57gzA2JCcM/w-d-xo.html
We live near Lake Michigan. I was 10yo when the Fitz went down in Lake Superior. 😔
I don't know if it's still taught, but all the kids in my generation learned in grade school the Ojibwa names for the Great Lakes. Gitchee Goomie was for Lake Superior.
I saw Lightfoot live in 1970, 1990 and 2010... every 20 years... I was looking forward to seeing him again in 2030... R.I.P. Gordon Lightfoot... thank you Bizmatic for your reaction.
Amazing song ❤
Unless you've been on it, it's hard to imagine how big Lake Superior is.
if you are anywhere near sailors / seamen in north america and this song gets put on. Those men are very drunk.. very very drunk ..