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Gordon Lightfoot - The Wreck Of Edmund Fitzgerald reaction
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Gordon Lightfoot reaction
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Gordon Lightfoot - The Wreck Of Edmund Fitzgerald
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When Gordon Lightfoot passed away, The Mariner's Church of Detroit rang their bell 30 times in memory of Gordon Lightfoot - once for every man lost in the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and once for Lightfoot, respect😢
😢 Gordon Lightfoot was a legend. I did not know that the Mariners Church rang the bell for Gordon. What an honor to Gordon. Wish we had more respect in the world like this.
I hope that's true..
OH mY Goodness! Yes they did!
Wow
It is true. Mad respect.
Light foot never wanted to be a singer. He hated the sound of his own voice. He just wanted to write.
But his label gave him the kick in the pants he needed, and pressured him into releasing an album.
Sometimes it just takes one good friend to believe in you.
"The lake it is said never gives up her dead" is about how the bottom water of Superior (the deepest of the Great Lakes) is so cold that when ships sink, the bodies don't float to the surface.
Shon, you calling for a moment of silence in honor of the 29 that perished on the Edmund Fitzgerald was a classy thing to do! I personally appreciated that! That's about all...
Absolutely agree 💯
I was stationed in Wurtsmith Air Force Base when the storm sank the Eddie Fitz By the next day, the storm reached Wurtsmith. I worked in a wing of the hanger where they worked on planes. As I stepped into the bay, the wind tore a 300 pound door off from its hinges like it was tissue paper. I was struck and thrown over 12 feet across the bay floor before I came down. The doctors told me they do not know how I lived through it God did not abandon me.
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the actual ship, rests in water that is shallower than the ship, when intact, was long, which makes it very plausible that the ship struck bottom due to the winds and waves and snapped. The wreck rests in two pieces on the bottom of the lake
Most that I have read believe the fitz drove deep, hit bottom, and broke in half. Also, (I wouldn’t know), her captain did everything right. Riding the front and back of a wave was the only way they had a chance to survive. Had he allowed the Fitz to get sideways, she would have rolled. The captain was fully aware of the chance of striking bottom was real. The crew knew it too. The ship following the Fitz knew it too. Just a horrific tragedy.
RIP Bruce Hudson 22 - North Olmsted, Ohio - Deckhand on Edmund Fitzgerald
Hearing of Gordon Lightfoot's passing on May 1 this year made me really sad. He was 84. At 3 PM on May 2, 2023, the Mariner's Church of Detroit rang it's bell 30 times - 29 times for the men of the Edmund Fitzgerald and once for Gordon Lightfoot.
As if the song wasn't doing it already, this made me choke up even more. Thanks for the info, I did not know they did that.
I did not know that... it made me smile. He lived a good life and was well remembered.
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours."
Probably my favorite verse from any song, ever.
The one that always gets tears from me "And all that remains, are the faces and the names, of the wives and the sons and the daughters" 😢
Probably the most powerful words ever said in a song
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Just imagining those guys rising and falling in the violent swells in the black of night and freezing cold water before slipping under as their ship had done.
It's horribly sad especially because it's 100 % true! Nobody else other than Gordon Lightfoot could have told this sad story! The verse that drops me is " Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?"😢 This tragedy happened, November 10, 1975
Gordon Lightfoot sang this song and paid homage to the men who went down with the ship. When Gordon passed, the Mariners Cathedral rang the bell 30 times, 29 for the men on the crew, and another one to welcome him aboard.
One of the saddest, most haunting songs ever written. This song gets me "right there" every single time I listen to it. A true story immortalized by the great Gordon Lightfoot. RIP Gordon.
I was thirteen when this happened . There was not a single sole here in Michigan that did not grieve when this happened. Superior is a very unforgiving wench.
He donated all the proceeds/ profits from this song to the victims families. 10 or 15 years ago I saw him in concert on PBS, he was very old and frail looking but sounded great 😊
I was in grade school in Dearborn, Michigan when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down. In the lyrics, he sings "the Lake they call Gitche Gumee". That's the Native American name for Lake Superior. I remember everyone, kids, adults, stayed glued to their TV sets and radios listening for updates. It was all anyone talked about for weeks and months afterwards. This was the 70s...even cable TV didn't exist. No cell phones, no cable, no internet, no social media. Personal computers didn't exist yet. And the TVs were not flatscreens, either!! I will never forget it. Just hearing the opening chords of the song today gives me chills. And yes, Whitefish Bay in the Upper Peninsula of MI would have been shelter from the storm and not far from the Soo Locks at Sault St Marie where they would have gotten help.
I think I was a couple years too young. I was born in 1970. But grew up near Detroit. I don’t really remember the incident though.
I'm with you! 😢 I was on elementary school in Toledo, OH. Everyone was waiting for news reports. You didn't 24 news then. When this song came out, every local bar had it playing all the time. God rest all who passed.❤
@@michellerutherford9551 Thanks John and Michelle for your comments--very interesting and moving. This song is so emotional and I have so many questions about the story. But most of all, let's remember the people who passed away and their families. And Gordon Lightfoot, for writing such an amazing song. The power of music.
You will remember now.@@robbob5302
Me too actually 5th grader in Dearborn. It was such a strange time. I am sure I didn't understand all of it at the time. It was a very long time before the wreck was found (decades I think) and what happened was known. This song still gives me chills.
Gordon gave all the profit from this tune to the perished crews families.
Waves on superior can reach 23' tall.
They did recover the ships bell from the bottom of Lake superior
"The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead." This is true. The water is so cold that bodies never come to the surface. They ring the bell 29 times every year on the anniversary of the wreck. Gordon Lightfoot died last year, and they rang the bell 30 times.
The Edmund Fitzgerald lovingly called the Fitz was somewhat of a famous ship locally, because the Captain would blare rock music and jazz and the like when she was sailing through areas where there were a lot of people. They were very well respected and very well-liked by everyone on their route. And true to the spirit of her Captain and her crew her last communique over radio was "We are holding our own."
Class acts all of them, may they know smooth waters and friendly skies in paradise.
I live in Windsor Ontario and every time I go to Detroit (1 mile away) I go thru the tunnel ad go past the Mariners church. It is humbling. Gordon is a Canadian treasure.
It has always been my understanding that Gordon Lightfoot donated all proceeds from this song to the families of the victims.
Honestly the most haunting song ever written.. I get goosebumps every time.
RIP 🕊
I am a citizen of Michigan. So yes, this song does have much meaning to me. But others have already talked about that. What I would like to say, is, that photo was of the Edmond Fitzgerald. And yes, it's crew was as big as 29. And yes, that is as big as ships on the oceans. If that confuses you. You must come see our great lakes. It will make this song even more real. You can't see the other side, the lakes are that big, 100's of miles long, 300 foot deep, with Superior being 500 foot deep. The winds can be up to 70 MPH or more. We have many ships over 500 foot to 1,000 foot. So if this song sounds like it could take place on the ocean, well, our lakes are big enough to have those kind of wrecks. Come to any great lakes state if you want to see big ships. And this song is a warning about how bad it can be if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even a ship as big as the Edmund Fitzgerald can be smashed by the waves on the lakes. The waves can get that big.
November 10, 1975. I was twenty-three yrs old. I live in Western NY, between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. I'm very familiar with the Witch of November, I can imagine it. Living so near the Canadian border, we heard and appreciated a lot of Canadian music. Gordon Lightfoot was a popular artist. RIP Gordon. May 1, 2023. Thank you, Shon, for your nice, respectful reaction.
Many of the crew who perished were about your age.
Avon here
From Ohio. I just turned 15 & l remember watching this on the news! Then the song came out. It was played everywhere, no matter what type of music that radio station played. As soon as this song starts playing, l stop what l'm doing & listen with respect. It brings back the same feelings l felt the 1st time l heard it.
Your reaction was awesome. I was 15 when this happened and grew up in the oldest fishing port in the country, Gloucester, Massachusetts. I love how you didn't miss a thing, especially that they had to go hungry. You really got it. I love the way he paid homage to these men in such a hauntingly beautiful, manly way. Peace young man
That “29 chimes” thing in Detroit was an annual tradition. Every November 10.
With the recent passing of Gordon Lightfoot, they have officially agreed to add one more chime. 30 now.
I have stood at Whitefish Bay and looked out over Lake Superior and it is an eerie feeling thinking about this ship. In Whitefish Bay is a shipwreck museum where you can see the bell from the Edmund... In the background they are playing this song 🎵... I just stood there and tears fell silently down my face ... WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!!
I was so sad to hear of Gordon Lightfoot's passing away recently. Loved his music! This song is a beautiful tribute by one of the best Canadian songwriters & storytellers. This is based on a true story & the lyrics tell the sad tale of the sinking of the ship & loss of lives in 1975. Gordon Lightfoot has had many hits through his long career such as "Sundown", "Early Morning Rain", "Steel Rail Blues", "Ribbon Of Darkness", "Carefree Highway", "Rainy Day People", "Cotton Jenny", "Black Day In July", "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" etc.
At 14-years-old Gordon Lightfoot was my very first of many live rock concerts through 70s, 80s and 90s. Remember he had open that 1974 performance in Edmonton, Canada with a very dirty joke.
We lived on the American side, (my group of teenaged friends), so when this happened the oldest one in our group that could drive borrowed his dad's car and we packed sandwiches and took off to Michigan to watch and see the recovery efforts. There were thousands of people on the shore and everyone was crying. This was when it happened and way before G.L.'s hit song was on the radio. It was just terrible. Us young people took it hard. We met teens from all over and we prayed together. Such a tragedy.
I grew up in Michigan as well. My father was a Commadore in the Coast Guard for Lake Michigan. This was such a tragic event storm came in quick. Captain McSorley was well respected and loved. He also was a music lover nicknamed Captain DJ as he used the ships PA system to blast music. Always blues in Chicago ports, Motown in Detroit, Rock and Roll in Cleveland and so on.
It is one of my favorite songs of all time!
It is such a hauntingly beautiful song by such a talented singer, and it never fails to bring a tear to my eyes!
When Gordon died, they rang the bell 30 times since he is the major reason that people know the story and he also donated all the proceeds from the song to the families of the sailors! he is basically now treated as a part of the crew!
Every year there has been a memorial for those who died on the Edmund Fitzgerald, including the tolling a bell 29 times - once for each lost life. When Gordon Lightfoot died a few months ago, they rang it 30 times.
Gordon Lightfoot read about this tragedy just after it happened while traveling. He investigated it a lot more and felt there just was not enough media about it. After writing and publishing this song, he gave all proceeds directly to the families of the lost sailors. And his hopes that the song would bring more attention to the tragedy succeeded. Gordon was a true believer in his craft and his songs inspired many to excel beyond their abilities.
I was caught out in a pretty nasty gale on Lake Superior, back when I was in high school, and I'll never forget it. We were in a 27 foot boat, and my dad had me piloting while he reeled in our fishing lines. We were deep sea fishing, with outriggers and downriggers, so reeling in the six lines in took awhile. Anyway, I'm piloting the boat, trying to hit the waves as dead on as possible (so we don't capsize), and the waves are so big, I see nothing but grey sky as we go up over the waves, then nothing but water as we go down the other side. Then nothing but sky, nothing but wave as we hit the next one. I can't even tell you how long it took, but we traveled like that for about 10 miles, crawling over every wave, until we finally reached the harbor. I will say, I've been out on Lake Superior hundreds of times, and that's the only time I've been caught in that kind of storm.
The last recorded words of the Edmund Fitzgerald's captain were "We're holding our own, going along like an old shoe... " Whitefish Bay was not their destination, but it would have been a safe place to wait out the storm.
Gordon is from our hometown of Orillia, Ontario Canada and is not only a local hero but respected deeply by his peers and had millions of fans throughout the world. We're very proud of all his accomplishments. RIP Gord
Wonderful singer/songerwriter, still have two of his albums, vinyl ones bought back in the day, play them often. ❤️🇦🇺
He was a phenomenal storyteller. When he passed earlier this year, they rang an extra time from the ships bell at the memorial just for him. I find that extremely moving. I loved your reaction.
THEY ALL KNEW THE SHIP WAS GOING DOWN
I grew up on an island in Lake Michigan; I was 12 when the Edmund Fitzgerald sank. It really hit hard. Although nobody from my small community had relatives aboard, many had family that worked on the ships of the Great Lakes. November is no joke up there. In 1958 the freighter Carl D. Bradley sunk just south of the island I'm from. 33 men died and two miraculously survived. There wasn't a musician with Mr. Lightfoot's mastery to tell the tale until later. Needless to say, I listened to a lot of Gordon Lightfoot music in my day. BTW - great respectful reaction!
Gordon Lightfoot sang this song the proceeds went to the families from the wreck. When Gordon Lightfoot passed away the mariners rang the bell for him 29 times. The respect in all this was amazing.
RIP GORDON! Amazing story all the way around.
i remember the story on the national news. Gordon donated all the profits from the song to the surviving families.
Your Moment of Silence was a class act. As mentioned below, the water gets so cold at depth - bacteria can't survive. No bacteria, no bloat, no float. A bay is a body of water protected by the natural landscape. Here's the Cityboy version... you're walking along the sidewalk. Suddenly a massive rainstorm hits. The rain is coming down so hard, you can barely see. The winds start gusting so hard, you stagger - it's hard to walk straight and the rain is blinding. You can barely see, but you do see... it looks like an entrance to a doorway. You make it there. You're standing in the doorway entrance, protected on three sides by the walls of the doorway entrance. The storm is still happening. You are still getting hit by the storm coming at you from the front, but you can go deeper into the entrance to mitigate the effects of the storm. You have found a bay.
The opening line of the song mentions the Chippewa river at the head of Lake Superior. I grew up close enough to go to picnics there. Those SAME ships came in and out of the harbor every day hauling grain. The story of the ship was very much alive in the community, so this song hit hard when I first heard it. Still does. He doesn't mythologize it. Men with families went out on the lake to earn a living in a harsh environment and that day nature was having none of it and tore the ship to pieces. It isn't cool, it's a tragedy and he tells it that way. Now, when he mentions the Witch of November, I wouldn't take that as something supernatural. I don't remember any mention of such a thing in town. But the weather is very changeable in November and the winds and storms certainly could howl, turning freezing in a hurry if the winds came from the North.
If I remember the details correctly, the Fitz and her sister ship were on similar courses within a few miles when a big storm was sighted. There was no satellite imaging, so ships and shore had to communicate this information to each other directly. The Fitz and her sister ship made a plan to head for shelter in shallower water near an island to wait for the worst of the storm to pass. I think this was Whitefish Bay. The sister ship made it first, the Fitz didn't. They didn't even get a radio distress call off. The ship just snapped and was gone.
But one of my favorite lines is, "That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed". What a vivid way to describe it, starting from the image of a fine, strong ship and then flipping to how it was nothing at all before the forces of nature. Nature was simply so strong that day that it could treat even a fine ship as a mere chew toy. That image stuck with me. Nature is beautiful, but always have respect for its power as well.
Shon my brother...great review...At 40 I couldn't swim...I quit cigarettes and needed to compensate with a lot of exercise...I went to my local YMCA and the swim coaches were delighted to have a Newby willing to learm...so I bought a speedo and goggles...left the ego at home and went 3-5 times a week as they taught me to become slippery in the water...6 months after my first masters class I swam a 2 mile open ocean race in big surf...im pretty sure I came in last but I was now a real swimmer...when I crossed the finish line my coaches were there so proud and cheering me on...I has given me so much confidence and now I enjoy surfing, boating and swimming...Its amazing!
Gordon Lightfoot was a most brilliant poet singer musician. So many beautiful songs. RIP
I live 35 minutes east of Cleveland Ohio, on Lake Erie near Fairport Harbor Ohio! This is a great memorial song to the crew!
Today in Ojibwe language, thanks to dialectic differences, you are more likely to see gichi-gami, gitchi-gami or kitchi-gami for Lake Superior.The big water,big lake is Lake Superior.There is a video of the ship from its launching to its career travel across the Lake that gives you a better perspective of the size of the ship.When Lightfoot passed away recently the Maritime Cathederal chimed its bell thrity times in honor of the man who by singing this song honored the men on the Edmond Fitzgerald and their memeories.
The year was 1975, I'm from Michigan and I was 18 years old when this happened! When it came over the radio I was holding my young child and I just held him closer to me and cried silent tears. The Great Lakes are every bit as dangerous as the ocean, maybe even more-so because it's unexpected, storms form over the Great Lakes out of it seems like nothing!
It seems they could have lived if they had put just fifteen more miles behind them, which just means there was land ahead!
As always I loved your reaction to this Shon! I too keep away from the big lakes, I cannot swim, I can dog-paddle really well, but my arms just won't move correctly to swim!
There's another video of this song on TH-cam that shows the newspaper headlines and the photographs, names and ages of each sailor who perished. I always cry. When I listened to this on the radio as a child, I didn't know what it was about but I remember how the music made me feel. It was sad and eery. Now it makes perfect sense. It's a masterpiece.
Yes, that video is awesome. It also shows footage of the ship, under water, and maybe recovery efforts. Feel it pays more tribute to the crew.
@@spikebeans9563 They were going to bring the ship up, but the families didn't want that as they feel it's their grave site. So that's why they never brought her up.
There are times in the musical history of songs that one comes along that is so well crafted that it puts you right in the middle of it and feel like you experience it. This is one for me. God bless the sailors and there families.
Gordon Lightfoot a Canadian national treasure...just died recently RIP
I read that after this song became big, Gordon got a letter from the minister of the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral, mentioned in the song, who said that while he appreciated the men who had been lost being memorialized in song, he was a little bothered by the line that describes the church as a "musty old hall"...He said that their church was actually a very warm and welcoming place that had provided a lot of support to the community in the days after the sinking...From then on, when Gordon played the song, he changed the line to a "rustic old hall". I just thought it was cool that he would do that...
Shon...your call for a moment of silence was incredibly respectful and touched me deeply.
RIP Gordon Lightfoot. I grew up in Duluth, this song always brings me back home.
There is a documentary on TH-cam where you can hear a lot of the audio. It’s chilling.
Another song by Lightfoot that's just as powerful that you might like Shon is "Black Day in July." it tells the true story of a police raid on a bar in Detroit in the summer of 1967 that escalated and saw 43 people killed, 1,189 injured, 7,200 arrested and more than 400 buildings destroyed between July 23 and July 29. In the U.S. it was called the "Detroit Race Riots." Lightfoot was moved by the police brutality and wrote the song to draw attention to the social injustice. It was a big hit in Canada, but the U.S. authorities banned it at the time from being played by U.S. radio stations. However, the Canadian radio station across the river in Windsor (which could be picked up south of the border in Detroit) played the song almost non stop to show their support for the black community.
You've again shown your feelings and compassion and never feel bad in that.
I know you've made me respect you and your reviews more today.
It happened in 1975. Lake Superior is the largest inland sea in the world. Lightfoot gave the royalties from this song to the families.
I was about 10 and living outside of Cleveland when the wreck happened. It absolutely dominated local news and when the song came out it seemed like it was played on the radio every 30 min. It is a gross oversimplification but it basically captures the impact the wreck had: it was the Great Lakes Titanic, no one could believe she was lost. Thanks for sharing the story.
Gordon Lightfoot was an amazing songwriter and storyteller.
To add to the haunting feeling is when you understand how quickly the Fitzgerald "disappeared". They were being followed closely by another lake freighter, the Arthur M Anderson, who was assisting them with navigation as the Fitzgerald's radar had gone out. Also the pumps on the Fitzgerald were working hard. At one point the captain of the Anderson radioed Captain McSorley on the Fitzgerald asking how they were doing. Captain McSorley responded with a simple "We are holding our own." then shortly after the Fitzgerald just vanished from radar and sight.
White Fish Bay is at the East end of Superior and a safe haven during storms. They went down 15 nautical miles short of safety. It's possible they still would have gone down in the bay, but the crew would have had a better chance of survival.
Later the Fitzgerald's lifeboats were found washed ashore, ripped up and torn open.
Gordon's hauntingly beautiful tribute to the crew of the "Big Fitz", & all who sail the earth's waterways. Thanks for your reaction.
In michigan h.s. when it happened. Ten years later sailed near their course by big bay, in 20 foot crystal clear water the whole bottom was boulders the size of houses! Will never forget that. Love your reactions. Prayers for Mr. Lightfoot and the crew of the fitz.
My understanding that Lightfoot donated 100% of the songs royalties to the families.
I spent 6 years in the Navy. I've seen my share of nasty water and been tossed around.
Shon, my first time viewing your channel. I'll come back. Thanks.
My father worked on the boats as a cook for many years.....including the Fitz....
I've been aboard her a few times myself....
We knew many of the men personally......
Rest in Peace....
Michael Armagost- 37- Third Mate- Iron River, Wisconsin
Fred Beetcher- 56- Porter- Superior, Wisconsin
Thomas Bentsen- 23- Oiler- St. Joseph, Michigan
Edward Bindon -47- First Asst. Engineer- Fairport Harbor, Ohio
Thomas Borgeson -41- Maintenance Man- Duluth, Minnesota
Oliver Champeau- 41-Third Asst. Engineer- Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Nolan Church -55 -Porter -Silver Bay, Minnesota
Ransom Cundy- 53- Watchman- Superior, Wisconsin
Thomas Edwards-50- Second Asst. Engineer- Oregon, Ohio
Russell Haskell -40- Second Asst. Engineer- Millbury, Ohio
George Holl -60- Chief Engineer- Cabot, Pennsylvania
Bruce Hudson- 22- Deck Hand -North Olmsted, Ohio
Allen Kalmon -43- Second Cook- Washburn, Wisconsin
Gordon MacLellan- 30- Wiper- Clearwater, Florida
Joseph Mazes- 59- Special Maintenance Man -Ashland, Wisconsin
John McCarthy -62-First Mate -Bay Village, Ohio
Ernest McSorley -63 -Captain -Toledo, Ohio
Eugene O'Brien- 50- Wheelsman -Toledo, Ohio
Karl Peckol -20- Watchman -Ashtabula, Ohio
John Poviach -59- Wheelsman- Bradenton, Florida
James Pratt -44- Second Mate- Lakewood, Ohio
Robert Rafferty -62 -Steward -Toledo, Ohio
Paul Riippa -22 -Deck Hand -Ashtabula, Ohio
John Simmons -63 -Wheelsman -Ashland, Wisconsin
William Spengler -59- Watchman- Toledo, Ohio
Mark Thomas -21- Deck Hand- Richmond Heights, Ohio
Ralph Walton -58- Oiler- Fremont, Ohio
David Weiss -22 -Cadet -Agoura, California
Blaine Wilhelm -52- Oiler- Moquah, Wisconsin
If you’re from Michigan/Wisconsin, this song lives in your soul. RIP Gordon Lightfoot 🙏🏼 Lake Michigan is brutal in the winter 🥶 The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was The Titanic of the Great Lakes.
I remember when this happened. Gordon Lightfoot wrote this song because not enough was reported about such a tragedy. They have pulled up the bell. Gordon donated all proceeds of this song to the families.
Gordon Lightfoot is a master storyteller. I highly recoomend any of his other songs.
In school my bus driver played the local "suburbs of Chicago" pop station and this song was in rotation for a couple of years! I am definitely a Gordon lightfoot fanboy, as an old ass!
November 10, 1975 this tadedy happened. So sad. Lightfoot did an amazing job telling this story. He was an amazing story teller/ songwriter. Truly a great man
Shon, in November of 1975 The Edmond Fitzgerald, and Chester M. Aurther both sailed from Michigan to Ohio. They were supposed to take a more southern route, but hurricane force winds came in and they decided to take a more Northern route hoping to avoid the severe weather, but ultimately steamed directly into the heart of the storm. The Edmond Fitzgerald was about 15 miles from White Fish when she went down. Taking all 29 men aboard. The Chester M Aurther survived the storm. The captain of the Chester M. Aurther called the Fitzgerald asking how they were doing, and the captain of the Fitzgerald's last words were "We are holding our own!" When the captain of the Chester M Aurther heard no one knows where the Fitzgerald was against better judgment he went back out to look for the Fitzgerald, but couldn't find her.
Imagine if we are all on that boat as soon as you touch that water, you're gonna freeze to death, great reaction.
A great song is “Please Please Please let me get what I want” by The Dream Academy
I was 18 when this happened, November 10th, 1975. Growing up in Michigan, surrounded by the power of the Great Lakes, I was glued to the TV for days hoping for survivors. All his profits from this song were donated to families of the Fitzgerald's crew. Is there any more powerful lyric than "Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours..."? And yes, if they could have gotten the ship into Whitefish Bay, it wouldn't have been sunk.
Another great Lightfoot’ song is Canadian Railroad Trilogy, among many others.
On May 2nd 2023 at the "Maritime Sailors Cathedral" in Detroit they rang the bell 30 times to honor the perished sailors and Gordon Lightfoot who famously memorialized them in song..
Hi, hope you're doing well.
Thank you very much for your reaction to wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald. That song means so much not to just Canadians but for those Americans who live along the Great Lakes as well.
I just want to say thank you
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours". I heard it growing up as a kid, and now, again, every time I hear that passage it just puts chill in my blood. It makes you feel like you were there. This song truly captures such a sad tale.
My home town is Duluth, MN, where those ships came and went all the time, including the Fitz. I used to sit beside the Aerial Bridge and wave to the sailors as they came threw. Everyone was devastated by her disaster. There are museums in Duluth and in Michigan dedicated to the Fitz.
ANOTHER great Gordon Lightfoot song to watch... "Sundown" also epic story telling...
Whitefish Bay is at the southeast corner of Lake Superior at the border between Michigan and Ontario, Canada. What the searchers were saying is the ship was roughly 15 miles from Whitefish Bay when she sank. Pretty good estimate- when the wreck was located, it was determined she sank about 17 miles from the bay. The bay's mouth is oriented north, opening onto Superior. The storm winds started out of the North-Northeast, but swung around eventually such that the winds as the wreck approached and occured were out of the west. This means if she had made the mouth of the bay, they would have been protected from the west winds, and the protected water in the bay would have been drasticaslly less violent than Superior, which was experiencing sustained seas of 30+ feet, with intermittent waves much larger. If you're interested, re-listen to the song with this additional info and you can hear that (for the most part), Lightfoot was very accurate. After describing the ship, crew and load, the first mention of the storm that sank her is "later that night when the ship's bell rang, could it be the north wind they'd been feelin?" As the storm struck, the first of the storm winds the Fitz would have felt would indeed have come from the North, or maybe just to the East of due north. As the storm (and song) progressed and conditions worstened, the wind shifted around the compass such that at peak, the wind was out of the west. Sustained winds were at 50 knots (about 58 mph), with a ship near the Fitz ( the Arthur M. Anderson) reporting gusts to 75 knots (about 86 mph). Hurricane force winds are winds greater than 74 MPH, so while the storm was not a "hurricane" (by definition, a tropical cyclone), the wind at times were as strong as a hurricane, and out of the west. So when Lightfoot sings later in the song, "later that night it was freezin' rain, in the face of a hurricane west wind", he was accurate.
The Edmund Fitzgerald sunk in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. There is another video of this song that has actual radio transmission from the ship before it sunk. This video also lists the names, age and hometown of those who perished.
This is 70's pop/folk and since I'm older than mathusala sandles I grew up with storyteller song writing.. this used to be why you would write a song, to tell a story.
Its a very, very sad song, but yet its hauntingly beautiful at the same. Gordon just recently passed away himself, which also was very sad. It breaks my heart to admit I like this song, cause it's so amazingly told...its one of those songs you hate to love it.
He has alot of "70'S GOLD" I have great memories of my childhood, and my biological mother, and GORDON LIGHTFOOT music
2 iron haulers were in that storm. The "Big Fitz" and the Anderson. The Fitz suddenly disappeared off Anderson's radar and was never heard from again. The Anderson had a good lead on the Fitz and survived the storm
My uncle worked on the Fitzgerald in 72,73, and 74. Luckily for him, he decided to do something else in 75.
Perfect: Gordon LF's voice was MADE for this song! Sounding like the "old man of the sea" ... no better way to hear this story.
So melancholy hearing this these days with the recent passing of Gordon, a Canadian treasure, master storyteller. 🥺
I came home from school that 10Nov and my parents were glued to the TV. News had broken, and the search had begun.
Days went by. Being a teenager, I quickly moved on, but my mom was really affected. She never forgot that day. 😢
They mention November gales, ships need to get off the lakes b4 they freeze, and this storm was early and fast.
There is a good documentary on The Edmund Fitzgerald out there you might find interesting. 👍🏽
With Gordon gone, they now toll the bell 30 times in the Twin ports, Duluth/Superior.
Treasure this one.
A beautiful tribute to a tragic event.
Being in the bay would have offered protection from the worst of the weather.
I've heard of a movie script floating around for decades, but somehow a movie was never made.
I remember seeing the ship on the Detroit river as a child. He wrote the song while heading to the USA on a flight from Toronto and read it in the paper.. He has been to the Church in Detroit a few times.. This year when he passed away the church rang the bell 30 times One more for Mr Lightfoot.
The lyrics in the song that says "...When supper time came the old cook came on deck saying its too rough at 7pm a main hatche=way caved in..." was changed to “When supper time came the old cook came on deck Saying ‘Fellows it’s too rough to feed ya’ At 7 p.m. it grew dark, it was then He said, ‘Fellas it's been good to know ya’,”
He made this change to remove implication of human error after he saw a TV documentry where evidence was presented that a 50 foot rogue wave caused the ships holds to flood.
Knowing that ur staring into oblivion and that u will never watch a sunrise or look into the eyes of ur loved ones must be aweful.
I remember we were in about fifth grade when this song came out, and it was something to realize that shipwrecks like this didn't just happen on the ocean. Living in Texas, even though they taught us about the Great Lakes, it was difficult to imagine they could be so big to have storms like this...
There was another ship, the Arthur M. Anderson, traveling within visual distance of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The National Weather Service predicted the storm would pass just south of Lake Superior. Another ship left 2 hours after the Edmund Fitzgerald. The captain of that ship, the Wilfred Sykes, correctly surmised the storm would cross directly over Lake Superior. So he hugged the coast.
Wikipedia:
The crew of Wilfred Sykes followed the radio conversations between Edmund Fitzgerald and Arthur M. Anderson during the first part of their trip and overheard their captains deciding to take the regular Lake Carriers' Association downbound route.
The NWS altered its forecast at 7:00 p.m., issuing gale warnings for the whole of Lake Superior.[43] Arthur M. Anderson and Edmund Fitzgerald altered course northward, seeking shelter along the Ontario shore,[40] where they encountered a winter storm at 1:00 a.m. on November 10. Edmund Fitzgerald reported winds of 52 knots (96 km/h; 60 mph) and waves 10 feet (3.0 m) high.[44] Captain Paquette of Wilfred Sykes reported that after 1 a.m., he overheard McSorley say that he had reduced the ship's speed because of the rough conditions. Paquette said he was stunned to later hear McSorley, who was not known for turning aside or slowing down, state that "we're going to try for some lee from Isle Royale. You're walking away from us anyway … I can't stay with you."
At 2:00 a.m. on November 10, the NWS upgraded its warnings from gale to storm, forecasting winds of 35-50 knots (65-93 km/h; 40-58 mph).[45] Until then, Edmund Fitzgerald had followed Arthur M. Anderson, which was travelling at a constant 14.6 miles per hour (12.7 kn; 23.5 km/h),[40] but the faster Edmund Fitzgerald pulled ahead at about 3:00 a.m.[46] As the storm center passed over the ships, they experienced shifting winds, with wind speeds temporarily dropping as wind direction changed from northeast to south and then northwest.[44] After 1:50 p.m., when Arthur M. Anderson logged winds of 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph), wind speeds again picked up rapidly, and it began to snow at 2:45 p.m., reducing visibility; Arthur M. Anderson lost sight of Edmund Fitzgerald, which was about 16 miles (26 km) ahead at the time.
Shortly after 3:30 p.m., Captain McSorley radioed Arthur M. Anderson to report that Edmund Fitzgerald was taking on water and had lost two vent covers and a fence railing. The vessel had also developed a list.[48] Two of Edmund Fitzgerald's six bilge pumps ran continuously to discharge shipped water.[49] McSorley said that he would slow his ship down so that Arthur M. Anderson could close the gap between them.
...Shortly after 4:10 p.m., McSorley called Arthur M. Anderson again to report a radar failure and asked Arthur M. Anderson to keep track of them.[50] Edmund Fitzgerald, effectively blind, slowed to let Arthur M. Anderson come within a 10-mile (16 km) range so she could receive radar guidance from the other ship.[51]
For a time, Arthur M. Anderson directed Edmund Fitzgerald toward the relative safety of Whitefish Bay; then, at 4:39 p.m., McSorley contacted the USCG station in Grand Marais, Michigan, to inquire whether the Whitefish Point light and navigation beacon were operational. The USCG replied that their monitoring equipment indicated that both instruments were inactive.[52] McSorley then hailed any ships in the Whitefish Point area to report the state of the navigational aids, receiving an answer from Captain Cedric Woodard of Avafors between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m. that the Whitefish Point light was on but not the radio beacon.[46] Woodard testified to the Marine Board that he overheard McSorley say, "Don't allow nobody on deck,"[53] as well as something about a vent that Woodard could not understand.[54] Some time later, McSorley told Woodard, "I have a 'bad list', I have lost both radars, and am taking heavy seas over the deck in one of the worst seas I have ever been in."
...(the) Arthur M. Anderson was also struck by (81 to 86 mph) gusts and rogue waves as high as 35 feet.
At approximately 7:10 p.m., when Arthur M. Anderson notified Edmund Fitzgerald of an upbound ship and asked how she was doing, McSorley reported, "We are holding our own."
She was never heard from again
...ten minutes later, Arthur M. Anderson couldn't reach Edmund Fitzgerald by radio or detect her on radar.
It's great to see you understanding import of this tale and how well it is musically presented. As far as Treading Water, I know it's easier said than done but, it's actually not that hard. Just make big giant bicycle loops with your legs pushing against the water to keep it slow motion but keep your buoyancy up. And then do exactly the same thing only in the lateral plane with your arms going back and forth to stabilize yourself and also dipping down to generate some fine-tuned lift. But the point is to do all of that in a very relaxed way, not like a calisthenic workout, that way your conserving the maximum amount of energy while keeping your blood flowing and ready to react to things but also conserving your energy.
Keep your lungs filled with air. It will help keep your face out of the water.
Shon.
One other amazing “tragedy song” I can think of is Ohio. By Neil Young.
From what I was told, the ship was grossly overloaded. During the storm, the ship got caught between two waves, causing the center to rise up out of the water. Being overloaded, this caused the hull to split.