Bob Dylan was once asked what it was like being the greatest songwriter of all time. His response? "I don't know. Ask Gordon Lightfoot". RIP Legend. 5/1//2023
My family thanks you Gordon Lightfoot for keeping the memory of the Edmond Fitzgerald, my uncle and all 29 men alive in our hearts. I hope all 29 greeted you at the pearly gates.
I'm sure they will as I wouldn't have never know about this tragedy if it weren't this song. Rest in peace sailers. I also learned the chords on the guitar so this song has been played many times in my head. It never looses its meaning.
Indeed. I imagine that when Mr. Lightfoot arrived, all of them stood next to St. Peter and said, "Um, yeah, you don't need to check him, he's the reason folks still remember us on Earth."
I read a story a couple years ago that the bell from the ship was brought up, but that most of the families wanted the bell to remain below with the ship.
@@ElenaAshe yup its on display in the greatlakes shipwreck museum up by whitefish point. I saw it in person when i was a kid, probably 15-20 years ago. Seeing that and the old mariners graveyards in that area is a spooky sight.
I'm a 66 year old irish man I've never been to the usa or canada but when i hear this song i feel like i knew the crew on the edmund fitzgerald Gordon you were a genius
@@triciac1019 me too! 🇮🇪 I did switch planes at the airport in Ireland, but that's as close as I got. I can tell you flying over Ireland was astounding! Easy to see why it's called the emerald Isle. ☘️
My father and Grandfather helped build that boat growing up in River Rouge Michigan. I was thirteen when we lost 29 good men and a special boat. Thank you Gordon Lightfoot and Family. RIP. TAB. Down River Michigan born there and will die there.
This is song storytelling at its quintessential finest. His haunting voice gives powerful poignancy to this classic. As a lyricist, Lightfoot ranked in the top echelons of all time--a true master and a Canadian treasure.
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?", has to be the most powerful lyric ever written...Gordon Lightfoot is a master!
You are absolutely right!! I hear this song as a story rather than a song every time I hear it. I picture the "Images" unfolding and the faces of the ill-fated crew.
gabrielle dormuth "He is unquestionably one of the best story tellers of all time" --- I agree. I had a friend at work who loved his upbeat songs but if you really listen to them, even songs that sound uplifting, aren't. Great stories but the lyrics, in my opinion, always tend to be depressing. Still, I absolutely love his songs.
He sang out this story and he had to consider it one of his finest songwriting achievements. A lot of songs can't quite do it, but Lightfoot crafted a crystal-clear image of the Fitzgerald Tragedy in all our minds.
@davidholton9667 everytime I listen to this song, A Tear nearly escapes my eye. He was a true Master Craftsman as a singer-songwriter. He honoured the Dead.
This has to be one of the greatest songs ever written. Who tells stories nowadays? The music is as haunting.That guitar riff. Oh my God. And this song was nominated for a song of the year Grammy and didn't win. What a travesty! The Academy defintetly got this one wrong.
I love that little lick after “Superior sings, in the rooms of her ice water mansion” As a guy who is blessed to lives pretty near the Big Lake, this is easily my favorite song ever.
@PinchTheBarb I grew up in Chicago, sailing on Lake Michigan first with a friends family, then with the Sea Scouts. When the wreck happened, I was in high school. We, the Sea Scouts, did a whole research project on the wreck. Our conclusions were different than the official one, but I think we were on to something.
@@jimwilliams5788 Let's just say they both are/were tremendous storytellers and not try to rank them. (I know you didn't, just looking to forestall an argument developing!)
If you grew up in the Great Lakes region, especially Michigan, this song is engrained into as much as apple pie is to America. RIP, Gordon…you gave dignity and homage to the crew of the Fitzgerald
My stepdad had a cabin right off of Lake Michigan. And I remember as kids most nights when we visited in the summer huge storms off in the distance all night long. Monster lightning bolts none stop. Not the same lake but makes those memories very haunting.
😢❤ I lived in the area that the Fitzgerald sank. I was at a friends house, we were right across the road from the beach. We were scared (young..5th grade) because the waves were big and the wind just pushing up those waves right up over the Freeway! We actually saw them as they were passing. The next morning we girls found out what had happened. We didn’t believe the adults at first. I later found out that two of my friends had lost a family member. One lost her father and the other her oldest brother. I will never forget that storm and what it took with it. This song always makes me cry. Thank you for keeping their memories alive! Rest in Peace Sir ❤😢
Bullsh*t. Freeway? Only one man from Michigan was lost on the Fitz. Most of the rest were from Ohio (14) and Wisconsin (8). And the ship went down in Canadian waters far from Michigan shores.
@@user-lf4ux7dm7gI don't think you understood what she wrote. She said the waves were high near her. That they saw the ship go by near them. In fact the Edmund Fitzgerald did sink 17 miles from the Michigan shore. Look it up An uncle can live in a different state. You were not there.
This song hit the radio the summer before my junior year. I still remember sitting at lunch early in September and Valentina mentioned a song she had heard about a shipwreck and I told her the title. We agreed it was an incredible song and equally incredibly heartbreaking. I thought I was the one who had even heard it, much less loved it. I still do--and still cry--48 years later. Thank you, Gordon. Val--I hope you still love it and that you and Andy are going strong.
I joined the US Navy the year after the wreck, my first ship was an oiler. This song haunted me for a couple of years into my sea time. I did 30 years, different business than the crew of this ship, but we are all sailors and I identify with the song intensely even now. I always say, if you think you are in charge of things, go to sea during a storm. RIP the 29 shipmates.
Holy, holy. It was 29 dead. 29 brave souls facing their gruesome fate on a stormy night in frigid waters, no help anywhere. This song affected me so strongly, it still feels like 200 lost their lives that November night.
I got to talk to a ex navy and current maritime sailor. He told me ,, F the great lakes he'd rather be on the high seas! I'm just repeating what he said!
I was a high school senior living in Duluth when the storm that sunk the Fitz went through. We knew it was bad. We learned about the ship's fate a little later. I remember thinking of the crew and their loved ones. Mr. Lightfoot appeared in Duluth at a concert after the song was released and I remember how I felt at the event when he announced that all the proceeds of the single were to be donated to the families of crew. RIP, brave men!
Was in Duluth in the early 80s for the Grandmas Marathon.I wenton a lake cruise and we went passed a lake freighter which I think was called a thousand footer.Huge and i believe the Edmund Fitz was the same side.Whenever I hear this song I crank it up.
For those of us from Michigan, we remember the day it happened and this song with reverence. A musician with class and intelligence. A great one is gone.
A finer musical tribute to tragedy has never been penned. If this doesn't touch deep in your heart & soul, then you don't have any. RIP Mr. Troubadour, RIP.
Every time I hear this song, I feel like Lightfoot's taken on the character of a scruffy old sailor in some seedy port tavern, telling the tale of a doomed ship and it's crew. Facts be damned, it's a near- perfect, cinematic tale, with big drums banging with the awful cadence of a giant steam engine, relentlessly driving a ship of brave men toward their terrible fate. The stabbing electric guitar is the lightning, and the steel guitar dips, soars and wails like a banshee wind. The incredible lyrics...each line a poem...can easily stand shoulder to shoulder with any of the great nautical storytellers, from Hemmingway to Melville. At over six minutes, it's a very long song, but in the end, like any masterpiece, it leaves you wanting even more. Godspeed Mr. Lightfoot. You'll be missed.
So well said! And it is the exact picture I got. Leaves you wanting more is exactly true! My husband fishes the great lakes and I've more than once been worried for his safety when an unexpected storm blew up. My heart goes out to the wives and families of those who lost their lives, I can't imagine the suffering both the sailors and families went through!
Well now I must know the other 9 songs as I agree this is nearly a perfect song. Its so beautiful and haunting and serves as an absolutely perfect tribute to the poor souls who lost their lives that evening.
@@gravitywaves2796 Fire and Rain, The Chain, Stairway to Heaven, Roundabout, Neal's Fandango, Five o'Clock World, Shambala, Blackbird, Dreams I'll Never See
I know no other singer who was able to bring light to the people who work on the lakes and how deadly it can be. As Hillary the witch calls them “fly over country” I know that without them, our nation would come to a grinding halt, same for the farmers and ranchers, we owe all of them our respect.
I have served, but military is different, The crew here served us not as a matter of a tour of duty, this was their life and livelihood, they are the true hero, these are who I serve
Very sad to hear of Gordon’s death today. He was a Canadian icon and a wonderful story teller. This song and the Canadian Railroad Trilogy are amongst my favourites.
This song always brings my dad to tears. It was the first song to come on the radio on his way back from his grandpas funeral. So it will always have a place for our family.
My father rode the ore ships of Lake Superior b4 he joined the Navy. I think of him every time I hear this song. Thanks Gordon Lightfoot Gone but never forgotten
I can't believe this song has only 529K views. I remember the day this hit the radio, The DJ's couldn't keep up too many requests I know because I was one of them. They use to say I can't play that right now it's too Long! I get goose bumps every time. Gordon is the best!!!
Possibly the soul-fullest song of the 1970s. Comprehensively epic, heartfelt, and the best sea shanty ever written. RIP to the lost crew of a ship made legend full circle in song.
How do you pen this, then have the ability to sing this song and not cry whilst doing such? Gordon Lightfoot is and will always be a global treasure. Long live the Edmund Fitzgerald, the lost crew, and Gordon Lightfoot 💪💪💪💪💪🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻
I spent a lot of time as a teen living in northern Michigan. This song gets played on a almost daily basis up there. It's a timeless classic and never gets old. Everyone who lives up there knows the story. Thank you.
I remember hearing this song for the first time in a Boston pub in the late 1980s. I might have been exposed to it before, but if so I don't remember. The crowd went wild when the singer started! I loved the song and sought it out after that. Only years later did I learn that the wreck happened in the 1970s and I was alive, though way too young to be watching the news, at the time. For some reason it gave the air of being about a wreck from the 19th century, maybe early 20th. Anyway, it remains one of my favorites. RIP to a great singer-songwriter and icon.
Thank you GORDON for sharing this bright light of talent making our long cold Canadian winters brighter with music and a voice that was undeniably CANADIAN. Your contribution to our countires history will forever be heard and enjoyed. One of greatest 🇨🇦 Ambassadors. RIP GORDON LIGHTFOOT....... SAFE JOURNEY TO PARADISE.
My heart is hurting. RIP to the songwriter whose songs take up the most space in my heart. I was blessed to see him twice but would have loved one more listen 🙏💔
Not long after this song came out, I visited the mariners' church in Detroit and read the plaques listing the dead from shipwrecks. I lingered over the plaque for the Edmund Fitzgerald, Mr. Lightfoot's song resonating in my head.
This song is for all that lost loved ones not only on the lakes but ours that disappeared on the Ocean. ❤❤❤❤❤ this song is a comfort to us !!! Thank you Mr.lightfoot
Beautiful beautiful beautiful. God rest those souls. Bless all those lost and families. I was a child when this happened. I recall tearing up for the first time I heard this song. I play this song 3-4 times a week. Beautiful music lyrics and timing. Never will it be off my playlist. God rest your soul as well Gordon Lightfoot.
I have been playing his greatest hits CD for years in my car year after year. I remember seeing Gordon live in concert about 10 years ago in San Antonio, TX.
I grew up and currently live in Duluth, MN and this song has been engrained in me since before I could talk! Rest in peace to the men lost, and to Mr. Lightfoot. We’ll never forget 🩵
This song is the shortest six minutes in recording history! Gordon Lightfoot and his folk songs have a way to enter your soul where time just does not exist.💕🇨🇦
Remembering my Mom listening on the ham radio to the search 43 years ago tonight. This song always brings me to tears. I've lived in northern Wisconsin within minutes of Lake Superior since I was 4 (1967) so this is even more special to me.
I’ve lived around the Great Lakes for a good portion of my life. My cousins had a cottage on Huron that we used to visit and it was really pleasant swimming and sailing in the summertime. There are 5 Great Lakes, all different from each other, however, I don’t believe any of them are the size of England, although I’ve never checked. Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world and it’s extremely deep and very cold. Cold enough to kill you in minutes. My understanding is that there were ships near the Fitzgerald, by near I mean 10-15 minutes away, but that was too far and the crew of the Fitzgerald had probably died from exposure or drowning before the ships could reach them. There were survival suits made that might have saved them, but most ship owners didn’t have them because of the cost. I lived in Cleveland, Ohio, for 2 yrs, right after this song was released, so it’s particularly poignant for me. Cleveland is on Lake Erie (the shallowest of the 5, at no more than 200 feet deep, and probably the most polluted) and is one of the other ends of the shipping lanes. The ships would go to Superior and pick up iron ore and then bring it back to the steel mills. I lived for awhile with a couple of sailors who worked the ore boats. I remember one of them saying that he put his arm in Superior one time to see how long he could keep it there and he lasted only a few minutes before he had to pull it out it was so cold. My understanding is the hold of the ships contain the iron ore, and if it becomes very windy, the ore will start to shift and then to slide back-and-forth and can tip the ship over eventually. I can’t imagine what it must be like in a storm on one of those ships. They are incredible lakes. I grew up in eastern Indiana Indiana has a small portion of Lake Michigan. And every year people die in Lake Michigan because they don’t understand the power of the water in that lake. They are not affected by your not. I don’t lakes pet the way Michigan can turn up and suck you down. It’s just I think it’s almost like 50. I’ve never lived on the street but it seems like it would be.
I was fortunate enough to see this genius in concert several years ago in Michigan. If one were to look up the definition of troubadour in a dictionary, I believe there would be a picture of Gordon... RIP
Such heartbreaking news. Rest in peace kind Sir. Your music and legacy will live on forever. A deep thinker, a poet, a masterful storyteller, a phenomenal singer that touched your soul, and a warm beacon of shining light in a rough world. Thank you. 🥀🕊💔😢🙏
I saw him live in '95 at the Starlight Theater in Kansas City. He had a stiff case of laryngitis, and could barely speak in between the songs, but you couldn't even tell while he was singing. Hearing him sing all my favorite songs when he was in obvious distress, let us all know what a trooper he was. It was one of my favorite concerts I ever attended. The man was AMAZING!
Such an epic and iconic song . The line " the wind in the wires made a tattletale sound" conjured up so much to me, there wasn't a better songwriter than Gordon Lightfoot.
It gives you images of the wind ripping at the ship and the rain beating against the hull as the sailors hunkered down inside and waited for the end, of the storm or of them.
I'm hearing this on November. 10, 2023, exactly 48 years to the day the Edmund Fitzgerald went down. i can't stop repeating this song over and over again. I'm literally crying as I'm typing this. RIP to Gordan Lightfoot and the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald!
Total respect from a Canadian to our American neighbours, A true tribute and the proceeds of the song when to the families of the 29 sailors. Amazing. huge loss today with his passing. One song of many great ballads
Rest in heaven sir, we always play this song for the Edmondfitzgerald anniversary. I'm an hour north of where it sank. This song has ALWAYS made my hair stand up and given me goosebumps. Thank you for the tribute to those brave men lost in waves.
RIP Mr. Lightfoot and thank you for all the great music. This song makes me think of my father who worked on Great Lakes freighters from 1937-1950. He had stories of how rough the weather could get on the lakes.
Have been to Whitefish Pt. many times. My sister has cottage 7 miles away. In January a friend sent pictures of 3 iron ore freighters taking shelter in Whitefish bay from very heavy storms. Brings it all back.The Edmund Fitzgerald sank 13 miles from shelter. Bless all of those who work on the Great Lakes.
![[TH] VCT Masters Shanghai Playoffs DAY 2 // PRX vs G2 | EDG vs TH](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/T5j2XVcDFs0/mqdefault.jpg)
Who's listening in 2024? ... from Fort Worth, Texas
B/CS here.
Gord was great.
Bob Dylan was once asked what it was like being the greatest songwriter of all time.
His response?
"I don't know. Ask Gordon Lightfoot".
RIP Legend. 5/1//2023
Wow!! What a complement!!
Yes, indeed
WOW !
Apparently they were good buddies.
wow
My family thanks you Gordon Lightfoot for keeping the memory of the Edmond Fitzgerald, my uncle and all 29 men alive in our hearts. I hope all 29 greeted you at the pearly gates.
Hello So sorry for the infringe on your privacy. Beautiful song
I'm sure they will as I wouldn't have never know about this tragedy if it weren't this song. Rest in peace sailers. I also learned the chords on the guitar so this song has been played many times in my head. It never looses its meaning.
She went down on my tenth birthday nov 10th, this song and the event itself will always be a part of me , god bless to fitz"s crew and mr. Lightfoot
Indeed. I imagine that when Mr. Lightfoot arrived, all of them stood next to St. Peter and said, "Um, yeah, you don't need to check him, he's the reason folks still remember us on Earth."
Cindy my heart goes out every time hear I it. Keep your Uncle's memory close
The mariner's church rang the bell 30 times, 29 for the crew and one for Mr. Lightfoot. A fitting tribute.
I read a story a couple years ago that the bell from the ship was brought up, but that most of the families wanted the bell to remain below with the ship.
good one....
@@ElenaAshe yup its on display in the greatlakes shipwreck museum up by whitefish point. I saw it in person when i was a kid, probably 15-20 years ago. Seeing that and the old mariners graveyards in that area is a spooky sight.
ok
ok
RIP to a Canadian icon. Thank you. Your music and spirit will live on forever!!!! Mr. Lightfoot was 84. This one hits hard.
RIP 💔
like Gord Downey death was hard as well .
Amen yes it does.
😢 He was a good one Rip Sir big respect!!
That it does. He's been a favorite since the 70's
I'm a 66 year old irish man I've never been to the usa or canada but when i hear this song i feel like i knew the crew on the edmund fitzgerald Gordon you were a genius
🍀😀👍 and I cry with carrickfergus
@@lindabaron4584 did you listen to the Bryan Ferry version it's on TH-cam
@@gerryheery1388 I haven't, but I will now 👍 I just listened to it!! Thank you for the recommendation, it was lovely. 💖
I am from the U.S. and ancestors from Ireland. I would love to go and visit.
@@triciac1019 me too! 🇮🇪 I did switch planes at the airport in Ireland, but that's as close as I got. I can tell you flying over Ireland was astounding! Easy to see why it's called the emerald Isle. ☘️
My father and Grandfather helped build that boat growing up in River Rouge Michigan. I was thirteen when we lost 29 good men and a special boat. Thank you Gordon Lightfoot and Family. RIP. TAB. Down River Michigan born there and will die there.
God bless them both - And you my friend !!!!
This is song storytelling at its quintessential finest. His haunting voice gives powerful poignancy to this classic. As a lyricist, Lightfoot ranked in the top echelons of all time--a true master and a Canadian treasure.
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?", has to be the most powerful lyric ever written...Gordon Lightfoot is a master!
I agree %110. That line is amazing. I wish I had written it, lol.
I agree ! Brilliant!
I’d say Lord Huron has some lyrics that are incredibly powerful but man just Imagine what it really must have been like on that ship
@@jackiespies3145 On that ship, you're knowing you got to let go.
The phrase is a gut punch for sure.
Sums up what the men must have been feeling that night 47 years ago
RIP Gordon Lightfoot. Huge loss. Thank you for everything you gave us.
Heaven's gain - our loss.
One of the most haunting songs ever written. Evokes sadness and imagery like few songs do.
Gordon wrote was actually asked to write this song. He did it within a few days of this horrible tragedy
❤❤❤❤
His voice was perfect for this song. Nobody else could do it justice.
You are absolutely right!! I hear this song as a story rather than a song every time I hear it. I picture the "Images" unfolding and the faces of the ill-fated crew.
well said.
Hard to believe it’s been a year without him. His music will always live on. Gone, but never forgotten. Rest easy, Gordon.
He is unquestionably one of the best story tellers of all time
gabrielle dormuth "He is unquestionably one of the best story tellers of all time" --- I agree. I had a friend at work who loved his upbeat songs but if you really listen to them, even songs that sound uplifting, aren't. Great stories but the lyrics, in my opinion, always tend to be depressing. Still, I absolutely love his songs.
Yes legend
Mark Knopfler is the best one for sure ;)
He sang out this story and he had to consider it one of his finest songwriting achievements.
A lot of songs can't quite do it, but Lightfoot crafted a crystal-clear image of the Fitzgerald Tragedy in all our minds.
I don’t know I would have to say Marty Robbins is right there with him
No matter how many times I've heard this song, I still get goosebumps and glassy eyes. RIP to a true Canadian legend.
Hello So sorry for the infringe on your privacy. Beautiful song
Many do..makes me think of all the fishermen and women we've lost offshore of New England over the years..I knew a few that were lost at sea
Me too - I'm crying now.
Same such a powerful song
@davidholton9667 everytime I listen to this song, A Tear nearly escapes my eye. He was a true Master Craftsman as a singer-songwriter. He honoured the Dead.
I listen to the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald every November and think of those poor souls. Love Gordon Lightfoot! Class act. ⭐
Wow.
Wow from me too
No one like him
This has to be one of the greatest songs ever written. Who tells stories nowadays? The music is as haunting.That guitar riff. Oh my God. And this song was nominated for a song of the year Grammy and didn't win. What a travesty! The Academy defintetly got this one wrong.
THE BEST SONG
They were called troubadours. They would go to towns, castles, pubs to sing poetry.
And he did the research to make sure he got it right!
I love that little lick after “Superior sings, in the rooms of her ice water mansion”
As a guy who is blessed to
lives pretty near the Big Lake, this is easily my favorite song ever.
@PinchTheBarb I grew up in Chicago, sailing on Lake Michigan first with a friends family, then with the Sea Scouts. When the wreck happened, I was in high school. We, the Sea Scouts, did a whole research project on the wreck. Our conclusions were different than the official one, but I think we were on to something.
Back when songs told a story. Gordon Lightfoot was a master at it. Those were the days of great music.
GL and Stan Rogers--no greater story tellers than this!
@@markhamersly1664 goggles g))gh
@@markhamersly1664 Harry Chapin - one of the best
Not only do Lightfoot's songs have great lyrics; he respects them by singing so them carefully. Has always been a delight to listen to his music.
@@jimwilliams5788 Let's just say they both are/were tremendous storytellers and not try to rank them. (I know you didn't, just looking to forestall an argument developing!)
If you grew up in the Great Lakes region, especially Michigan, this song is engrained into as much as apple pie is to America. RIP, Gordon…you gave dignity and homage to the crew of the Fitzgerald
"The ship was the pride of the American side,"....
My stepdad had a cabin right off of Lake Michigan. And I remember as kids most nights when we visited in the summer huge storms off in the distance all night long. Monster lightning bolts none stop. Not the same lake but makes those memories very haunting.
Powerful in Wisconsin too ❤
Chicago radio plays this religiously in November.
Big in and around Duluth, too. :(
😢❤ I lived in the area that the Fitzgerald sank. I was at a friends house, we were right across the road from the beach. We were scared (young..5th grade) because the waves were big and the wind just pushing up those waves right up over the Freeway! We actually saw them as they were passing. The next morning we girls found out what had happened. We didn’t believe the adults at first.
I later found out that two of my friends had lost a family member. One lost her father and the other her oldest brother.
I will never forget that storm and what it took with it.
This song always makes me cry. Thank you for keeping their memories alive!
Rest in Peace Sir ❤😢
Bullsh*t. Freeway? Only one man from Michigan was lost on the Fitz. Most of the rest were from Ohio (14) and Wisconsin (8). And the ship went down in Canadian waters far from Michigan shores.
What a privilege and curse to have that connection to the event and song.
Oh wow, how sad and scary. Thank you for sharing!
@@user-lf4ux7dm7gI don't think you understood what she wrote. She said the waves were high near her. That they saw the ship go by near them. In fact the Edmund Fitzgerald did sink 17 miles from the Michigan shore. Look it up An uncle can live in a different state. You were not there.
Still listening in 2024.
I have not forgotten.
The great Gordon has died so I am back. Anyone else here because he’s passed on? What a Canadian legend
With a broken heart I have to tell you that Gordon Lightfoot at age 84 has passed on. (May 1,2023) Rest in peace, you will be remembered always.
This song hit the radio the summer before my junior year. I still remember sitting at lunch early in September and Valentina mentioned a song she had heard about a shipwreck and I told her the title. We agreed it was an incredible song and equally incredibly heartbreaking. I thought I was the one who had even heard it, much less loved it. I still do--and still cry--48 years later. Thank you, Gordon. Val--I hope you still love it and that you and Andy are going strong.
They asked Bob Dylan about who he thought was the best singer/songwriter. He told them without hesitation, "Gordon Lightfoot".
I joined the US Navy the year after the wreck, my first ship was an oiler. This song haunted me for a couple of years into my sea time. I did 30 years, different business than the crew of this ship, but we are all sailors and I identify with the song intensely even now. I always say, if you think you are in charge of things, go to sea during a storm. RIP the 29 shipmates.
Thank you for your service
Holy, holy. It was 29 dead. 29 brave souls facing their gruesome fate on a stormy night in frigid waters, no help anywhere.
This song affected me so strongly, it still feels like 200 lost their lives that November night.
Well said
I’m retired navy. I can just hear the ship and the wind in this song. I can feel the 46 degree rolls in rough waters. A masterpiece.
I got to talk to a ex navy and current maritime sailor. He told me ,, F the great lakes he'd rather be on the high seas! I'm just repeating what he said!
I was a high school senior living in Duluth when the storm that sunk the Fitz went through. We knew it was bad. We learned about the ship's fate a little later. I remember thinking of the crew and their loved ones. Mr. Lightfoot appeared in Duluth at a concert after the song was released and I remember how I felt at the event when he announced that all the proceeds of the single were to be donated to the families of crew. RIP, brave men!
Was in Duluth in the early 80s for the Grandmas Marathon.I wenton a lake cruise and we went passed a lake freighter which I think was called a thousand footer.Huge and i believe the Edmund Fitz was the same side.Whenever I hear this song I crank it up.
He is a class act thanks
@@heywoodjerbloume ,The Fitz was 730' approx.
I believe the Edmond Fitzgerald was scheduled to be lengthened out to 1000 ft .but sadly sank before that happened
Name. Another. Artist that has done this
I don't think ive ever heard a true story told through a song as great as this. What a tribute
For those of us from Michigan, we remember the day it happened and this song with reverence. A musician with class and intelligence. A great one is gone.
RIP Gordon Lightfoot, 1938-2023. You will always be an icon to us Canadians. Love from NL, Canada.
The Native American cadence is so amazing and haunting
I agree with that perspective...it's ceremonial and solemn
Hes gotta be part native american with that last name
I heard him say he's entirely Scottish. I thought he was native, too, tho.
He looks Scottish.
❤@@samdog8087
A finer musical tribute to tragedy has never been penned. If this doesn't touch deep in your heart & soul, then you don't have any. RIP Mr. Troubadour, RIP.
RIP Gordon Lightfoot!
This song is an absolute classic.
An incredible tribute to the lost Men.
Gordon owned the airwaves with this classic RIP GORDON
This haunting song gets me every time. Growing up by the Great Lakes, it has special meaning. Remembering the 29 men who lost their lives that night.
Same here.
Oh, thanks had no idea what the song was about.
@@Jeaniesunshine-fb5rk Gordie was a great story teller.
I grew up around 2 of the Great Lakes, Michigan and Ontario. Lived a year near Lake Erie. This song carries my heart, always.
I'm form Michigan
This crippling song put me on the floor the first time I heard it 50 years ago. Still tears me apart today
Every time I hear this song, I feel like Lightfoot's taken on the character of a scruffy old sailor in some seedy port tavern, telling the tale of a doomed ship and it's crew. Facts be damned, it's a near- perfect, cinematic tale, with big drums banging with the awful cadence of a giant steam engine, relentlessly driving a ship of brave men toward their terrible fate. The stabbing electric guitar is the lightning, and the steel guitar dips, soars and wails like a banshee wind. The incredible lyrics...each line a poem...can easily stand shoulder to shoulder with any of the great nautical storytellers, from Hemmingway to Melville. At over six minutes, it's a very long song, but in the end, like any masterpiece, it leaves you wanting even more. Godspeed Mr. Lightfoot. You'll be missed.
So well said! And it is the exact picture I got. Leaves you wanting more is exactly true! My husband fishes the great lakes and I've more than once been worried for his safety when an unexpected storm blew up. My heart goes out to the wives and families of those who lost their lives, I can't imagine the suffering both the sailors and families went through!
Precisely!
I also find it's one of the few songs that consistently sounds as good live as it did on the album.
I wish I could write as good as you. My late wife could though. Well done.
Exactly how I felt, wish I'd seen him perform live.
For centuries bards have kept history alive this way. The crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald will live on forever because of this outstanding song.
Back when a song told a story… ❤
A true and sad story 😂
A very sad story!
@@denisemcguire6645 true… but to be fair a lot of old songs were taken from tragedy…
All music tells some kind of story
@zac-1 not really. If you can make a whole song around @$$, tits, and money, there really is not much substance there....
RIP Gord. Thank you for being part of the soundtrack of my life. The legend lives on.....
This is one of 10 perfect songs. The story,, tne music and the overall excellence of Gordon Lightfoot is amazing.
Well now I must know the other 9 songs as I agree this is nearly a perfect song. Its so beautiful and haunting and serves as an absolutely perfect tribute to the poor souls who lost their lives that evening.
The Gambler. Another of the ten storyteller greats.
This is my favorite song by him. There is just something so haunting about it but so open at the same time.
@@gravitywaves2796 I'd like to hear the other 9 as well.
@@gravitywaves2796 Fire and Rain, The Chain, Stairway to Heaven, Roundabout, Neal's Fandango, Five o'Clock World, Shambala, Blackbird, Dreams I'll Never See
Something "magical" about the song when he sang it Live.
R.I.P. Gordon. Thanks for sharing your talent.
You will be missed but never forgotten.
I know no other singer who was able to bring light to the people who work on the lakes and how deadly it can be. As Hillary the witch calls them “fly over country” I know that without them, our nation would come to a grinding halt, same for the farmers and ranchers, we owe all of them our respect.
I have served, but military is different, The crew here served us not as a matter of a tour of duty, this was their life and livelihood, they are the true hero, these are who I serve
Very sad to hear of Gordon’s death today. He was a Canadian icon and a wonderful story teller. This song and the Canadian Railroad Trilogy are amongst my favourites.
Absolutely, agree! I also have a fondness for Cotton Ginny. Thanks
My grandfather died in Lake Michigan, so this song has extensive meaning
Deep respect 🙏
RIP😢 What a beautiful song. Ring the bell 29 times for the brave crew and once for Mr. Lightfoot who helped keep them all in our memories!
This song always brings my dad to tears. It was the first song to come on the radio on his way back from his grandpas funeral. So it will always have a place for our family.
My father rode the ore ships of Lake Superior b4 he joined the Navy. I think of him every time I hear this song.
Thanks Gordon Lightfoot
Gone but never forgotten
I can't believe this song has only 529K views. I remember the day this hit the radio, The DJ's couldn't keep up too many requests I know because I was one of them. They use to say I can't play that right now it's too Long! I get goose bumps every time. Gordon is the best!!!
RIP
Just this one....there are tons of other uploads with way more views....put them all together :)
I cry every time, but i watched today in honor of Gordon and the 29 sailors he can now talk to
And the things that get the most "views" these days are downright scary. Sad.
There are dozens and dozens of videos of this song on TH-cam - hundreds, maybe. This is one of many.
Wow! Don't believe I've ever heard a live version of a recording that sounded so perfect.
REST EASY GORDON, thanks for keeping us remembering the boys of the Fitz.
Canada will never be the same without Gordon. Godspeed good sir.
His music will NEVER be forgotten!
Possibly the soul-fullest song of the 1970s. Comprehensively epic, heartfelt, and the best sea shanty ever written.
RIP to the lost crew of a ship made legend full circle in song.
Farewell to Canada's true, formidable musician, so many beautiful songs he created and so much enjoyment through the years. Thank you Gordon!
This is why Lightfoot is one of the great Singer Songwriters of our time.
Of all time.
How do you pen this, then have the ability to sing this song and not cry whilst doing such? Gordon Lightfoot is and will always be a global treasure. Long live the Edmund Fitzgerald, the lost crew, and Gordon Lightfoot 💪💪💪💪💪🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻
I spent a lot of time as a teen living in northern Michigan. This song gets played on a almost daily basis up there. It's a timeless classic and never gets old. Everyone who lives up there knows the story. Thank you.
RIP Gordon, “the witch of November came stealin’” for the final time.
one of the most powerful songs ever written and sung
I remember hearing this song for the first time in a Boston pub in the late 1980s. I might have been exposed to it before, but if so I don't remember. The crowd went wild when the singer started! I loved the song and sought it out after that. Only years later did I learn that the wreck happened in the 1970s and I was alive, though way too young to be watching the news, at the time. For some reason it gave the air of being about a wreck from the 19th century, maybe early 20th. Anyway, it remains one of my favorites. RIP to a great singer-songwriter and icon.
Hello So sorry for the infringe on your privacy. Beautiful song
Thank you GORDON for sharing this bright light of talent making our long cold Canadian winters brighter with music and a voice that was undeniably CANADIAN.
Your contribution to our countires history will forever be heard and enjoyed.
One of greatest 🇨🇦 Ambassadors.
RIP GORDON LIGHTFOOT.......
SAFE JOURNEY TO PARADISE.
RIP Gordon. Such a great songwriter. 💔
@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?
A true Canadian legend and we were so lucky to have him for so many years. RIP dear Gordon 🙏
1979 I was 19 and had been a fan of his songs for a long time. I still sing his songs to myself today when I walk.
Best balladeer ever. Rest In Peace, Gordon Lightfoot.
A dollar a day and a place for my head
A drink to the livin', a toast to the dead
I Toast to that,cheers Gordon Lightfoot!!!❤️🍻
My heart is hurting. RIP to the songwriter whose songs take up the most space in my heart. I was blessed to see him twice but would have loved one more listen 🙏💔
Not long after this song came out, I visited the mariners' church in Detroit and read the plaques listing the dead from shipwrecks. I lingered over the plaque for the Edmund Fitzgerald, Mr. Lightfoot's song resonating in my head.
This song is for all that lost loved ones not only on the lakes but ours that disappeared on the Ocean. ❤❤❤❤❤ this song is a comfort to us !!! Thank you Mr.lightfoot
Beautiful beautiful beautiful. God rest those souls. Bless all those lost and families. I was a child when this happened. I recall tearing up for the first time I heard this song. I play this song 3-4 times a week. Beautiful music lyrics and timing. Never will it be off my playlist. God rest your soul as well Gordon Lightfoot.
Thank you for your music, Gordon Lightfoot. Rest in Peace. You will be missed!
One of my all-time favorite songs! All his songs were outstanding.
This song still gives me chills. I visited Whitefish Bay. I felt an eerie feeling on the beach as I paid my respects.
Being Navy Vet could not have been spoken truer
RIP Mr Lightfoot, one of the best singers/ song writers ever.....respect from the desert's of central Australia 🇦🇺
I have been playing his greatest hits CD for years in my car year after year. I remember seeing Gordon live in concert about 10 years ago in San Antonio, TX.
How fortunate we are to have had this man touch our hearts
I grew up and currently live in Duluth, MN and this song has been engrained in me since before I could talk! Rest in peace to the men lost, and to Mr. Lightfoot. We’ll never forget 🩵
This song is the shortest six minutes in recording history!
Gordon Lightfoot and his folk songs have a way to enter your soul where time just does not exist.💕🇨🇦
Remembering my Mom listening on the ham radio to the search 43 years ago tonight. This song always brings me to tears. I've lived in northern Wisconsin within minutes of Lake Superior since I was 4 (1967) so this is even more special to me.
Wow, unbelievable, my condolences!
So sad, to lose family members like that, but Gordon wrote this song in remembrance of those lost.❤
Are the lakes big? Being in the uk I think they’re as big as England
I’ve lived around the Great Lakes for a good portion of my life. My cousins had a cottage on Huron that we used to visit and it was really pleasant swimming and sailing in the summertime. There are 5 Great Lakes, all different from each other, however, I don’t believe any of them are the size of England, although I’ve never checked. Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world and it’s extremely deep and very cold. Cold enough to kill you in minutes. My understanding is that there were ships near the Fitzgerald, by near I mean 10-15 minutes away, but that was too far and the crew of the Fitzgerald had probably died from exposure or drowning before the ships could reach them. There were survival suits made that might have saved them, but most ship owners didn’t have them because of the cost. I lived in Cleveland, Ohio, for 2 yrs, right after this song was released, so it’s particularly poignant for me. Cleveland is on Lake Erie (the shallowest of the 5, at no more than 200 feet deep, and probably the most polluted) and is one of the other ends of the shipping lanes. The ships would go to Superior and pick up iron ore and then bring it back to the steel mills. I lived for awhile with a couple of sailors who worked the ore boats. I remember one of them saying that he put his arm in Superior one time to see how long he could keep it there and he lasted only a few minutes before he had to pull it out it was so cold. My understanding is the hold of the ships contain the iron ore, and if it becomes very windy, the ore will start to shift and then to slide back-and-forth and can tip the ship over eventually. I can’t imagine what it must be like in a storm on one of those ships. They are incredible lakes. I grew up in eastern Indiana Indiana has a small portion of Lake Michigan. And every year people die in Lake Michigan because they don’t understand the power of the water in that lake. They are not affected by your not. I don’t lakes pet the way Michigan can turn up and suck you down. It’s just I think it’s almost like 50. I’ve never lived on the street but it seems like it would be.
This song brings tears every time.
I was fortunate enough to see this genius in concert several years ago in Michigan. If one were to look up the definition of troubadour in a dictionary, I believe there would be a picture of Gordon... RIP
Gordon Lightfoot Always Loved, Never Forgotten, Forever missed.❤❤Thank You for giving the world your beautiful songs.
Such heartbreaking news. Rest in peace kind Sir. Your music and legacy will live on forever. A deep thinker, a poet, a masterful storyteller, a phenomenal singer that touched your soul, and a warm beacon of shining light in a rough world. Thank you. 🥀🕊💔😢🙏
it t' tis such heart breaking
Any time you want you can come sneaking around my back door. RIP our friend. Dave S
I saw him live in '95 at the Starlight Theater in Kansas City. He had a stiff case of laryngitis, and could barely speak in between the songs, but you couldn't even tell while he was singing. Hearing him sing all my favorite songs when he was in obvious distress, let us all know what a trooper he was. It was one of my favorite concerts I ever attended. The man was AMAZING!
Such an epic and iconic song . The line " the wind in the wires made a tattletale sound" conjured up so much to me, there wasn't a better songwriter than Gordon Lightfoot.
It gives you images of the wind ripping at the ship and the rain beating against the hull as the sailors hunkered down inside and waited for the end, of the storm or of them.
I'm hearing this on November. 10, 2023, exactly 48 years to the day the Edmund Fitzgerald went down. i can't stop repeating this song over and over again. I'm literally crying as I'm typing this. RIP to Gordan Lightfoot and the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald!
A priceless masterpiece that puts goosebumps on goosebumps..
Total respect from a Canadian to our American neighbours, A true tribute and the proceeds of the song when to the families of the 29 sailors. Amazing. huge loss today with his passing. One song of many great ballads
The best song ever written.Saw him live in Glasgow many years ago.Best song ever written.Rest in eternal peace Gordon
Thank you gordie I never get tired of that story and listening to you
Rest in heaven sir, we always play this song for the Edmondfitzgerald anniversary. I'm an hour north of where it sank. This song has ALWAYS made my hair stand up and given me goosebumps. Thank you for the tribute to those brave men lost in waves.
Hello So sorry for the infringe on your privacy. Beautiful song
That song still gives me chills after all these years.
Beautiful song. I will never forget this tragedy. So many young men passed away. Will always be remembered. Thank you Gord. Beautiful song.
RIP Mr. Lightfoot and thank you for all the great music. This song makes me think of my father who worked on Great Lakes freighters from 1937-1950. He had stories of how rough the weather could get on the lakes.
When the waves turn the minutes to hours...that time is upon us. Lord bless you Gordon Lightfoot, and sweet journey home.
This song tells of how fragile and precious life is.
May Gordon Lightfoot and the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald rest in peace and glory.
“He was put on this Earth to write that song cause nobody else would”- my dad
A very emotional song. RIP Gordon Lightfoot.
Have been to Whitefish Pt. many times. My sister has cottage 7 miles away. In January a friend sent pictures of 3 iron ore freighters taking shelter in Whitefish bay from very heavy storms. Brings it all back.The Edmund Fitzgerald sank 13 miles from shelter. Bless all of those who work on the Great Lakes.
What a GREAT writer and performer. His live music sounded just as good as his studio recordings, No one else comes close.