RIP Gordon Lightfoot. "At 3 p.m. Tuesday (5/2/23), the bell at Mariners’ Church rang out again - now chiming 30 times to honor those perished sailors along with the artist who famously memorialized them in song”
Im from michigan When i was 9 i went to a small hall and he sang that song and i drew him on stage and after he signed my drawing but sad thing i lost the drawing years later love the song very touching
@@David-ng7cr My first ship in the Navy was the USS Nimitz, went through the North Atlantic in Dec 77, gale force 10. We had white water breaking on the deck numbers. I was on the worlds largest warship and was scared shitless!!!
So true. That point in time when you're hooked on in the cockpit at the wheel and looking up at the waves barreling towards you with the spume running down their face and you absolutely marvel at the power and danger of Mother nature when she's pissed and wondering it you're going to make it through.
@@rickwelch8464 It's of course all subjective but for me: "And then one day you wake to find 10 years have got behind you, no one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun."
The wreck is listed as a grave site, when ships pass they ring their bells 29 times in honor of the dead. They did not recover the bodies . This music touches me , Gordon is a great artist and I love all his songs. This one makes me tear up and thats ok by me :)
@Joe Dick Never been on a real ship have you? You need that many because on a ship you need 24 hours. So shifts. No going home at the end of your shift when on a ship, doing shipping. See how many people working on a cruise ship.
"Superior they said never gives up her dead". It's so cold and so deep, the bodies don't really decompose, so with no decomp there is no off gassing to float them up. They're forever entombed at the bottom.
@@underthetrees4780 At the same time, that's a comforting thought and a chilling thought. The crew of the Fitz, as the crews of so many other ships, don't forget, are down there together, in a very expansive cemetery.
The part where it goes from terrifying to tragic: When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin' "Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya." At seven PM, a main hatchway caved in, he said "Fellas, it's been good to know ya."
“All that remain are the faces and the names of the wives and the sons and the daughters” always hits me deep …the sadness of those families whose fathers never came home.
I was always saddened by "In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed in the Maritime Sailor's Cathedral. The church bell chimed till it rang twenty nine times for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald" So sad.
I grew up on the Great Lakes, my Grandfather was a merchant mariner from Ireland who said the storms on the Great Lakes scared him more than the North Atlantic. I remember this shipwreck, too. The song...is...there's nothing like it. 30 year Navy man myself, but I grew up sailing the Great Lakes. The Edmund Fitzgerald was one of the largest "lakers" on the Great Lakes. This song always makes me cry. Thanks for doing it.
My father was in the navy from 56-58 and rode out a hurricane on an aircraft carrier. He and myself have been on Lake Huron in rough seas. He said he was more scared then.
Bless your father, his memory, and the mates he sailed with. My mom's oldest brother left the mountains of NC for the merchant marine in 1944. 17 years old. Tough boys
Your dads must have seen intense events. Shipping in the 1940s was dangerous, wasn't it? Merchant vessels headed for Europe were targeted by Nazi u boats? Thanks for this story.
The ship sunk on November 10, 1975. I was in junior high school and lived in a subburb of Detroit. The storm was predicted but crossed paths with another storm. It happened fast. This was a huge news item. They still ring 29 bells on November 10th for these men.
I was a senior in high school in northern MN, sitting in my bedroom doing homework and reading, while listening to an am radio station out of Duluth, MN (the next door city to Superior, WI where the Fitz sailed from). A couple of times per hour, the radio station reported news releases by the Coast Guard about the ship's progress and the troubles she was experiencing with weather and equipment. When I went to bed, the ship that was a few miles out in front of her reported that the Fitz had lost long range communications but was able to communicate ship to ship. The next morning while I was showering before school the station announced that all contact with the Fitz had been lost in the night. I've long felt a connection with the ship and the song, and I always stop what I'm doing and listen along when it plays or I see it come up during RUclips surfing.
From MSP. I spent and still spend a lot of summers in Duluth, Two Harbors, Silver Bay, and Grand Marais. Friends and family kept me in the loop at the time while I was attending school in Boston. One friend told me the girl sitting across from her lost her dad on the Fitz. Powerful memories. Powerful song.
Wow that's crazy. I visited the valley camp museum in the soo Michigan 3 days ago and saw many articles about the tragedy, I'm your age and lived in middle of Michigan then and felt the horrible tragedy too. At the museum is a bent twisted life boat from the Fitzgerald, it made me cry as I stood by it 4 a pic.
I’m from Superior WI, lost my gramps, never met him. My dad was 10 years old…years later that same Taconite facility of BNSF, my dad worked for for 30 years….many MANY unseen pictures! She’s terrifying, gorgeous, always respect her! The bell rang 30 times last November, it’ll always ring 30 times now🩷
This song makes me weep sometimes. I am a midwestern Great Lake American and it means so much to the maritime workers and all the men who go out and risk their lives to feed their families. Perhaps one of the greatest tributes to an event I have ever known.
I grew up in MI and we all learned this song in elementary school…we learned to respect the beauty, power and danger of the Great Lakes from an early age. Such a profoundly sad story and Gordon Lightfoot’s tribute is a masterpiece.
I grew up in southern Lapeer County. I remember in one of the music books we had when I was in elementary school had this song in it and that was the first time I heard this song.
Lightfoot is one of the great storytellers of his time! Another great Canadian singer song writer ! Try If You Could Read May Mind, a great song about a broken relationship!
@@donalddingler1263 And that pissed a LOT of people off. Items were taken off the wreck without the proper paperwork, most likely one of the reasons Canada listed it as a grave site and you can only dive on it after a lot of questions as to why. It's also monitored by the coast guard, get too close to the wreck and they come out looking at why.
3 года назад+61
One can’t help but get emotional listening to this song. It is beautifully done. The story is haunting but not shocking. We can visualize what was happening without receiving a narrative of the deaths of the sailors. This type of storytelling is a lost art in music. Mr Lightfoot delivered the song as if he was an old sailor.
I'm from Michigan and that song is like an anthem to all Michiganders. I've seen the lakes that angry, it's incredible and scary all at once. I'm glad you listened to it with your heart.
I feel transported to an Irish pub where the fishermen are waiting for the crew to come back when they get the horrible news. Gordon Lightfoot did the sad occasion the justice it deserved. May all the 29 crew members of this ship find the eternal peace that they deserve. How awful it must have been for the families to receive the tragic news. My heart goes out to them all!
I was in the Navy back then, I had a friend who was on the ship with me that had this cassette. We played it over and over on a Northern Wedding... It was like a Hurricane in the Norwegian fjords.... We were getting tossed around in over sixty foot seas. When we came home before christmas, My Friend decided to go home for christmas because that was a storm that left ya wondering if you would ever get out of and see your family again. This was his first time home for christmas in seven years. He was on his way back to the ship and was killed by a drunk driver. We gave him a Bural at sea, i was in charge of the detail..His parents and family was there for the services.... his mom and dad gave me all his stuff and cassettes .... one fell out the box.... Gordon Lightfoot....The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.... I cried like a two year old.... Bob S. was in my division and a friend of mine and a Shipmate for Years. Everytime i hear "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald or Sundown" i think of Bob. Rest in Peace Bob and the Crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald........... "Fair Winds and Following Seas"..........
I grew up outside Cleveland and was about 10 when this happened. It was an unbelievably huge story. I remember utterly disbelief that this giant ship was gone. Then when the song came out. It was played non-stop. I cannot think of another song that conveys confusion and sadness like this one does.
I was 9 when she sank i lost my dad a year later. He told me the story of this tragedy. At 56 every november we remember that day on Nov 10th we pray for the families
One of the great story tellers. Hard to believe he’s over 80 now. I’m not ashamed to say I tear up whenever I hear this song. A tragedy but a beautiful song. Good bless them all.
Had the honor of sailing with his niece(she was 70+ and doing a around the world voyage),she related that not only was he a great musician but was also a canadian special forces commando in WWll(canadians were some of the best trained fighters in WWll)
One of the great masterpieces of all time. The "where does the love of God go" is one of the most brilliant lyrics ever. Gordon Lightfoot is a musical genius, and he's still going strong today.
Hauntingly beautiful song that hits you with the sadness of the tragic loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald and her crew. I've loved it since I first heard it. My favorite line is the last one. Superior it's said never gives up her dead when the gales of November come early.
Great reaction, Rogue! Gordon is a Canadian Treasure who has donated every cent he has ever earned from this song to the 29 families! Keep up the great work on your channel!
This song still brings tears to my eyes. Epic and beautiful. Gordon Lightfoot is a treasure we’ve borrowed from Canada. He’s in his 80s now, was still performing a cpl years ago.
The Canadian government has deemed the site of the wreck a protected cemetery so that the sailors may rest in peace without being disturbed by divers. It is also traditional for ships passing by the wreck to have the crew observe a moment of silence as a bell is rung 29 times
I did not realize the Canadians afforded such honor to the American ship and crew. They have been America's closest friends for centuries I am not surprised at the pause and ring your ship bell 29 times tradition as they all remember the dangers and power of the lake.
I was born and raised in Wisconsin. Years later I lived in Arizona and had to read a poem/song as part of a high school class. I chose The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I spent an amazing amount of time explaining that the Great Lakes are very large. Many of my classmates didn't understand how lakes work. Thanks for this, it's one of my favorite songs.
I have heard this song thousands of times. I am from Detroit, and I have been to the Maritime Sailors Cathedral. But no matter how many times I hear it, I cannot help myself but to cry when the line about the "wives and the sons and the daughters" plays. Every time. Including just now.
Same here, working downtown in the D, I pass the church every morning going to work. Born in Wisconsin and raised in metro Detroit it hits me in a way no other song does.
I been in stormy seas on a 180-foot vessel taking on water in the windward straight it's no fun. ironically I was not afraid even though I was an engineer .looking into the bilge as water comes rushing in through the bow thruster banging my head off the overhead bleeding. and running to the bow thruster room with my torque wrench. .finnaly got all the bolts torqued down to the correct PPI . the water stopped and the chief engineer told all 15 crew members that I saved everybody's life .. I was just doing my job. when we pulled into port in Gitmo. the beers were free for me all night and I got lucky with the nurse we had on board. I never forget that night at 3am for the rest of my living life.
"Does any one know where the love of God goes When the waves turn the minutes to hours?" - The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Gordon Lightfoot Recorded in December of 1975
A few years ago I went to see my friends band in a club near Cleveland. At on point during the show my friend introduced a man in the audience that was the Brother of the Captain of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The band went on to play an emotional version of this song. It was an unforgettable night.
I've loved this song since I was a kid and I'm 55 now. By the way, Lake Superior never gives up her dead. The lake is too cold for bacteria to survive so bodies don't fill with gas and rise to the surface.
I was a child when this happened. Every part of this song is true. I was with my mother downtown Detroit and herd the bells ring 29 times for the men on that ship. My wife and I lived on the shore of Lake Superior 50 miles out from were she sank. John S.
I was a kid in Detroit when the wreck happened. It was a very surreal and disturbing time when no one knew what really happened and the news was constant. When the song came out I always felt that it was a very beautiful eulogy to the lives lost in such a horrible event. Even so to this day when I am an old lady the song gives me chills.
One of my favorites. No guitar has even sounded more appropriate to a song, that haunting mournful quality chills my blood every time. Having sailed in stormy seas I have a tiny inkling of what they may have felt. The line you mentioned, "does anyone know where the love of god goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours" really strikes a chord.
You're a beautiful woman. Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian treasure. I've seen his group in concert three times, in Miami, San Antonio and NW Missouri. Rick Haynes is still plucking away at bass. Each concert was better than the previous. Gordon gets better with age, like wine. He has handfuls of great songs I could listen to over and over again.
Gordon Lightfoot is a great Canadian singer/songwriter/storytelling poet with his songs. This song carries a wailing sound all the way through that chills the hearts of those of us who lived in the Midwest.
We actually live on Whitefish Bay in Canada; Lake Superior is our backyard. This will be our 2nd winter here this year. As the crow flies, we are roughly 18 klicks from the wreckage site. I can attest to the voraciousness of an early November storm on the lake. At this time of year, it rains/snows sideways.Small snow vortex’s (tiny tornadoes) form along the lakeside of the house. The sound of the wind, daunting. Any ship caught in those 80-90mph winds wouldn’t stand a chance. I’m so happy to see another generation appreciating Gordon Lightfoot’s music. Listen to anything on “Gord’s Gold” . He truly is an iconic storyteller.
Saw Lightfoot decades ago in a small venue outside Philly , actually 1 decade BEFORE the Fitzgerald went down ... Loved him as a storyteller ...even then .
As a very young teenager (maybe not even that) I had the immense good fortune to be allowed to sail with my father on the Fitz's sister ship, then called The Armco, as it made it's way from Duluth to Toledo with a load of taconite (raw iron ore). The Armco was the same ship in all respects including size, color, and crew. It was an amazing and hugely educational week-long voyage. Then I learned of the tragedy Gordon Lightfoot sings about here and I was absolutely devastated. The images of the captain, cook and crew were fresh in my mind. I had played quoits with one of them on one of the giant hatchway covers... I still get teary and I'm sixty-six now but it still haunts.
Gordon Lightfoot had immense talent as a songwriter, singer , and musician. This haunting tribute song to those 29 brave sailors was one of his best and one of my all time favorites. Incredible lyrics really and hard to imagine a better written storytelling song. Amazing. Thanks for your video
I watched another reaction to this yesterday. Each time I listen the emotions get stronger and the waterworks flow with less resistance. Such an emotional song! Gordon is a master songwriter! Most of his songs pluck my heartstrings. Rxyce, I encourage you to explore more Gordon Lightfoot tunes! It is often said he is one of Canada's greatest song writers but that is wrong - he is one of *humanity's* greatest song writers.
"And all that remains is the faces & names of the sons. the wives, and the daughters". Has ever a more poignant lyric been written? Those faces and names thankfully will live on. (I was able to track one lineage of my family back to the year 1049 AD. Most of the many generations are almost forgotten but I continue the name and likely some of the face to this day. We are part of a continuum.)
What goes down in Lake Superior doesn’t come back up because of how cold the water always is winter or summer. The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is a very well known song especially in Minnesota. Fun fact the lake is so large that it has its own weather system.. it’s a very interesting but tragic story.. the weather can change so quickly
I listen to these reaction stories often. This is a Great song by a Canadian artist. I always cry when I hear this song because I have compassion! If you have no emotions for a maritime disaster that took the lives of 29 shipmates, you are not human.
I lived in Green Bay and watched all those guys working on the ship.i was close enough to see their faces and wave at them ( the bridge was up, so I watched them quite a while). A few days later the ship was on the front page of the paper and I just cried. I think of that day every time I hear this song.
The Great Lakes are some of the most dangerous lakes in the world. Lake Michigan and Lake Superior are the deadliest in terms of the number of shipwrecks and human toll, going as far back as the 18th century.
The Eastland - 800+ Dead 1919 (Chicago River, Lake Michigan) The Lady Elgin - 300+ Dead 1860 (Northern Illinois, Lake Michigan) The Phoenix - 245 Dead 1847 (Sheboygan, WI, Lake Michigan)
Living in SE Michigan along Lake St.Clair the mighty ship and the crew come back in our hearts about this time of year when the weather starts changing. Many documentaries on this ship. Thanks for sharing with us.
Canadians of a certain generation have this song and that voice in their DNA...and I am glad you appreciated this one (just a nice Canadian kid who should appreciate Gordon a little more than he does).
Every person who does reaction videos needs to start with this song. It is the gold standard and if you can't get emotional during this song. you have no business doing reactions...well done!!!!
In 1976 i was 21 years old and drove alone across Canada heading west from Newfoundland. This song was being played on every radio station constantly. It really struck me as i was travelling along The Great Lakes by myself on a dark and gloomy day. I had friends who were working on the lake boats at the time and i had been given the chance to work with them but i ended up not going. It was a haunting experience for me that day and i really felt the meaning of the song. It has stuck with me every time i hear the song. Nice reaction video too.
Although none of the bodies were ever recovered (Superior never gives up her dead), the sunken ship was quickly located: it had split in two pieces like the titanic...
Precisely, just as Lightfoot offered, she "broke deep and took water." It is believed that in the large steep waves and shallow water, her bow hit bottom and broke her back. At that point, she would have gone down in minutes if not seconds.
@@Holdfast1812 She may have been caught with bow and stern on high waves and her midships unsupported. This can be fatal to any ship but particularly to long narrow ships like the Great Lakes freighters.
@@jamiegagnon6390 Not really, or at least not at her age. Waves, even large ones are a fact of life for ships. And while they all "work" in those waves in various ways from expansion joints to others, if any were so lightly built that they couldn't take those waves, they would never pass Lloyds, Bureau Veritas, or any other building inspection standards and therefor never get off the drawings. And even if someone wanted to go ahead and built them without those approvals, you would never be able to afford the insurance without it and therefore never be able to use the ship. What you describe CAN happen but it happens in old ships that have been heavily used for years and the metal has fatigued to the point where it factures - that wasn't the case with the Fitz. When they found here and inspected the way she broken up, and as the other Captain had surmised, in shallow water her stern was lifted by one wave and her bow went down to hit the bottom which broke her back. At that point, she would have gone down in minutes if not seconds - one of the reasons there was not even time to get a mayday off.
The reason they say, "Superior Never Gives Up Her Dead" is because at depth the water is so cold that decomposition gasses do not form and therefore bodies do not float to the surface. As a young teen growing up in Manitowoc, WI many times I've see both the Fitzgerald and the Arthur M. Anderson (the last ship to be in contact with the Fitzgerald and the first rescue ship on the scene to look for any survivors).
Great song! As an ex-sailor, I'm glad she appreciates the situation when you are in a big storm. "Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
Hello,lovely friend. Those of us who live on the shores of the Great Lakes,which are actually inland seas,know and remember this song,and this event. The Edmund Fitzgerald was bound for Cleveland Ohio,to deliver Bauxite,iron ore,for the steel mill. Yes,the most heartbreaking moment in the song describes that moment of doubt about God. ‘Does anyone know Where the love of God goes? When the waves turn the minutes to hours?’ This is the moment when that crew began to realize what was about to happen. It’s heartbreaking.
Thank you,you understand! Anyone who has witnessed one of these seas rage understands! You are from Michigan,where winter is one continuous lake effect snow event!!
I live near Lake Ontario, and the weather coming off of that behemoth dumps so much snow on parts of NY state in the winter it's hard to believe. I couldn't imagine being on a ship on any of the Great Lakes.
Such a heart-wrenching song & story. Gordon Lightfoot is a national treasure for Canada, a great singer/songwriter/storyteller. I grew up in Minnesota and have visited the Edmund Fitzgerald Museum on the shore of Lake Superior. They have the old yellowed newspapers on display reporting the story of the event. Lightfoot's lyrics are right off the pages of those papers. He tells the truth of it. the Great Lakes, though inland seas, can be just as treacherous as any saltwater ocean. I think that probably every navigable lake & river on the continent has its shipwreck story, but none is as famous as this one, because of Gordon Lightfoot.
The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald is truly a masterwork of songwriting. I remember when it was on the radio in the 70's and It captivated my young imagination. Hearing it now is a revelation.
Greetings from Canada, eh!! I see you've met one of our national treasures, Gordon Lightfoot. A true "balladeer" whose catalogue deserves a deep dive, think you would love "Sundown". As a boy growing up in Windsor Ontario, border city of Detroit, I spent many a summer day on the banks of the Detroit River with my comics and pop watching the parade of majestic ships flowing each way on the river. The "FItz" I do remember seeing a few times, it was magnificent steaming along the river, you almost felt like you could reach out and touch it!! Mariners Church, mentioned in the song, is clearly visible from Windsor, in fact, when taking the Detroit/Windsor tunnel from Detroit to Windsor, you have to drive past it, which I have done it seems thousands of times. I've spent many a wonderful night in the great city of Detroit!! They salvaged the ships bell and it's at Mariner's Church. I'm not sure if they still do it, but on the anniversary of the sinking, they ring that bell 29 times. I've seen it bring people to tears. Glad you covered this song, I subscribed, found you reacting to Bruce Springsteen's 41 Shots, I was drawn in by Living Colours version, but as a 50 year, 30 plus concert going Springsteen fan, you can imagine where my heart lies, but, still a quality cover version. Looking forward to more reaction videos, and anything E Street, I'm your man!! Rock On!!!
Rogue, most likely you have never been around Lake Superior or Northern part of Lake Michigan and Huron. I was in Upper Michigan Thru Feb 1974, and I can personally tell you Lake Superior before it freezes out ALL shipping, can have waves that look like a hurricane is on you. Winter of 1973 we had storm come across Canada and hit Superior with winds in excess of 75mph and waves recorded over 35 feet. Now as for the Edmund, they dove the wreck multiple times and concluded a hatch latch was broken and allowed wash over to flood a middle hold, and iron ore soaks up water. On one of the later dives they retrieved the Fitzgerald's Bell and it now stands in Lower Michigan at a Museum I think and every Nov on the anniversary they ring the bell and read the names of each crewman lost. The ceremony is heart wrenching. Gordon did a heck of a job recounting the wreck in this song. Do a search and read on the NTSB report of the wreck.
One of the greatest songs and songwriters ever!
RIP Gordon Lightfoot. "At 3 p.m. Tuesday (5/2/23), the bell at Mariners’ Church rang out again - now chiming 30 times to honor those perished sailors along with the artist who famously memorialized them in song”
Gordan donated the proceeds of this song to the sailors families. One of the best written songs ever recorded.
I didn't know that! Wow.
The absolute worst song ever recorded
@Ray M avoid giving the troll the attention they’re so desperate for.
I heard that before as well. That was so kind of him.
I agree 100%. Best song ever written, and recorded.
On a fishing trip i met up with Mr Lightfoot and let me tell you, he was a gentleman and a very unique character.
Im from michigan When i was 9 i went to a small hall and he sang that song and i drew him on stage and after he signed my drawing but sad thing i lost the drawing years later love the song very touching
I STILL GET CHILLS ..............BEAUTIFUL !
16 years in the Navy and time in the Merchant Marine. I have listened to this song a thousand times, still brings tears to my eyes.
Amen Brother!
Im former NAVY also and we knew when we went out there was no guarantee of returning.
Twenty two years in the RCN. No guarantees when in Neptune's relm.
Over 20 years fishing and I'm still going out. You have to respect the ocean. Seen some scary weather that puts the fear into you.
@@David-ng7cr My first ship in the Navy was the USS Nimitz, went through the North Atlantic in Dec 77, gale force 10. We had white water breaking on the deck numbers. I was on the worlds largest warship and was scared shitless!!!
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours" is, IMO, one of the most powerful lyrics ever sung.
I get a lump in my throat whenever that line comes.
100%. That line slays me every time.
@AlbertaGeek...I agree!
Agreed! Hits hard every time.
Oh that line gave me chills the first 100 times I heard it.
I'm an old sailor and the line "Where does the love of God go when the waves turn the minutes to hours" says it all to me.
God was mia
So true. That point in time when you're hooked on in the cockpit at the wheel and looking up at the waves barreling towards you with the spume running down their face and you absolutely marvel at the power and danger of Mother nature when she's pissed and wondering it you're going to make it through.
The most acute description of human desperation I've ever heard.
That line haunts me as well. Not sure why but it does...
I am from a family of fishermen and it kills me when I hear that line
Gordon passed away yesterday 😞. He'll be missed.
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
A seventeen word sentence that contains so much to think about and reflect upon. One of the most dense sentences I can recall from any medium.
such a haunting sentence!
Cry when I hear these lyrics.❤️🙏😢R.I.P. to the 29 , prayers & condolences go out to the family.
IMO best line ever written in any song I have ever heard.
@@rickwelch8464 It's of course all subjective but for me: "And then one day you wake to find 10 years have got behind you,
no one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun."
Fifty years later the song still resonates for those of us who lived along Lake Superior and waited up all night hoping and praying for their rescue.
Born and raised in Marquette. I remember that day/night because of the wind.
Gordon Lightfoot is great. "If You Could Read My Mind" is highly recommended.
Yes - "If You Could Read My Mind" is timeless.
He also wrote a song for his father called "The Leader of the Band".
@@Orpilorp - incorrect…that is Dan Fogelberg
Personally, I’d say it’s his best…of his many fantastic songs.
Sundown is a good song
When Gordon Lightfoot passed away the Mariners Church in Detroit rang the bells 29 times, then rang it one more time.
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours ?"
One of the most poetic lines of a song ever written...
Gordon is a hell of a storyteller! He also is a great guitarist and his meldody is haunting and the words are hypnotic!
Might be the best story telling musician Canada has ever produced. Some of his songs or so powerful.
The wreck is listed as a grave site, when ships pass they ring their bells 29 times in honor of the dead. They did not recover the bodies . This music touches me , Gordon is a great artist and I love all his songs. This one makes me tear up and thats ok by me :)
@Joe Dick Never been on a real ship have you? You need that many because on a ship you need 24 hours. So shifts. No going home at the end of your shift when on a ship, doing shipping. See how many people working on a cruise ship.
"Superior they said never gives up her dead".
It's so cold and so deep, the bodies don't really decompose, so with no decomp there is no off gassing to float them up. They're forever entombed at the bottom.
@@underthetrees4780 accounts from divers say that yes, they're still down there. Undisturbed nearly 50 years later.
30 times now since Gordon Lightfoot passed
@@underthetrees4780 At the same time, that's a comforting thought and a chilling thought. The crew of the Fitz, as the crews of so many other ships, don't forget, are down there together, in a very expansive cemetery.
The part where it goes from terrifying to tragic:
When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'
"Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya."
At seven PM, a main hatchway caved in, he said
"Fellas, it's been good to know ya."
“All that remain are the faces and the names of the wives and the sons and the daughters” always hits me deep …the sadness of those families whose fathers never came home.
So so sad
Fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, nephews, grandchildren, cousins. So many lives affected.
Being from Michigan and having family in shipping, that line is like a punch in the guts.
I was always saddened by "In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed in the Maritime Sailor's Cathedral. The church bell chimed till it rang twenty nine times for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald" So sad.
@@josephclark4999 on May 2, 2023 they rang that church bell one additional time for Gordon Lightfoot. ❤
"Fellas, it's been good to know ya" is a powerful line.
It perfectly describes the reality of the situation, and the acceptance of one's fate.
Powerful, telling, real.
When the old cook says that, it's time to make you peace with God because you are about to called home.
I grew up on the Great Lakes, my Grandfather was a merchant mariner from Ireland who said the storms on the Great Lakes scared him more than the North Atlantic. I remember this shipwreck, too. The song...is...there's nothing like it. 30 year Navy man myself, but I grew up sailing the Great Lakes. The Edmund Fitzgerald was one of the largest "lakers" on the Great Lakes. This song always makes me cry. Thanks for doing it.
Try The Wreck of the Carlos Rey by Los Lobos.
Thank you sir!
My father was in the navy from 56-58 and rode out a hurricane on an aircraft carrier. He and myself have been on Lake Huron in rough seas. He said he was more scared then.
I know exactly how they felt. Been in seas so high that the foc’sle gets buried in a wave so immense that the bridge wings get washed over.
This is the best memorial to those men that could ever be.
My father was a merchant seaman in the 30s and early 40s. When the Fitzgerald went down, he talked about it for months. He died in 2016 at age 95.
I wish you peace and love. I miss my dad every day and he was born just a little later than yours.
Bless your father, his memory, and the mates he sailed with.
My mom's oldest brother left the mountains of NC for the merchant marine in 1944. 17 years old. Tough boys
Your dads must have seen intense events. Shipping in the 1940s was dangerous, wasn't it? Merchant vessels headed for Europe were targeted by Nazi u boats? Thanks for this story.
Rip
The ship sunk on November 10, 1975. I was in junior high school and lived in a subburb of Detroit. The storm was predicted but crossed paths with another storm. It happened fast. This was a huge news item. They still ring 29 bells on November 10th for these men.
I was a senior in high school in northern MN, sitting in my bedroom doing homework and reading, while listening to an am radio station out of Duluth, MN (the next door city to Superior, WI where the Fitz sailed from). A couple of times per hour, the radio station reported news releases by the Coast Guard about the ship's progress and the troubles she was experiencing with weather and equipment. When I went to bed, the ship that was a few miles out in front of her reported that the Fitz had lost long range communications but was able to communicate ship to ship.
The next morning while I was showering before school the station announced that all contact with the Fitz had been lost in the night.
I've long felt a connection with the ship and the song, and I always stop what I'm doing and listen along when it plays or I see it come up during RUclips surfing.
Wow…peace be with you man😔🙏🏼❤️
I’m 57 from Duluth I remember it well
From MSP. I spent and still spend a lot of summers in Duluth, Two Harbors, Silver Bay, and Grand Marais. Friends and family kept me in the loop at the time while I was attending school in Boston. One friend told me the girl sitting across from her lost her dad on the Fitz. Powerful memories. Powerful song.
Wow that's crazy. I visited the valley camp museum in the soo Michigan 3 days ago and saw many articles about the tragedy, I'm your age and lived in middle of Michigan then and felt the horrible tragedy too. At the museum is a bent twisted life boat from the Fitzgerald, it made me cry as I stood by it 4 a pic.
Yea me too.
I’m from Superior WI, lost my gramps, never met him. My dad was 10 years old…years later that same Taconite facility of BNSF, my dad worked for for 30 years….many MANY unseen pictures! She’s terrifying, gorgeous, always respect her! The bell rang 30 times last November, it’ll always ring 30 times now🩷
This song makes me weep sometimes. I am a midwestern Great Lake American and it means so much to the maritime workers and all the men who go out and risk their lives to feed their families. Perhaps one of the greatest tributes to an event I have ever known.
I grew up in MI and we all learned this song in elementary school…we learned to respect the beauty, power and danger of the Great Lakes from an early age. Such a profoundly sad story and Gordon Lightfoot’s tribute is a masterpiece.
I grew up in southern Lapeer County. I remember in one of the music books we had when I was in elementary school had this song in it and that was the first time I heard this song.
@@jakej4194 He's a legend for us.
I learned about it in 4th grade, here in Milwaukee
Aye1113, did they mention the almighty power of capitalism, and all it's sins ? Then as now.
Replying to Bob the d bag....
Lightfoot is one of the great storytellers of his time! Another great Canadian singer song writer ! Try If You Could Read May Mind, a great song about a broken relationship!
Another of your greats is Loreena Mckennitt
Canadian version of Johnny Cash.
They did retrieve the bell later on in 80's.
@@donalddingler1263 And that pissed a LOT of people off. Items were taken off the wreck without the proper paperwork, most likely one of the reasons Canada listed it as a grave site and you can only dive on it after a lot of questions as to why. It's also monitored by the coast guard, get too close to the wreck and they come out looking at why.
One can’t help but get emotional listening to this song. It is beautifully done. The story is haunting but not shocking. We can visualize what was happening without receiving a narrative of the deaths of the sailors. This type of storytelling is a lost art in music. Mr Lightfoot delivered the song as if he was an old sailor.
R.I.P. My Canadian brother this song and others. You were one of the best storytellers ever!
I'm from Michigan and that song is like an anthem to all Michiganders. I've seen the lakes that angry, it's incredible and scary all at once. I'm glad you listened to it with your heart.
This happened in Lake Superior, not Michigan. But understand your sentiment.
@michaelkneringer3194 Lake Superior borders MICHIGAN also.
Yes it is. (Michigan here also)
it is to everyone who puts to sea. theirs is the same enemy.
I have to my boss father met and talk to the crew Sault Ste. Marie
I feel transported to an Irish pub where the fishermen are waiting for the crew to come back when they get the horrible news. Gordon Lightfoot did the sad occasion the justice it deserved. May all the 29 crew members of this ship find the eternal peace that they deserve. How awful it must have been for the families to receive the tragic news. My heart goes out to them all!
I was in the Navy back then, I had a friend who was on the ship with me that had this cassette. We played it over and over on a Northern Wedding... It was like a Hurricane in the Norwegian fjords.... We were getting tossed around in over sixty foot seas. When we came home before christmas, My Friend decided to go home for christmas because that was a storm that left ya wondering if you would ever get out of and see your family again. This was his first time home for christmas in seven years. He was on his way back to the ship and was killed by a drunk driver. We gave him a Bural at sea, i was in charge of the detail..His parents and family was there for the services.... his mom and dad gave me all his stuff and cassettes .... one fell out the box.... Gordon Lightfoot....The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.... I cried like a two year old.... Bob S. was in my division and a friend of mine and a Shipmate for Years. Everytime i hear "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald or Sundown" i think of Bob. Rest in Peace Bob and the Crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald........... "Fair Winds and Following Seas"..........
I grew up outside Cleveland and was about 10 when this happened. It was an unbelievably huge story. I remember utterly disbelief that this giant ship was gone. Then when the song came out. It was played non-stop. I cannot think of another song that conveys confusion and sadness like this one does.
I was 9 when she sank i lost my dad a year later. He told me the story of this tragedy. At 56 every november we remember that day on Nov 10th we pray for the families
One of the great story tellers. Hard to believe he’s over 80 now. I’m not ashamed to say I tear up whenever I hear this song. A tragedy but a beautiful song. Good bless them all.
Had the honor of sailing with his niece(she was 70+ and doing a around the world voyage),she related that not only was he a great musician but was also a canadian special forces commando in WWll(canadians were some of the best trained fighters in WWll)
@@ronv6637 wow, awesome.
Gordon Lightfoot, born in 1938, was six years old when World War II ended in August 1945.
One of my favorites, I lived on the American side of Lake Ontario in November 1975….will never forget the news of the loss… still brings tears…
Omg😢 miss him Gordon Lightfoot
Lightfoot is a Legend. And Bob Dylan's favorite Songwriter, "Every time I hear a song of his…I wish it would last forever.” - Bob Dylan
One of the great masterpieces of all time. The "where does the love of God go" is one of the most brilliant lyrics ever. Gordon Lightfoot is a musical genius, and he's still going strong today.
Hauntingly beautiful song that hits you with the sadness of the tragic loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald and her crew. I've loved it since I first heard it. My favorite line is the last one. Superior it's said never gives up her dead when the gales of November come early.
Great reaction, Rogue! Gordon is a Canadian Treasure who has donated every cent he has ever earned from this song to the 29 families! Keep up the great work on your channel!
Saw Gordon twice last time in 2014 in Houston, a master poet with a guitar. he told stories that make the soul cry out !!
May he Rest In Peace .. you were loved and greatly appreciated, you will be missed.
I lived in Beloit Wisconsin at that time. I was only a few years old then. 2 hours tops to the very place memorial for the Edmund Fitzgerald memorial.
The eerie sound of the guitar sticks with you, unforgettable.
It just dawned on me that the guitars sound like the howling of the wind in a storm.
@@phila3884 And the Moog synth underneath suggests the depths of the water.
That truly makes the song…..
The music gives it a rocking feeling imo. Like a boat going up and down on the waves.
I think its Earl Slick on guitar?
This song still brings tears to my eyes. Epic and beautiful. Gordon Lightfoot is a treasure we’ve borrowed from Canada. He’s in his 80s now, was still performing a cpl years ago.
Sadly, Gordon passed away a few days ago.
@@colleenross8752
From what I've read when Gordon Lightfoot die they rang the bell 30 times. 29 for the crew and 1for Mr Lightfoot.
@@thomaskelley3029
That's true, and pure class.
You can listen to this song in Miami, in August, outside, and feel chills. He makes you feel like you were there.
The Canadian government has deemed the site of the wreck a protected cemetery so that the sailors may rest in peace without being disturbed by divers. It is also traditional for ships passing by the wreck to have the crew observe a moment of silence as a bell is rung 29 times
Wow. Didn't know that. Thank you
I did not realize the Canadians afforded such honor to the American ship and crew. They have been America's closest friends for centuries
I am not surprised at the pause and ring your ship bell 29 times tradition as they all remember the dangers and power of the lake.
The US has done the same, and a memorial bell was placed in the great lakes mariners cathedral
@@swampghost8256 now it's 30 times now that Mr. Lightfoot died.
@@garrymoore2161 the ship and crew rest in Canadian waters ! , and yes , Canadians respect the ship and crew
What a haunting song. Gordon lightfoot captured the mood they must have felt.
I was born and raised in Wisconsin.
Years later I lived in Arizona and had to read a poem/song as part of a high school class. I chose The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I spent an amazing amount of time explaining that the Great Lakes are very large. Many of my classmates didn't understand how lakes work.
Thanks for this, it's one of my favorite songs.
your favourite singer-songwriter's favourite singer-songwriter, may he rest in peace.
I have heard this song thousands of times. I am from Detroit, and I have been to the Maritime Sailors Cathedral. But no matter how many times I hear it, I cannot help myself but to cry when the line about the "wives and the sons and the daughters" plays. Every time. Including just now.
Yup.That line gets me every time
Same here, working downtown in the D, I pass the church every morning going to work. Born in Wisconsin and raised in metro Detroit it hits me in a way no other song does.
Similar impact on me, especially in November. Born and raised in Detroit, I remember hearing this on CKLW.
not ashamed to say me too.
@@brianlane9534 By now you're aware that Gordon passed away May 1, 2023 at age 84. The light of the world is dimmed by his absence.
Might be the most touching song ever written. I have listened to this song thousands of times and it touches me every single time
I been in stormy seas on a 180-foot vessel taking on water in the windward straight it's no fun. ironically I was not afraid even though I was an engineer .looking into the bilge as water comes rushing in through the bow thruster banging my head off the overhead bleeding. and running to the bow thruster room with my torque wrench. .finnaly got all the bolts torqued down to the correct PPI . the water stopped and the chief engineer told all 15 crew members that I saved everybody's life .. I was just doing my job. when we pulled into port in Gitmo. the beers were free for me all night and I got lucky with the nurse we had on board. I never forget that night at 3am for the rest of my living life.
"Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
- The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Gordon Lightfoot
Recorded in December of 1975
And I understand that at the maritime sailors' cathedral yesterday it rang 30 times, in honor of Lightfoot
A few years ago I went to see my friends band in a club near Cleveland. At on point during the show my friend introduced a man in the audience that was the Brother of the Captain of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The band went on to play an emotional version of this song. It was an unforgettable night.
What is the name of the band?
@@patrickv391 Colin Dussault's Blues Project
I've loved this song since I was a kid and I'm 55 now. By the way, Lake Superior never gives up her dead. The lake is too cold for bacteria to survive so bodies don't fill with gas and rise to the surface.
The lake it is said never gives up her dead.
I remember when this happened. This song is hauntingly beautiful. It holds up over the decades.
So nice to see you really feeling it.
I was a child when this happened.
Every part of this song is true.
I was with my mother downtown Detroit and herd the bells ring 29 times for the men on that ship.
My wife and I lived on the shore of Lake Superior 50 miles out from were she sank.
John S.
I'm from Windsor, I've heard the bell ring also
I was a kid in Detroit when the wreck happened. It was a very surreal and disturbing time when no one knew what really happened and the news was constant. When the song came out I always felt that it was a very beautiful eulogy to the lives lost in such a horrible event. Even so to this day when I am an old lady the song gives me chills.
It was headed for Detroit
@@jonstefanik9400 it was headed for cleveland loaded in michigan 26ooo tons of iron ore .
@@justgoodstuffj.g.s.1992 So that means Detroit was a stop?
“Does anyone knows, where the love Of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours “. Haunting lyrics
the lyrics are incredible...i was 20 and its haunting...
One of my favorites. No guitar has even sounded more appropriate to a song, that haunting mournful quality chills my blood every time. Having sailed in stormy seas I have a tiny inkling of what they may have felt. The line you mentioned, "does anyone know where the love of god goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours" really strikes a chord.
You're a beautiful woman. Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian treasure. I've seen his group in concert three times, in Miami, San Antonio and NW Missouri. Rick Haynes is still plucking away at bass. Each concert was better than the previous. Gordon gets better with age, like wine. He has handfuls of great songs I could listen to over and over again.
Gordon Lightfoot is a great Canadian singer/songwriter/storytelling poet with his songs. This song carries a wailing sound all the way through that chills the hearts of those of us who lived in the Midwest.
We actually live on Whitefish Bay in Canada; Lake Superior is our backyard. This will be our 2nd winter here this year. As the crow flies, we are roughly 18 klicks from the wreckage site. I can attest to the voraciousness of an early November storm on the lake. At this time of year, it rains/snows sideways.Small snow vortex’s (tiny tornadoes) form along the lakeside of the house. The sound of the wind, daunting. Any ship caught in those 80-90mph winds wouldn’t stand a chance. I’m so happy to see another generation appreciating Gordon Lightfoot’s music. Listen to anything on “Gord’s Gold” . He truly is an iconic storyteller.
Saw Lightfoot decades ago in a small venue outside Philly , actually 1 decade BEFORE the Fitzgerald went down ... Loved him as a storyteller ...even then .
Was it the Main Point?
1965?
@@northof4912 it opened in 1964.
Thank you for sharing this classic with your peers. I am an older guy and I am happy that you discovered this tragic masterpiece.
One of the most perfect songs ever written and recorded. That guitar makes you feel the icy wind!
Always brings tears to my eyes I've heard a million times and I've cried a million times
me too. I was five when it happened, and I remember where I was when my mother told me.
As a very young teenager (maybe not even that) I had the immense good fortune to be allowed to sail with my father on the Fitz's sister ship, then called The Armco, as it made it's way from Duluth to Toledo with a load of taconite (raw iron ore). The Armco was the same ship in all respects including size, color, and crew. It was an amazing and hugely educational week-long voyage. Then I learned of the tragedy Gordon Lightfoot sings about here and I was absolutely devastated. The images of the captain, cook and crew were fresh in my mind. I had played quoits with one of them on one of the giant hatchway covers... I still get teary and I'm sixty-six now but it still haunts.
The Armco isn't the sister, the SS Arthur B. Homer is.
Gordon Lightfoot had immense talent as a songwriter, singer , and musician. This haunting tribute song to those 29 brave sailors was one of his best and one of my all time favorites. Incredible lyrics really and hard to imagine a better written storytelling song. Amazing. Thanks for your video
Mariners Cathedral in Detroit is still there. One of the few and does a memorial every year on the day.
A Great reaction by a Beautiful lady!!! Thank you. You are so empathic to Music. Do More. I’m Subscribed.
I watched another reaction to this yesterday. Each time I listen the emotions get stronger and the waterworks flow with less resistance. Such an emotional song! Gordon is a master songwriter! Most of his songs pluck my heartstrings. Rxyce, I encourage you to explore more Gordon Lightfoot tunes! It is often said he is one of Canada's greatest song writers but that is wrong - he is one of *humanity's* greatest song writers.
"And all that remains is the faces & names of the sons. the wives, and the daughters". Has ever a more poignant lyric been written? Those faces and names thankfully will live on. (I was able to track one lineage of my family back to the year 1049 AD. Most of the many generations are almost forgotten but I continue the name and likely some of the face to this day. We are part of a continuum.)
What goes down in Lake Superior doesn’t come back up because of how cold the water always is winter or summer. The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is a very well known song especially in Minnesota. Fun fact the lake is so large that it has its own weather system.. it’s a very interesting but tragic story.. the weather can change so quickly
I listen to these reaction stories often. This is a Great song by a Canadian artist. I always cry when I hear this song because I have compassion! If you have no emotions for a maritime disaster that took the lives of 29 shipmates, you are not human.
I lived in Green Bay and watched all those guys working on the ship.i was close enough to see their faces and wave at them ( the bridge was up, so I watched them quite a while). A few days later the ship was on the front page of the paper and I just cried. I think of that day every time I hear this song.
The Great Lakes are some of the most dangerous lakes in the world. Lake Michigan and Lake Superior are the deadliest in terms of the number of shipwrecks and human toll, going as far back as the 18th century.
The Eastland - 800+ Dead 1919 (Chicago River, Lake Michigan)
The Lady Elgin - 300+ Dead 1860 (Northern Illinois, Lake Michigan)
The Phoenix - 245 Dead 1847 (Sheboygan, WI, Lake Michigan)
6000 Ships and 30,000 men and women. As estimate by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
@@scottcarter6623 Wow!
I've seen some nasty storms on lake Michigan no comparison to waves from a hurricane in Florida
@@scottcarter6623 Tears still come easily, their lives do not 😭
Living in SE Michigan along Lake St.Clair the mighty ship and the crew come back in our hearts about this time of year when the weather starts changing. Many documentaries on this ship. Thanks for sharing with us.
Great reaction loved your honest response great job
Canadians of a certain generation have this song and that voice in their DNA...and I am glad you appreciated this one (just a nice Canadian kid who should appreciate Gordon a little more than he does).
Every person who does reaction videos needs to start with this song. It is the gold standard and if you can't get emotional during this song. you have no business doing reactions...well done!!!!
In 1976 i was 21 years old and drove alone across Canada heading west from Newfoundland. This song was being played on every radio station constantly.
It really struck me as i was travelling along The Great Lakes by myself on a dark and gloomy day.
I had friends who were working on the lake boats at the time and i had been given the chance to work with them but i ended up not going.
It was a haunting experience for me that day and i really felt the meaning of the song. It has stuck with me every time i hear the song.
Nice reaction video too.
Although none of the bodies were ever recovered (Superior never gives up her dead), the sunken ship was quickly located: it had split in two pieces like the titanic...
Precisely, just as Lightfoot offered, she "broke deep and took water." It is believed that in the large steep waves and shallow water, her bow hit bottom and broke her back. At that point, she would have gone down in minutes if not seconds.
@@Holdfast1812 She may have been caught with bow and stern on high waves and her midships unsupported. This can be fatal to any ship but particularly to long narrow ships like the Great Lakes freighters.
@@jamiegagnon6390 Not really, or at least not at her age. Waves, even large ones are a fact of life for ships. And while they all "work" in those waves in various ways from expansion joints to others, if any were so lightly built that they couldn't take those waves, they would never pass Lloyds, Bureau Veritas, or any other building inspection standards and therefor never get off the drawings. And even if someone wanted to go ahead and built them without those approvals, you would never be able to afford the insurance without it and therefore never be able to use the ship. What you describe CAN happen but it happens in old ships that have been heavily used for years and the metal has fatigued to the point where it factures - that wasn't the case with the Fitz. When they found here and inspected the way she broken up, and as the other Captain had surmised, in shallow water her stern was lifted by one wave and her bow went down to hit the bottom which broke her back. At that point, she would have gone down in minutes if not seconds - one of the reasons there was not even time to get a mayday off.
I was 21 when this song came out and it made me weep uncontrollably... . I'm 67 now and it just happened again... 😭
The reason they say, "Superior Never Gives Up Her Dead" is because at depth the water is so cold that decomposition gasses do not form and therefore bodies do not float to the surface.
As a young teen growing up in Manitowoc, WI many times I've see both the Fitzgerald and the Arthur M. Anderson (the last ship to be in contact with the Fitzgerald and the first rescue ship on the scene to look for any survivors).
Thank you for the info. I could not remember the city it was loaded
RIP GORDON 5-1-2023 -U JUST MET THE OTHER 29-ROCK ON-LEGEND
Great song! As an ex-sailor, I'm glad she appreciates the situation when you are in a big storm. "Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
He went to all the families asked them if he could make a song for the men & families
Hello,lovely friend.
Those of us who live on the shores of the Great Lakes,which are actually inland seas,know and remember this song,and this event.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was bound for Cleveland Ohio,to deliver Bauxite,iron ore,for the steel mill.
Yes,the most heartbreaking moment in the song describes that moment of doubt about God.
‘Does anyone know
Where the love of God goes?
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?’
This is the moment when that crew began to realize what was about to happen.
It’s heartbreaking.
I live in Cleveland.
This was their destination.
Michigan, here. THANK YOU for calling them inland seas!! That is what they are.
Thank you,you understand!
Anyone who has witnessed one of these seas rage understands!
You are from Michigan,where winter is one continuous lake effect snow event!!
@charlesperez9976 Yes! You also understand. People don't realize how Superior especially can rage unforgivingly. Take care!!
it was iron ore called taconite from the Mesabi range in Minnesota. Bauxite is aluminum ore and not found in the Great Lakes area.
I live near Lake Ontario, and the weather coming off of that behemoth dumps so much snow on parts of NY state in the winter it's hard to believe. I couldn't imagine being on a ship on any of the Great Lakes.
Such a heart-wrenching song & story. Gordon Lightfoot is a national treasure for Canada, a great singer/songwriter/storyteller. I grew up in Minnesota and have visited the Edmund Fitzgerald Museum on the shore of Lake Superior. They have the old yellowed newspapers on display reporting the story of the event. Lightfoot's lyrics are right off the pages of those papers. He tells the truth of it. the Great Lakes, though inland seas, can be just as treacherous as any saltwater ocean. I think that probably every navigable lake & river on the continent has its shipwreck story, but none is as famous as this one, because of Gordon Lightfoot.
The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald is truly a masterwork of songwriting. I remember when it was on the radio in the 70's and It captivated my young imagination. Hearing it now is a revelation.
Greetings from Canada, eh!! I see you've met one of our national treasures, Gordon Lightfoot. A true "balladeer" whose catalogue deserves a deep dive, think you would love "Sundown". As a boy growing up in Windsor Ontario, border city of Detroit, I spent many a summer day on the banks of the Detroit River with my comics and pop watching the parade of majestic ships flowing each way on the river. The "FItz" I do remember seeing a few times, it was magnificent steaming along the river, you almost felt like you could reach out and touch it!! Mariners Church, mentioned in the song, is clearly visible from Windsor, in fact, when taking the Detroit/Windsor tunnel from Detroit to Windsor, you have to drive past it, which I have done it seems thousands of times. I've spent many a wonderful night in the great city of Detroit!! They salvaged the ships bell and it's at Mariner's Church. I'm not sure if they still do it, but on the anniversary of the sinking, they ring that bell 29 times. I've seen it bring people to tears. Glad you covered this song, I subscribed, found you reacting to Bruce Springsteen's 41 Shots, I was drawn in by Living Colours version, but as a 50 year, 30 plus concert going Springsteen fan, you can imagine where my heart lies, but, still a quality cover version. Looking forward to more reaction videos, and anything E Street, I'm your man!! Rock On!!!
Rogue, most likely you have never been around Lake Superior or Northern part of Lake Michigan and Huron. I was in Upper Michigan Thru Feb 1974, and I can personally tell you Lake Superior before it freezes out ALL shipping, can have waves that look like a hurricane is on you. Winter of 1973 we had storm come across Canada and hit Superior with winds in excess of 75mph and waves recorded over 35 feet. Now as for the Edmund, they dove the wreck multiple times and concluded a hatch latch was broken and allowed wash over to flood a middle hold, and iron ore soaks up water. On one of the later dives they retrieved the Fitzgerald's Bell and it now stands in Lower Michigan at a Museum I think and every Nov on the anniversary they ring the bell and read the names of each crewman lost. The ceremony is heart wrenching. Gordon did a heck of a job recounting the wreck in this song. Do a search and read on the NTSB report of the wreck.