My gotcha line is “when supper time came the head cook came on deck he said fellows it’s too rough to feed ya at 7pm the main hatchway caved in he said fellows it’s been good to know ya”. But the love of god goes is a gem too. What a powerful tune.
I don't know how anyone could give this song a thumbs down. It's a great song about a shipwreck of a legendary ship and perhaps Gordon Lightfoot's best work.
Ghosting a long past blurt: I can see several reasons for a thumbs down. 1. They honestly don't like the song or music. 2. Troll. 3. This particular artist, style, genre, etc., ain't what they like. 4. Bridge trolling for a goat or three. 5. I'm putting myself out there for fucknuggets, but, this beautifully crafted song is just too close to what some of them saw to be let go of. Sometimes the perfect storm is just rain. Sometimes the rain is just water. Sometimes the rain is just God's tears. And sometimes the rain is just...….
There was never a better tribute in song than Gordon Lightfoot's The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald. We will never forget the 29 souls who lie at the bottom. R.I.P. good men.
I agree, this song quickly takes you through every emotion you've ever experienced in life. Not to mention chillz that last for weeks. This tune really resonates with me.
While there's several parts of this heart tugging tribute that can have listeners feeling a chill go up their spine, especially if you listen and put yourself in the place of one of those twenty nine men lost to the lightless depths, but this one in particular stands out: 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 the men who took those types of jobs were resolute, composed, and brave just to take the voyage... But to know in advance that you are about to be lost in that endless cold darkness... And to still keep it together despite that like the captain and the cook is just... Wow...
I live in Lahore, Pakistan, 900 km from the nearest ocean. No one in our family has ever been a mariner. But when I first heard this song back in 1978, I wept. For the 29 good men who went down with the Edmund Fitzgerald. Such was the power of Lightfoot's lyrics and imagery.
This song was released late summer '76, as I was entering my sophomore year of highschool. Not only did it become an essential tune in my lifetime soundtrack, but was in no small way a part of the motivation for my eventual enlistment in the US Coast Guard. I did so after graduation in 1979. I can think of no other musical influence that has made such an indelible mark on my early adulthood. Gordon Lightfoot has crossed the bar, but the legacy of his genius will live on through his music for generations to come.
I am so obsessed with knowing everything about this freighter and the tragic sinking, don’t get it twisted it’s immensely sad and gets me emotional when I hear this or see a video about the Fitz. Only knew about it about 10 yea ago but did hear they chime the bell 30 times now since Gordon passed
Have heard this song hundreds of times, on a few Spotify playlist, but never really knew what it was about until today when a video popped up on my feed about it. Always thought it was just a cool interesting song, hits a little different now.
Goosebumps indeed. Wiki notes that Lightfoot later changed that first line to "At 7 p.m. it grew dark, it was then" perhaps to avoid any indication that the crew had been negligent in maintaining/closing the hatches. Idk if that is true or not, but its kind of interesting.
One of my favorites of all time... We were stationed at KI Sawyer AFBase when Lake Superior froze over first time recorded '61,2 or 3...prolly 1962. That lake's alive, and all living things get hungry, sometimes for people. Wish I had known while living there as a wild child, to call the leviathan, Gitche Gumme...and 25' frozen waves along the Marquette shoreline. So very easy to visualize and empathize...I am transported to another time
I was only 7 yrs old when this happened, but when I hear this song, It makes me feel such a sadness deep inside. I can't imagine the terror these men felt while trying to get to a safe harbor. How Mr. Lightfoot sings this almost makes me feel like I was there even though I wasn't... R.I.P guys, you made to God's safe harbor...
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours"...this freakin' guy puts me right on that doomed ship... utterly terrified at what is about to happen...chilling... haunting...well done, Gordon...
What person would give this memorial song a thumbs down. This is beautifully done by a great artist. It was a sad event well remembered. The waives on the Great Lakes are more vicious than the oceans No ocean freighter that was out there with the Fitzgerald that night would turn around to look for her. They all refused. Only captain cooper and his crew had the guts to go out there with his Anderson another ore carrier. He found no survivors That took real guts. He knew she was gone and there was no chance to find survivors. But he went anyway he went anyway as they were fellow lake Mariners.
this song royally messed me up as a kid. I used to get scared listening to it but looking back now it's the reason why I'm in love with studying shipwrecks
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours." One of the greatest lines ever written, and this coming from an atheist.
@@Joseph-wc6qd "Crap song" Joseph? Well, let's all hope you work for Maersk and this is the last song you hear shortly after your vessel discovers the last remaining WW2 mine the hard way.
Unbelievable song, probably the best song written in tribute. Lightfoot's lyrics are perfect, telling the whole story in a very compassionate way. It has such a modern sound, too.
There's a cool reggae guy on RUclips with a first reaction programme. He was asked to listen to this for the first time and he was speechless, overcome with emotion at the story. He was weeping by time the song finished. A stunning contemporary tribute to this spare, unsentimental masterpiece of the balladeer's art at its classic best.
Like the melody, but the words really give me chills. Fellas it's too rough to feed ya, it's been good to know ya" drag me in that boat and shake me to the bones.
He was such an amazing songwriter. You almost feel like you are transported there on to the Edmund Fitzgerald when you hear this song... R.I.P. Gordon Lightfoot
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" Haunting lyrics, that line gives me chills every time I hear it. Anyone who has been at sea during a major storm knows how small and insignificant we become in the face of nature's wrath...... Thanks for posting!!!
I've seen some stormy seas..in 1992, I was on an aircraft carrier in the Norwegian Sea during one such storm when a large wave slammed into the port side..it felt like someone kicked the back of the chair I was seated in and the ship recieved some minor damage from the impact...
Gord died a few months ago. In his honour, the bell rang 30 times. A heartfelt tribute to a great performer and balladeer who always sang of the common people. R.I.P. Gord. You’re missed. 🇨🇦🖖🏻🇨🇦
@@adotintheshark4848 I would like to think they know just how much difference one song by a Canadian brought their tragic deaths into the public eye. I knew nothing of the terrible accident until Gord’s song hit the airwaves. Many of his songs were about the plight of the common people. Not just musical fluff. He honours the little guy. 🇨🇦🖖🏻🇨🇦
I'M 59 I JUST HEARD IT FEB. 2024 BUT NOW TEACHING MYSELF HOW TO SING THE SONG FROM THE LYRICS AND THE DOCUMENTRY ON U-TUBE IM DOING GREAT SO FAR. FLOYD FROM BROWNSVILLE BROOKLYN
This song still this day chokes me up, knowing my dad sailed the great lakes when this tragic accident happened, after that he left sailing to be around for his family & wife, prayers for all the families that got this devastating news, may their memories live on.
Was living in Muskegon, Mi. When this happened. Woke to the wreck in the Detroit Free Press. Huge headlines. RIP To the Crew of the Edmond Fitzgerald and Gordon Lightfoot
I was 15 and it was a very somber day. My grandpa, uncle and cousins were commercial fishermen here in Washington's San Juan Islands and our family was very aware of the dangers. My brother and I were on board my uncle's boat in a storm a couple years after the Edmund Fitzgerald went down. We thought we could be of use. When the wind and waves first kicked up, it was rough but tolerable. Before long we were pitching up and crashing down over 30 foot seas. The winds were insane. I was terrified. After a few minutes I was too sick to be terrified. So was my brother. We crawled below decks and tried to hang on without puking all over my uncle's gear. My uncle and my 15 year old cousin were on deck working through it all. My brother was down for the count but I came up to help at one point. As I reached the top of the stairs I saw my cousin feverishly pulling salmon from the gill net as it was slowly reeled in. He turned from the net, grabbed the railing, puked explosively over the side and went straight back to work. I was instantly sick again and slunk back to the berth. These mariners and fishermen deserve our respect and when they are lost at sea, they deserve to be remembered.
@@PavlovsBob Thanks for sharing. At 16, my dad and I went on a charter fishing trip out from Los Angeles. During the morning hours, we hit a small storm that turned violent. I went inside after being on the deck for about 30 minutes, which I thoroughly enjoyed, like a roller coaster. I had some hot chocolate and sat waiting to reach our fishing destination. There were about 15 of us all together on a 30 f'ter. I spent the rest of the day puking and sleeping in the cabin. Once we arrived, I was told that the sun came out and the fishing commenced. My dad caught two mackerel. I caught a nap and used my cup as a puke bucket. Not a good fishing day for me.
@@jjkhawaiian Oh man, I know the feeling. I finally learned to overcome seasickness in chop but when the waves are piling up high and coming from different directions, I still find it hard to stay on point 🤢
I grew up in Milwaukee, and I remember when this happened. The gales of November are truly an awe inspiring sight; and quite frightening in their intensity. It's always a good idea to be well inland when they're raging. This song meant a lot to those of us who came from that part of the country. May the 29 men rest in peace.
43 year ago...so heartbreaking. "Superior, they said, never gives up her dead" terrifyingly true lyrics. Born and raised in Duluth Mn, grew up listening to stories about the big ship, always think about those 29 men in the cold of November.
I was 10 years old when I heard this. I think i wore out my brothers cassette player out listening to it. My wife and I toured the museum in the Sault Michigan with the artifacts of this shipwreck....overwhelmed
Ever been to the Whitefish Bay shipwreck museum? They play this song relatively softly over the loud speakers every fifteen minutes or so. One of the locals said the coordinates where EF sank are just at the edge of the visible horizon when one stands at the top of the lighthouse and looks north.
@@christyallard2582 Actually most of the artifacts i.e. life boats where found during the search for the wreck the following few days. The ships bell was replaced by one with the entire crews name on it during a ceremony with family members in attendance.
The lyrics at 3:19 are about the best ever to grace mine ears. Should you think about them, you can almost feel the fear and misery that those last few moments held for those brave sailors. Being held captive by a force greater than themselves, seeking refuge in a ship that displaced water slower than it was impregnated by it. By no means was this the Titanic, or thousands of other sinkings which claimed the lives of the, largely, innocent; but like all the others, it sent souls to the Lord quicker than they may have been otherwise.
I remember the night it sank. I was living on the other end of the UP of MI and it was a storming. Folks that lived along lake said the waves were crashing over the roads( roads were over 25 ft. from the beaches. I was in the eight grade and we got out of school due to the storm. May their gods bless those men.
I grew up a downstate Michigan "troll" back in those days, but I lived one mile from the Lake Huron shore. As kids we kept lists of ships that made passage near us and we'd seen the Fitz come through the St. Clair River many a time. We knew all the big Lakers and she was one of the bigger ore-boats of her day. I had many in my family who'd been steamship sailors, commercial fishermen, or Coasties, and one even served in the Lifesaving Service back in the day. So when the Fitz and all hands went down that evil November night, it was like a light went out in the heavens above. A very sad day for all. I recall when they held the service in Detroit since it was on the news. Few elsewhere have an adequate respect for our Great Lakes. Most think of puddles like Tahoe or ponds like Salt Lake. The Great Lakes are massive freshwater seas, covering hundreds upon hundreds of square miles. As such, they can also be mariner's nightmares, having some of the fiercest sea storms of anyplace on earth. They're also the graveyards for thousands down through the years. I paddled and swam around in them all of my childhood years, but they are, most assuredly, nothing to be trifled with.
What a hauntingly beautiful ballad and tribute to the Edmund Fitzgerald and her 29 crewmen lost to a watery grave. As Bob Dylan said: “I can’t think of any Gordon Lightfoot song I don’t like. Everytime I hear a song of his, it’s like I wish it would last forever.” High praise indeed.
If there is one thing I love, It's a song that tells a story. And this one tells a sad story so beautifully. I love this song, can't stop listening to it, but can't help but feel for those crew members and their families.
I first heard this song at 33 years old. It's the only time since I was a teenager that hearing a song for the first time instantly became one of my favorites forever
It's a good song, a fine song. It's written in the old AAA form. Very hard to do. The dramatic theme and the archaic, poetical approach to the lyrics succeed amazingly. He hits it out of the park. Well done.
I always thought this was Gordon Lightfoot's best song. Its a beautiful melody with great lyrics, and well played. Its sad because its true- but a masterpiece!
My family saw the E F the last time she was in port in Cleveland and were able to get pictures, never expecting there to be such a tragic end to such a lady.
terrcurr Also, "does anyone know where the love of God goes when the wind turns minutes to hours..." Dear God, the weight of that nearly drowns in and of itself
This song is sang and the stoey is told so well by Gordon, that I can hear the wires when I hear this part of the song. Only Mr. Lightfoot could've pulled off those kid of feels.
I am only 26 years old, but my father was born and raised in Duluth, MN and my grandfather a sailor on these great lake ships, growing up my dad(who can still remember the night it happened) used to sing this song to me all the time. Now, every time I hear it, it resonates within me. I ended up serving in the Navy on board a ship, so this song is personal to me and my family. I also know very well one of the search and rescue crew that went out that night to try and find her to no avail. He did say though that they found iron ore floating around where it went down and it was a very sad moment for him knowing the Fitz went down.
Only 100 feet shorter than the Titanic. Scary shit them submarining until the pilothouse windows imploded around 50 feet or so, they dove very very fast until hitting at 500 feet...
Such a tragedy; those poor men! Yet, also one of the great songs of the last century, and time just improves it. A fitting tribute to the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
I remember listening to this song in elementary school, while learning about the Edmund Fitzgerald. This song brings back my younger days, and my grandpa. He loved to fish and was in the US Coast Guard. Miss you so much, Grandpa. ❤️
This was my original favorite song when I was just 5 years old. My father clarified the lyrics for me. As one who lives near the Great Lakes, this song resonates well with us here. I still tear up all these years later listening to it and how great it was for Gordon Lightfoot to honor them with this song that I guy a like me can take a moment on a wintery afternoon in 2018 mourning the loss of the 29 and for their families.
The haunting music of this song, gives the lyrics even more of an emotional impact. Gordon Lightfoot did an incredible job of telling the tragic story of the Edmund Fitzgerald and her crew with this beautiful song.
I study shipwrecks when I'm not writing poetry and I'll tell ya...the Edmund Fitzgerald is one tragedy that still stumps me because no one knows how the ship sank.....kinda seems eerie
Living in the UK, I hadn't heard of this tragedy and thought the song was about a 19th century sailing ship or something. I was amazed to learn the tragedy occurred on the Great Lakes when I was a kid. The crew's last hours must have been beyond horrific.
I watched the documentary on the Edmund Fitzgerald. At the end when they showed the names of the men who died, they played this song, I started to cry.
Man, can Gordon Lightfoot ever tell a story! The word sound like he lived in the 1800s, the way he speaks in almost a poetic sense! Plus the history, the story, the music, is very dramatic and touching! You can almost Envision the whole thing happening, wow! No insult intended, but to consider this a mere song is almost to criticize it! I believe it it's in a class all its own! Wow again!
The last radio call in from the Edmund Fitzgerald: "we are holding our own" That gives me chills to think about the fact that they were okay until all of a sudden.
I was only four when this dropped but I distinctly remember my first time hearing it - droning from our huge wooden console stereo, glowing green on a dark stormy night. Still gives me chills.
The lyrics as sung by Canadian GORDON LIGHTFOOT are truly a MASTERPIECE. A song full of facts over 6 minutes long and it feels like it goes by in less than 3 minutes.
As a 17 year old girl living in Michigan, my heart aches for the people lost in the waves of the superior. it's so much more real when you look at the faces of the men in pictures. Their smiles and lives before the wreck make me so sad for their lives lost.
Rusty Nail yes indeed, Detroit could of stayed at good money, sadly she sank and Detroit today as we know it is a deep hole to go through if you do go there
Lil Ranger64 I grew up in Detroit. I have a deep love for it and it's so sad how it has rotted. I was 6 when this happened but I remember the talk. This song brings chills up my spine. It is hauntingly beautiful. My eyes get moist with tears thinking about these 29 undoubtedly tough, seasoned men going to their icy tomb. Being a child, I couldn't understand. This song is one of the greats.
Rusty Nail the kind of men that would never claim to suffer from "Chronic office fatigue " and crap like that men are being sissafied at an epic rate now.
My mom used to play this song on her record player often, sitting quietly or mumbled along a few times. I knew it meant something deeper than she would explain. She passed away and still never told us kids even as adults. Even dad wasn't told.
Superior they said never gives up her dead? I wondered what this meant and, apparently, it refers to the fact that Superior is so cold that bodies just sink, in normal waters the body fills with gas and rises, but not in a very cold environment.
That’s exactly what it means, seems every Year some Student from NMU in Marquette, MI gets swept off Black Rock in Presque Isle Park and never Found again
![COLOMBIA vs. CHILE [4-0] | RESUMEN | ELIMINATORIAS SUDAMERICANAS | FECHA 10](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/TDjN4W3yy1k/mqdefault.jpg)
Only Gordon lightfoot could sing a song like this it makes you think of the 29 souls lost that night.
May they all rest in peace.
Just imagine if he did one to commemorate the Titanic or the Arizona.
@@zanethederahn4079 Right?
To believe it's actually illegal to dive to the wreck.... the shipwreck is protected by smca
Plus it's practically suicide
@@synthwavecat96 not if you're experienced with the right equipment
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours"
Gets me everytime
The lake is dangerous
You and me both. It's not just this ship. It's the waves and winds of life.
It's terrifying, really
Man, I feel ya on that shit right there. Just....incredible.
My gotcha line is “when supper time came the head cook came on deck he said fellows it’s too rough to feed ya at 7pm the main hatchway caved in he said fellows it’s been good to know ya”. But the love of god goes is a gem too. What a powerful tune.
This song kept the memory of those men alive. What a gift Gordon Lightfoot left us🙏🏼.
RIP Gordon Lightfoot 1938-2023. Always an icon to us Canadians. Love from NL, Canada.
I don't know how anyone could give this song a thumbs down. It's a great song about a shipwreck of a legendary ship and perhaps Gordon Lightfoot's best work.
ONLY IGNORANT PUNK'S CAN GIVE THIS TRUE SONG A THUMBS DOWN
@@elmerpacheco6414 tis a amazing song.
Ghosting a long past blurt: I can see several reasons for a thumbs down. 1. They honestly don't like the song or music. 2. Troll. 3. This particular artist, style, genre, etc., ain't what they like. 4. Bridge trolling for a goat or three. 5. I'm putting myself out there for fucknuggets, but, this beautifully crafted song is just too close to what some of them saw to be let go of. Sometimes the perfect storm is just rain. Sometimes the rain is just water. Sometimes the rain is just God's tears. And sometimes the rain is just...….
Agreed brother.
I heard a so called podcast "comedy team" making crude jokes and mocking the crew as they played this. It was sickening.
Every year on Nov. 10th, I ring a bell 29 times before I go to sleep in memory of the brave men of the Edmund Fitzgerald. May they rest in peace.
What a capital idea Alex. Thank you.
@alex painter thank you you are a great person im going to start the tradition aswell
Deadliest Catch .Sounds like
Me too
I shall now do the same here in Cottonwood, AZ. We rent to a fireman....we all must revive HONOR.
"We're holding our own." Captain McSorley's last transmission, 7:10 p.m, Nov. 10, 1975
I remember
My birthday is November 10...
@@perplexiityy me too
Marko Drašinac i suppose that means that everything happened real fast
Vincent Perrelli today is the 10th. I wasn’t alive then but I’m from Michigan and learned about it when visiting the Great Lakes.
There was never a better tribute in song than Gordon Lightfoot's The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald. We will never forget the 29 souls who lie at the bottom. R.I.P. good men.
I agree, this song quickly takes you through every emotion you've ever experienced in life. Not to mention chillz that last for weeks. This tune really resonates with me.
It's a songwriting masterclass.
While there's several parts of this heart tugging tribute that can have listeners feeling a chill go up their spine, especially if you listen and put yourself in the place of one of those twenty nine men lost to the lightless depths, but this one in particular stands out:
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 the men who took those types of jobs were resolute, composed, and brave just to take the voyage... But to know in advance that you are about to be lost in that endless cold darkness... And to still keep it together despite that like the captain and the cook is just... Wow...
You haven’t heard courtesy of the red white and blue by Toby Keith then
Yet men like that were once found in every seacoast town of every seafaring nation on earth.
40 years and I still get goosebumps from this song. Gordon can tell a story. Singers today can't do that.
ruclips.net/video/DTFbGcnl0po/видео.htmlsi=WSpyAzPGKaanI7F_
I live in Lahore, Pakistan, 900 km from the nearest ocean. No one in our family has ever been a mariner. But when I first heard this song back in 1978, I wept. For the 29 good men who went down with the Edmund Fitzgerald. Such was the power of Lightfoot's lyrics and imagery.
Depends who you listen to!
RIP Mr. Lightfoot and blessings 29 times
Never 😂❤
This song was released late summer '76, as I was entering my sophomore year of highschool. Not only did it become an essential tune in my lifetime soundtrack, but was in no small way a part of the motivation for my eventual enlistment in the US Coast Guard. I did so after graduation in 1979.
I can think of no other musical influence that has made such an indelible mark on my early adulthood.
Gordon Lightfoot has crossed the bar, but the legacy of his genius will live on through his music for generations to come.
I'm a fan I graduated in 73 and his music will NEVER grow old. I'm proud of you sir and thank you for your service
Thanks for serving!!!!! . Well put about about G.L. May he rest in peace . And we shall listen to his music for sure . I graduated “78”
Semper Paratus, Larry. Thank you for your service and thank you for saving lives.
I am so obsessed with knowing everything about this freighter and the tragic sinking, don’t get it twisted it’s immensely sad and gets me emotional when I hear this or see a video about the Fitz. Only knew about it about 10 yea ago but did hear they chime the bell 30 times now since Gordon passed
One of the greatest songs recorded.Gordon sounds like he was on the ship.The man can tell a story.
👍
Desperado
Another good song is the watchman's out
Pretty good yodeler also.
Oh, so true
"At 7 pm a main hatchway caved in,
He said, "Fellas, it's been good to know ya."
Goosebumps
🚢🚢 amen
I know.......😪😔😢🙏
Have heard this song hundreds of times, on a few Spotify playlist, but never really knew what it was about until today when a video popped up on my feed about it. Always thought it was just a cool interesting song, hits a little different now.
😭😭
Goosebumps indeed. Wiki notes that Lightfoot later changed that first line to "At 7 p.m. it grew dark, it was then" perhaps to avoid any indication that the crew had been negligent in maintaining/closing the hatches. Idk if that is true or not, but its kind of interesting.
One of the greatest folk songs ever written.
THE Greatest......
@@studapeppahead5384 hell yeah
I agree
One of my favorites of all time... We were stationed at KI Sawyer AFBase when Lake Superior froze over first time recorded '61,2 or 3...prolly 1962. That lake's alive, and all living things get hungry, sometimes for people. Wish I had known while living there as a wild child, to call the leviathan, Gitche Gumme...and 25' frozen waves along the Marquette shoreline. So very easy to visualize and empathize...I am transported to another time
one of the most effective ballads too
I was only 7 yrs old when this happened, but when I hear this song, It makes me feel such a sadness deep inside. I can't imagine the terror these men felt while trying to get to a safe harbor. How Mr. Lightfoot sings this almost makes me feel like I was there even though I wasn't... R.I.P guys, you made to God's safe harbor...
As sad and tragic this song may be, I’ve always thought it to be the one the greatest songs ever constructed still to this day
Rest in peace, Gordon. Your legend will live on in Minnesota and beyond. There are now 30 bells!
I like that!
I always thought there was 30. 1 for each of the crew, and 1 for all the other ships lost.
@@PuffleFuzz, could be.
stupid comment
possibly, a mariners' tradition...so now it's 31@@godblessamerica7048
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours"...this freakin' guy puts me right on that doomed ship... utterly terrified at what is about to happen...chilling... haunting...well done, Gordon...
Exactly.
Basically, he is saying that when you are in that situation, it would be easy to suddenly feel alone and forsaken, as the situation goes on and on.
Powerful and deep
First time I actually read along and seeing those lyrics sent a shiver down my spine. Those men as doomed as they are just waiting their fate out…
"And all that remains
Are the faces and names
of the wives and the sons and the daughters ". God.
What person would give this memorial song a thumbs down. This is beautifully done by a great artist. It was a sad event well remembered. The waives on the Great Lakes are more vicious than the oceans No ocean freighter that was out there with the Fitzgerald that night would turn around to look for her. They all refused. Only captain cooper and his crew had the guts to go out there with his Anderson another ore carrier. He found no survivors That took real guts. He knew she was gone and there was no chance to find survivors. But he went anyway he went anyway as they were fellow lake Mariners.
I am lost for words, may THE LOVE OF THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, BE WITH THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES FOREVER ...LOVE...ALWAYS MIC CHEQ 1. 2.
I almost wish Mr. Lightfoot had written some of your words into his song. Well Done and Thank You.
A fitting memorial to those 29 souls. They will forever be remembered because of this song. Nicely done Mr Lightfoot.
Rip Gordon lightfoot your music will live on forever
Now that bell rings 30 times for Gordon Lightfoot 5:30
this song royally messed me up as a kid. I used to get scared listening to it but looking back now it's the reason why I'm in love with studying shipwrecks
olivia brado you're very beautiful if I may be so bold
Yeah
At least something good came out of it!!
200th like here.
olivia brado scarry for you hearing it, imagine the men on the ship how they felt
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours." One of the greatest lines ever written, and this coming from an atheist.
Yes, a truly haunting line that chills to the bone. Great lyrics.
There's good reason Bob Dylan calls Gordon Lightfoot one of the best songwriters out there.
This crap song turns minutes to hours when I have to hear it at work daily
@@Joseph-wc6qd
Lol.
@@Joseph-wc6qd "Crap song" Joseph? Well, let's all hope you work for Maersk and this is the last song you hear shortly after your vessel discovers the last remaining WW2 mine the hard way.
One of the best songs ever written.
Ping Floyd agree
Ping Floyd Amen!!
Denounce Rush yes
I totally, utterly, completely agree with you. I could listen to this all day, every day and would still feel that I hadn't heard it enough x
I agree! but I don't agree with your username 😂 I love rush!
Unbelievable song, probably the best song written in tribute. Lightfoot's lyrics are perfect, telling the whole story in a very compassionate way. It has such a modern sound, too.
Lightfoot said this song was his finest work.
TINA,
IT WOULD BE HAD TO DISAGREE!!
NEARLY 4 MILLION HITS TO SEE THE WORDS OF A SONG ABOUT A SUNKEN LINER. QUITE REMARKABLE!
There's a cool reggae guy on RUclips with a first reaction programme. He was asked to listen to this for the first time and he was speechless, overcome with emotion at the story. He was weeping by time the song finished.
A stunning contemporary tribute to this spare, unsentimental masterpiece of the balladeer's art at its classic best.
Like the melody, but the words really give me chills. Fellas it's too rough to feed ya, it's been good to know ya" drag me in that boat and shake me to the bones.
He was such an amazing songwriter. You almost feel like you are transported there on to the Edmund Fitzgerald when you hear this song...
R.I.P. Gordon Lightfoot
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" Haunting lyrics, that line gives me chills every time I hear it. Anyone who has been at sea during a major storm knows how small and insignificant we become in the face of nature's wrath...... Thanks for posting!!!
That is my favorite line too. One of the great lyrics ever really. Very moving.
That line has the same effect on me.
That line puts you on the ship, scared to death, waiting in vain for the sea to subside......fantastic.....
I've seen some stormy seas..in 1992, I was on an aircraft carrier in the Norwegian Sea during one such storm when a large wave slammed into the port side..it felt like someone kicked the back of the chair I was seated in and the ship recieved some minor damage from the impact...
Haunting is right.
Rest in Peace the 29 crewmen of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Gord died a few months ago. In his honour, the bell rang 30 times. A heartfelt tribute to a great performer and balladeer who always sang of the common people. R.I.P. Gord. You’re missed. 🇨🇦🖖🏻🇨🇦
Perhaps the crew has thanked him for immortalizing them in his song.
@@adotintheshark4848 I would like to think they know just how much difference one song by a Canadian brought their tragic deaths into the public eye. I knew nothing of the terrible accident until Gord’s song hit the airwaves. Many of his songs were about the plight of the common people. Not just musical fluff. He honours the little guy. 🇨🇦🖖🏻🇨🇦
He actually had friends on that boat and kept in touch with the families all these years and they will forever ring the bell 30 times now
I'M 59 I JUST HEARD IT FEB. 2024 BUT NOW TEACHING MYSELF HOW TO SING THE SONG FROM THE LYRICS AND THE DOCUMENTRY ON U-TUBE IM DOING GREAT SO FAR. FLOYD FROM BROWNSVILLE BROOKLYN
What a stunning marriage of music, lyrics and imagery. Gordon Lightfoot is pure musical and poetic genius!
This has got to be the most haunting and beautiful ballad ever written, played and sung.
Brilliant song from a time when talent counted not exposure
This song still this day chokes me up, knowing my dad sailed the great lakes when this tragic accident happened, after that he left sailing to be around for his family & wife, prayers for all the families that got this devastating news, may their memories live on.
Was living in Muskegon, Mi. When this happened. Woke to the wreck in the Detroit Free Press. Huge headlines. RIP To the Crew of the Edmond Fitzgerald and Gordon Lightfoot
I was 13 years old when I heard the haunting announcement over the radio growing up in Milwaukee
I was 13 as well, growing up near Lake Ontario.
i am 13 now and i cant imagine that
I was 15 and it was a very somber day. My grandpa, uncle and cousins were commercial fishermen here in Washington's San Juan Islands and our family was very aware of the dangers. My brother and I were on board my uncle's boat in a storm a couple years after the Edmund Fitzgerald went down. We thought we could be of use. When the wind and waves first kicked up, it was rough but tolerable. Before long we were pitching up and crashing down over 30 foot seas. The winds were insane. I was terrified. After a few minutes I was too sick to be terrified. So was my brother. We crawled below decks and tried to hang on without puking all over my uncle's gear. My uncle and my 15 year old cousin were on deck working through it all. My brother was down for the count but I came up to help at one point. As I reached the top of the stairs I saw my cousin feverishly pulling salmon from the gill net as it was slowly reeled in. He turned from the net, grabbed the railing, puked explosively over the side and went straight back to work. I was instantly sick again and slunk back to the berth. These mariners and fishermen deserve our respect and when they are lost at sea, they deserve to be remembered.
@@PavlovsBob Thanks for sharing. At 16, my dad and I went on a charter fishing trip out from Los Angeles. During the morning hours, we hit a small storm that turned violent. I went inside after being on the deck for about 30 minutes, which I thoroughly enjoyed, like a roller coaster. I had some hot chocolate and sat waiting to reach our fishing destination. There were about 15 of us all together on a 30 f'ter. I spent the rest of the day puking and sleeping in the cabin. Once we arrived, I was told that the sun came out and the fishing commenced. My dad caught two mackerel. I caught a nap and used my cup as a puke bucket. Not a good fishing day for me.
@@jjkhawaiian Oh man, I know the feeling. I finally learned to overcome seasickness in chop but when the waves are piling up high and coming from different directions, I still find it hard to stay on point 🤢
How could anyone ever dislike a Canadian after listening to this song? Speechless. Beautiful. I was born in November so I guess it's my kind of song.
me too...
Im a49 yo black chick from Baltimore who loves softrock..why did it take me so long to hear and appreciate Mr. Lightfoot ? September 25, 2021
It's NEVER too late❤ 😢😊
To this day, I can't get through this song without tearing - every time...
Me too, Mark.
Some of the lyrics are chilling - and heartbreaking.
Every single time
It also tears me up when I think of the Arthur Andersen going back out to look for them
Imagine the horror .. bless their souls 💔
Who played the electric guitar parts ?
I grew up in Milwaukee, and I remember when this happened.
The gales of November are truly an awe inspiring sight; and quite frightening in their intensity. It's always a good idea to be well inland when they're raging.
This song meant a lot to those of us who came from that part of the country. May the 29 men rest in peace.
I'm from Milwaukee too. I was 18 years old when the Edmund Fitzgerald sank,and I remember it like it was yesterday.
The amazing thing is in the winter it freezes over and cement trucks use it as a highway
lived upstairs from a crazy old lady who played this incessantly, when she died i learned her husband was on that ship
Tyrone Camp So sad. 💔
wow that's crazy !
Sad 😢
Linda Morgan Very sad.
Tyrone Camp no
The feels are too much. I can barely get through the song without crying... This is the most beautiful song I will likely ever see.
I have to agree. Such a haunting and sad song...but @ the same time so eerily beautiful.
That's what I thought 😂
Poor son's and daughters and wife's who went through this 😞😭😭
Makes my brother cry too. ♡
I know what you mean. You can’t explain it....the language and music of the soul.....😔
one of the best songs ever written......period.
30 chimes today...great tribute...RIP Gordon Lightfoot
43 year ago...so heartbreaking. "Superior, they said, never gives up her dead" terrifyingly true lyrics. Born and raised in Duluth Mn, grew up listening to stories about the big ship, always think about those 29 men in the cold of November.
Duluth MN. Birthplace of Bob Dylan!
I go to Duluth once every year
I was 10 years old when I heard this. I think i wore out my brothers cassette player out listening to it.
My wife and I toured the museum in the Sault Michigan with the artifacts of this shipwreck....overwhelmed
Ever been to the Whitefish Bay shipwreck museum? They play this song relatively softly over the loud speakers every fifteen minutes or so. One of the locals said the coordinates where EF sank are just at the edge of the visible horizon when one stands at the top of the lighthouse and looks north.
Those 'artifacts' were plundered from the grave of 29 souls. The shouldn't have been taken without permission from the families of the sailors!
@@jacksongibbs8998 its whitefish point but yeah
@@christyallard2582 Actually most of the artifacts i.e. life boats where found during the search for the wreck the following few days. The ships bell was replaced by one with the entire crews name on it during a ceremony with family members in attendance.
@@ramrod2314 Actually they weren't alot were brought up after diving to the sight and the families were so against it.
The lyrics at 3:19 are about the best ever to grace mine ears. Should you think about them, you can almost feel the fear and misery that those last few moments held for those brave sailors. Being held captive by a force greater than themselves, seeking refuge in a ship that displaced water slower than it was impregnated by it. By no means was this the Titanic, or thousands of other sinkings which claimed the lives of the, largely, innocent; but like all the others, it sent souls to the Lord quicker than they may have been otherwise.
Indeed well said, god rest the souls of all the shipping disaters of old and recent
I take comfort that
By what you wrote,
They didn’t suffer...
RIP 29 🇺🇸💕🙏🏼
yes dear.. i danced once with an ice witch, she should not be underestimated
3:45 is the one that gets me. Maybe because I'm not religious.
I remember the night it sank. I was living on the other end of the UP of MI and it was a storming. Folks that lived along lake said the waves were crashing over the roads( roads were over 25 ft. from the beaches. I was in the eight grade and we got out of school due to the storm. May their gods bless those men.
Sad day for Michigan and a lot of families. Thanks for sharing.
God those men.
Todd Tourville ya an
I grew up a downstate Michigan "troll" back in those days, but I lived one mile from the Lake Huron shore. As kids we kept lists of ships that made passage near us and we'd seen the Fitz come through the St. Clair River many a time. We knew all the big Lakers and she was one of the bigger ore-boats of her day. I had many in my family who'd been steamship sailors, commercial fishermen, or Coasties, and one even served in the Lifesaving Service back in the day. So when the Fitz and all hands went down that evil November night, it was like a light went out in the heavens above. A very sad day for all. I recall when they held the service in Detroit since it was on the news. Few elsewhere have an adequate respect for our Great Lakes. Most think of puddles like Tahoe or ponds like Salt Lake. The Great Lakes are massive freshwater seas, covering hundreds upon hundreds of square miles. As such, they can also be mariner's nightmares, having some of the fiercest sea storms of anyplace on earth. They're also the graveyards for thousands down through the years. I paddled and swam around in them all of my childhood years, but they are, most assuredly, nothing to be trifled with.
@@bretwhitmore8855 Amen. Sail on my friend
What a hauntingly beautiful ballad and tribute to the Edmund Fitzgerald and her 29 crewmen lost to a watery grave. As Bob Dylan said:
“I can’t think of any Gordon Lightfoot song I don’t like. Everytime I hear a song of his, it’s like I wish it would last forever.” High praise indeed.
You don't get them like that anymore. Simply amazing..
If there is one thing I love, It's a song that tells a story. And this one tells a sad story so beautifully. I love this song, can't stop listening to it, but can't help but feel for those crew members and their families.
It is a fantastic piece of writing.... Intelligent... well researched....creative and beautiful, all at the same time. True poetry.
Paganguy1 no one can say it any better than that. Your right on the money
Sundown shows the same depth of thought that Gordon gave to the Edmund Fitzgerald. Great storyteller.
One of the most complete and haunting stories ever put to tune. This song will live forever.
I first heard this song at 33 years old. It's the only time since I was a teenager that hearing a song for the first time instantly became one of my favorites forever
Rest in peace, Gordon. Thank you for inspiring my dad❤
It's a good song, a fine song. It's written in the old AAA form. Very hard to do. The dramatic theme and the archaic, poetical approach to the lyrics succeed amazingly. He hits it out of the park. Well done.
I always thought this was Gordon Lightfoot's best song. Its a beautiful melody with great lyrics, and well played. Its sad because its true- but a masterpiece!
Pure poetry. Pure history. Pure dedication of an artist who knew what exactly he was talking about. A movie in a song.
Every summer we go to Lake Superior we all listen to this song and we talk about it, Rest In Peace Edmund Fitzgerald and the 29 crew members!!!!!
My family saw the E F the last time she was in port in Cleveland and were able to get pictures, never expecting there to be such a tragic end to such a lady.
Gordon Lightfoot, gone but not forgotten.
Sure will not be forgotten.
Rest in Peace DearGordon🌺🎶🌺
Gordon Lightfoot is a gifted songwriter for sure! These lyrics are deep!
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound= goosebumps
terrcurr Also, "does anyone know where the love of God goes when the wind turns minutes to hours..." Dear God, the weight of that nearly drowns in and of itself
...I've heard it said that when the wires snapped it was essentially over...the hull had been compromised...
This song is sang and the stoey is told so well by Gordon, that I can hear the wires when I hear this part of the song. Only Mr. Lightfoot could've pulled off those kid of feels.
I am only 26 years old, but my father was born and raised in Duluth, MN and my grandfather a sailor on these great lake ships, growing up my dad(who can still remember the night it happened) used to sing this song to me all the time. Now, every time I hear it, it resonates within me. I ended up serving in the Navy on board a ship, so this song is personal to me and my family. I also know very well one of the search and rescue crew that went out that night to try and find her to no avail. He did say though that they found iron ore floating around where it went down and it was a very sad moment for him knowing the Fitz went down.
Travis Bickle depends on the type of ore and how it’s processed. Native Minnesotan with an Iron Ranger wife.
@Travis Bickle my brother and friend used to collect it for shooting squirrels and other critters..of course I always rooted for the squirrel!
Thank you sir. For your service!
To split and shred a ship that size the way it did is mind boggling, I can’t imagine the horror they went through.
R.I.P.
... Gordon can almost make us imagine it tho can't he...
Only 100 feet shorter than the Titanic. Scary shit them submarining until the pilothouse windows imploded around 50 feet or so, they dove very very fast until hitting at 500 feet...
They sailed during a really terrible storm.......lake Superior shows no mercy
The witch of November does not play around
The ship was overloaded, the Waters were horrific but it's not mind-boggling.
This song tore me up when I first heard it. RIP Gordon.
ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE SONGS
Such a tragedy; those poor men! Yet, also one of the great songs of the last century, and time just improves it. A fitting tribute to the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
I remember listening to this song in elementary school, while learning about the Edmund Fitzgerald. This song brings back my younger days, and my grandpa. He loved to fish and was in the US Coast Guard. Miss you so much, Grandpa. ❤️
So hauntingly beautiful. Rest in peace fine sailors.
fine SEXY sailors.
This song will always bring a tear to my eyes...
This was my original favorite song when I was just 5 years old. My father clarified the lyrics for me. As one who lives near the Great Lakes, this song resonates well with us here. I still tear up all these years later listening to it and how great it was for Gordon Lightfoot to honor them with this song that I guy a like me can take a moment on a wintery afternoon in 2018 mourning the loss of the 29 and for their families.
Easily one of the greatest songs ever written. I always get chills listening to this.
RIP Gordo.... your voice lives on!!! 😥
The haunting music of this song, gives the lyrics even more of an emotional impact. Gordon Lightfoot did an incredible job of telling the tragic story of the Edmund Fitzgerald and her crew with this beautiful song.
This song pierces my heart...
I study shipwrecks when I'm not writing poetry and I'll tell ya...the Edmund Fitzgerald is one tragedy that still stumps me because no one knows how the ship sank.....kinda seems eerie
True
Living in the UK, I hadn't heard of this tragedy and thought the song was about a 19th century sailing ship or something. I was amazed to learn the tragedy occurred on the Great Lakes when I was a kid. The crew's last hours must have been beyond horrific.
It pierces all of our hearts, like ice... ; _ ;
R.I.P Littlefoot, you will be missed.
Lightfoot
Interesting contrast between Longfellow and lightfoot 0:00
such a sad and awesome song all at the same time.
As with the gales of November, so too will Gordon Lightfoot be remembered.
eerie, but so appropriate, great tribute by the singer songwriter.
I watched the documentary on the Edmund Fitzgerald. At the end when they showed the names of the men who died, they played this song, I started to cry.
Absolute top quality in every single aspect ! Well done Gordon.
43 years after it was written, this remains an incredibly, hauntingly beautiful piece. I think I love it as much now as I did when I first heard it.
This is such a sad song yet so beautiful. The story of this horrible situation could only be told in song by Gordon Lightfoot, one of the greatest.
Could only be SUNG by its
author.
Man, can Gordon Lightfoot ever tell a story! The word sound like he lived in the 1800s, the way he speaks in almost a poetic sense! Plus the history, the story, the music, is very dramatic and touching! You can almost Envision the whole thing happening, wow! No insult intended, but to consider this a mere song is almost to criticize it! I believe it it's in a class all its own! Wow again!
RIP Gordon Lightfoot. One of the greats. Thank you for your art.
Still brings tears to my eyes, even after all these years! Rest in peace sailors.
The last radio call in from the Edmund Fitzgerald: "we are holding our own"
That gives me chills to think about the fact that they were okay until all of a sudden.
Magnetic equipment goes wonky up there
Mikayla Vourlitis
The Arthur M Anderson reported a Three Sisters rouge wave headed in the direction of the Edmund Fitzgerald
... sheer terror...
From what I've read and heard, lake superior is home to some rough waters to begin with.
They say the ship was unseaworthy because of so much damage to the hull
I was only four when this dropped but I distinctly remember my first time hearing it - droning from our huge wooden console stereo, glowing green on a dark stormy night. Still gives me chills.
those men are tough as nails..much respect
Tough as nails yet when nature wants you dead there is very little you can do to stop it.
Yes.
The lyrics as sung by Canadian GORDON LIGHTFOOT are truly a MASTERPIECE. A song full of facts over 6 minutes long and it feels like it goes by in less than 3 minutes.
And yet on the Edmund Fitzgerald on Nov 10 1975 minutes felt like hours. What they must've went through
An excellent telling of a sad story
@@lawrencebaruzzini6149 It creeps me out to even think about it
One of my favorite songs of his! RIP Gordon
I truly love this song. When I hear it, I feel as though I am one of the family members waiting for word of my forever lost husband.
As a 17 year old girl living in Michigan, my heart aches for the people lost in the waves of the superior. it's so much more real when you look at the faces of the men in pictures. Their smiles and lives before the wreck make me so sad for their lives lost.
Mikayla Myers I completely agree with you as I too live in northern Michigan and have heard this song my entire life.
Mikayla Myers same here 😢
Gitche Gumme
Michigan native as well. You forget Lake Superior is actually a lake by the size of it!
Same
Beautiful song! God bless the Edmund crew!
Love this song! I pray all had time to call upon God before she sank
Rest in peace beautiful voice❤
Lyric Boss, Thank you for posting. May these 29 men forever be blessed and not be forgotten.
No problem, I'm glad you enjoyed the song! And yes may they rest in peace.
Dolores M why the hell isn't there 29 likes on your comment.
29 likes..
this is such a great song.
Guy. Longbow Moorhe
RIP.
We lost some good hard working real men that day.
Rusty Nail
and 26000 tonnes of iron ore and a massive beautiful ship named the Edmund Fitzgerald
Rusty Nail yes indeed, Detroit could of stayed at good money, sadly she sank and Detroit today as we know it is a deep hole to go through if you do go there
Lil Ranger64 I grew up in Detroit. I have a deep love for it and it's so sad how it has rotted. I was 6 when this happened but I remember the talk. This song brings chills up my spine. It is hauntingly beautiful. My eyes get moist with tears thinking about these 29 undoubtedly tough, seasoned men going to their icy tomb. Being a child, I couldn't understand. This song is one of the greats.
Rusty Nail the kind of men that would never claim to suffer from "Chronic office fatigue " and crap like that men are being sissafied at an epic rate now.
A brilliant tribute. What an inspired idea from Gordon Lightfoot to compose a modern sea shanty to the men of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
ALWAYS GIVES ME THE CHILLS !
My mom used to play this song on her record player often, sitting quietly or mumbled along a few times. I knew it meant something deeper than she would explain. She passed away and still never told us kids even as adults. Even dad wasn't told.
could it be that she may have possibly know one of the ship's occupants ?
Superior they said never gives up her dead? I wondered what this meant and, apparently, it refers to the fact that Superior is so cold that bodies just sink, in normal waters the body fills with gas and rises, but not in a very cold environment.
I grew up in Sault Ste Marie, not far from where the ship went down. I've heard this about the line "never gives up her dead" as well.
That’s exactly what it means, seems every Year some Student from NMU in Marquette, MI gets swept off Black Rock in Presque Isle Park and never Found again