FIRST TIME REACTING TO | "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" - Gordon Lightfoot
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They rang the bell 30 times on the announcement of Gordons death.
Why 30?
@@skunkmonster129 for the men who died on the ship and 1 for Gordon lightfoot
@droid8472 I love that!!! I put it together when we got to the end and I heard it again. Thanks!!!
@@skunkmonster1because of the passing of GORDON....
Permission was given from the families....
To this day, any royalty money generated from this song goes to a fund for all family members.
One of my favorite songs, my friends and I play it and song whenever we have a get together. Our local small town Ohio bar has had this on the jukebox since it came out. Went thru multiple jukeboxes but this always had to be on it.
I was working on Zug Island (Detroit, along the Detroit River) that evening. We were asked to work O/T. We waited & waited. About 11pm were told to go home. The midnight shift would take care of the shipment. It never arrived. The next morning, we were told the Edmund was lost. We all knew some of the crew. R.I.P to all those brave souls.
I work on zug Island now not everyday im a contractor i tell everyone its my private Island no one will understand this but you
@robertgreenwood5263 Exactly. I worked there in summer months, then b4 & after I came back from Nam, waiting for the next semester to start at EMU. My dad, uncle & several cousins worked there. My dad over 34 years, uncle 31. They started back in the 50's, back then it was Great Lakes Steel. He's 96 and still gets a pension from there. My sister worked at the Ecorse offices as a dispatcher. My mom always hated driving over the railroad bridge & feared getting the car tires stuck between the tracks & having a train come. 😆. Unless you've been there or seen it, along with Morton Salt that was next to it, you'll never understand it. 👍
I googled your Island because "Zug" means "Train" in German and I was curious. Now I know where it got its name! There is almost nothing BUT train tracks on that land.
So interesting. Was the Arthur M Anderson also due where you worked? I know it would have been a few days later.
Wow. Thanks for sharing. God bless.
My great uncle was an assistant engineer on the Edmund Fitzgerald. This song always makes me cry.
Condolences for your loss. When reactors react to this song, they always pick the lyric video. I try to suggest the video done in a documentary style that has the newscast, home films/pictures of the ship and crew, and the radio traffic of the "Arthur M. Anderson".
ruclips.net/video/hgI8bta-7aw/видео.htmlsi=viYHN4w7kg2yrIbM
My condolences.
Fair winds and following seas to him. May his memory forever be a bright blessing.
I do to and I am just from Duluth.
The loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald was a shock to all of us in "the Lakehead" aka Thunder Bay and filled us with grief. I hope this song keeps the memory of your great uncle alive.
I am a retired US Navy Sailor and although a different sea, every Sailor knows that they are always rolling the dice when they go to sea. Wonderful tribute to those men.
Thank you for your service, and you're 100% right. The Great Lakes are quite different from the oceans. Much less large rolling waves, much more frequent medium hard hitting waves that can fuck you up just as hard but in a different way. I grew up in Michigan right off of Lake Huron, and know a lot of people who make their trade out on the Lakes, either as fishermen or out on Lakers like the Edmund Fitzgerald. My Dad was a Coastie who grew up in Detroit but served on both ocean coasts. You have to go out, but you don't have to come back.
@@nr63kish Life long Michigander here. My In-Laws live on Sugar Island in the Saint Mary's River, just out side of the Lochs. I've ridden the ferrie to the island in rough seas before. Not fun.
I was als on a charter fishing boat that got caught in a nasty squall in the 90s, on Lake Huron. One minute it was beautiful, sunny, the next, we thought we were witnessing Cthulu rising from the depths.
I have far more respect for the power of the Great Lakes, than I do for the oceans. Oceans can be scary, the Great Lakes are a beautiful nightmare.
So true. I served on an ATS in the Pacific; damn thing rode like a cork.
Storms can be bigger & more powerful on the ocean. But you can see them coming & if need be, avoid them. On the Great Lakes, things happen faster & due to the tight confines, you're going to get hit by that storm. Ideally, you can get to some sheltered waters.
Not to mention superior never gets over 55 degrees
“Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?” is just about the most tragically beautiful lyric I’ve ever heard.
The most poetic way of describing despair I've ever heard. One of my father's ship mates told a story of the cook lashing a huge kettle to the stove in order to at least have hot soup available while riding out a hurricane. It was a very small ship.. He never said how they kept it on the bowls.
Yup, one of my favorite lyrics ever.
Agreed
Been there and know exactly what it means.
@@la_old_salt2241 watching and listening to the vessel flex in the swell all the while thinking cmon baby hold together. 😢
My father worked on the boats as a cook for many years.....including the Fitz....
I've been aboard her a few times myself....
We knew many of the men personally......
Rest in Peace....
Michael Armagost- 37- Third Mate- Iron River, Wisconsin
Fred Beetcher- 56- Porter- Superior, Wisconsin
Thomas Bentsen- 23- Oiler- St. Joseph, Michigan
Edward Bindon -47- First Asst. Engineer- Fairport Harbor, Ohio
Thomas Borgeson -41- Maintenance Man- Duluth, Minnesota
Oliver Champeau- 41-Third Asst. Engineer- Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Nolan Church -55 -Porter -Silver Bay, Minnesota
Ransom Cundy- 53- Watchman- Superior, Wisconsin
Thomas Edwards-50- Second Asst. Engineer- Oregon, Ohio
Russell Haskell -40- Second Asst. Engineer- Millbury, Ohio
George Holl -60- Chief Engineer- Cabot, Pennsylvania
Bruce Hudson- 22- Deck Hand -North Olmsted, Ohio
Allen Kalmon -43- Second Cook- Washburn, Wisconsin
Gordon MacLellan- 30- Wiper- Clearwater, Florida
Joseph Mazes- 59- Special Maintenance Man -Ashland, Wisconsin
John McCarthy -62-First Mate -Bay Village, Ohio
Ernest McSorley -63 -Captain -Toledo, Ohio
Eugene O'Brien- 50- Wheelsman -Toledo, Ohio
Karl Peckol -20- Watchman -Ashtabula, Ohio
John Poviach -59- Wheelsman- Bradenton, Florida
James Pratt -44- Second Mate- Lakewood, Ohio
Robert Rafferty -62 -Steward -Toledo, Ohio
Paul Riippa -22 -Deck Hand -Ashtabula, Ohio
John Simmons -63 -Wheelsman -Ashland, Wisconsin
William Spengler -59- Watchman- Toledo, Ohio
Mark Thomas -21- Deck Hand- Richmond Heights, Ohio
Ralph Walton -58- Oiler- Fremont, Ohio
David Weiss -22 -Cadet -Agoura, California
Blaine Wilhelm -52- Oiler- Moquah, Wisconsin
Thank you for that. How special to list them. Rest in peace dear souls.
RIP, to all of these dear souls...
RIP
I'm sorry for your loss.
Wow. Im not usually so speechless
"The witch of November" refers to the unpredictable squalls on the Great Lakes.
I've been in those squalls ,Can't say I enjoyed myself. Terrifying really.
And as you may have got from the lyrics, there was icing on the boat. That sort of thing has send many a ship to the deep.
it also refers to crewmen being snatched off the decks... >.> "the witch came stealin"
The song refers to the bell in Detroit's Mariners' Church ringing 29 times each year for the 29 souls lost on the Edmund Fitzgerald. Gordon Lightfoot passed away on May 1, 2023. The church added one more ring of the bell to 30 rings in honor of Gordon Lightfoot and his contribution to the memory of the Edmond Fitzgerald and the sailors lost. As always, an excellent reaction on your part!!
FYI, Gordon Lightfoot asked permission of all the family members who lost their loved ones on the Fitzgetald to release this song. When they heard the song, they all agreed it was a worthy tribute. 😢
And he gave all the family members the money , profit of this song to the 29 family's... Donated every dime. And each dime continues to go the family's of the dead.
Gordon had such a true soul of humanity
RIP GORDON
I didn't know he donated the music proceeds. What an amazing thing to do.
❤
Yankees Suck!
@@benjamindouglas862
Chill out bud.
Not the song to be a troll on.🤨
As a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, I would like to make a small clarification. In the Anishinaabe language (which is the proper name for our People) Lake Superior is in fact called Gichigami, not Gitche Gumee. It means "great water" or "huge water."
Thank you!
Yes.
Thank You. ✌️🫂 🕊
We need to get back to this...in many areas. The original language matters. Up and down the East coast, and all the way across the current U.S. Being a Texan of indigenous heritage, I feel like the origin of our lands has been suborned, if not lost completely...yet it is integral to who we are, all conflicts aside. The heritage of our country is being erased
@@JamesBrown-wo2qj Yes so true!
It went down 17 miles from Whitefish Bay…so the line that says “the searchers all say they’d made Whitefish Bay if they put 15 more miles behind her.” And when they say “Superior they said never gives up her dead”… The water at the bottom of Lake Superior is about 38 degrees…Normally, when someone drowns bacteria will end up bloating the body and it will rise to the surface - when the temperatures are below 40 degrees there’s no bacteria…therefore, all 29 people are still down at the bottom of Lake Superior since November of 1975
Is it possible the lyric used nautical miles since they would be used for speed and distance. 15 nautical miles equals a bit more than 17.26 miles.
@@bobmartin4942 The feeling was that if there were within 2 miles of the coast the weather would have been clam enough for them to reach shore
To come into this song with no background, and sketchy on details, you did an amazing job breaking it down and your willingness to explore it further will fill in all those gaps. Great job.
Britt evaluates songs very well and gives some of the best reactions than any of the others I've heard. She's also too cute in how she does it also. 😌
I live on the shore of Lake Superior, I worked in the local iron mines that produce the ore that is shipped in ore boats like the Fitz. She was caught in a massive November storm and she tried fighting the huge waves to find refuge in Whitefish Bay, but went down in 530 feet of water with all 29 crew members. I was still in high school and this song came out soon after - there isn't a Yooper (a native of Upper Peninsula of Michigan) that doesn't know the story and we can all receit the words of this tribute song. Gordon Lightfoot is a master storyteller.
I was born in Ontonagon -- never lived there, but been there a few times for family reunions. My Mom is a Yooper, my Dad A Tennessee Native) was in the Navy stationed in San Diego, but in Vietnam during my birth, so Mom had me up there where her family could help. I grew up in SoCal, and knew this story since birth. 😊❤
Well said yooper … respect.. from a troll
Wasn't born in the Great White North, but I grew up there (post 1975). Just south of Duluth. Annual school trips to the maritime museum at the mouth of the St Louis river into Lake Superior. The song, the museum exhibit dedicated to the Edmund Fitzgerald, we knew this from our earliest memories. My mom had seen Lightfoot in concert in Superior, WI when she was a teen, but that was way before this song came out. But it hit when it did come out, and it still hits. Watching that lake and watching those ships and hearing those stories for years and years, not just in a museum, but on the radio. This one still gets me, to this day.
@@jasonfisher8529 the song bring tears everytime I hear it ..
@@chuckwilson4186Every. damn. time. Watching Britt's little sad pout didn't help, either, LOL
When Gordon died, The Maritime Sailors Cathedral in Detroit, rang its bell 29 times for the crew of the Edmond Fitzgerald, and once more for Gordon Lightfoot.
He also donated every dollar of profit from this song to the families of the 29 lost crewmen.
They always have rang it 30 times. The last one being for all of the crewmen of all ships lost.
I had the good fortune to see Gordon Lightfoot in concert in LA towards the end of his career, a true poet and musician. I shed more than a few tears every time I hear this song.
@@mikebradshaw6484 - That is not accurate. Tradition of ringing the bell 29 times started to commemorate the men of the Fitzgerald. Then in the earl 2000s the expanded the ceremony to honor all sailors lost on the lakes but still rang it 29 times. Last year, to honor them (and Gordong Lightfoot passing away) they rang it 30 times.
Born in Michigan in 1968, I remember when the Edmund Fitzgerald sank. Of course I also remember when this song came out. My Dad was once a sailor on a railcar ferry across Lake Michigan...this song never fails to give me the willies.
The Fitz got caught by surprise. Weather forecasting has come SO far since then.
...and yes, the Great Lakes are some of the deadliest waters in the world. There are uncounted ships and people that have been swallowed up by them never to be seen again.
1967 here.
"We are holding our own" - The last message from the Edmund Fitzgerald, Captain McSorley, November 10, 1975
I was working aboard a tramp steamer in the North Atlantic when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down. Our radio operator came to the bridge and told the watch officer who then told the rest of us. A year or so later I was in Auburn Alabama at a Gordorn Lightfoot concert and heard this song for the first time. I still cry when I hear it.
They ring the bell annually on the anniversary of the sinking. This past year, the bell was rang 30 times to include the passing of Gordon Lightfoot.
I never heard that they rang it one more time for Gordon Lightfoot! That is beautiful!
Respect
All royalties from this song went to the families.
May he rest in peace.
I loved watching you discover one of the most beautiful songs ever written.
The waters of Lake Superior are so cold at the bottom that bodies don’t float to the top because the bacteria that causes that can’t grow. That’s why he says “never gives up her dead”. To this day it’s impossible for me to listen to this song with out tearing up. 😢
Gordon paints such a clear picture of what happened. It almost feels like you knew the crew. Both be a beautiful yet haunting song at the same time.
Same for me, I've heard this song probably hundreds of times and still get misty eyed every time.
Amen.
While he paints a clear picture, he had to revise the song after a number of years. He had described the hatch giving in, which had been the prevailing theory, but the family of the crewman responsible for the hatch had always disputed it. When the Fitz's wreckage was found, the hatch was secure and the ship was broken elsewhere. To reflect this, Lightfoot revised the lyrics. He also revised the description of the sailor's cathedral as a 'musty' old hall - the hall was regularly used and so was not musty, so he changed that description as well: no hard feelings on either side.
There's a good reason this song was voted the worst song to strip to.
@@greg6782😂
She sank in Lake Superior, the biggest of the Great Lakes. The Chippewa Indians call it Gitche Gumee.
Wow, I was about to make the exact comment, glad I read down.
November in Michigan has the worst storms
Ojibway
Big Lake of Shining Waters..
@@brianherrala8238 Chippewa, Ojibwe and Ojibwa are the same people. Never knew that, I had to look it up.
I was a school girl when this tragedy occurred. I remember cutting out the newspaper article & pasted it to my current events homework. I cried for all who perished & all of their loved ones who lost their husbands & fathers 💔
What an amazing legacy Gordon Lightfoot left for those loved ones though. I mean, losing a husband or parent or brother is just horrible. But how about having an amzing song that still plays to this day in their honor. Like...there's some guy in his 50's or 60's right now who knows this song was about his father and his crew. Amazing
This is my favorite reaction I've ever seen. Your take and watching you figure it out was priceless ,brought me back to my 1st time hearing this gem thank you!
You should watch the reaction of this song from Sincerely K.S.O
True😂 that
Gordon is considered to be Canada's greatest folk singer/songwriter. This song is based on a true story, and, as I am to understand, all of the proceeds were donated, in perpetuity, to the families of the crew.
You are incorrect. Gordon Lightfoot set up a scholarship fund but did not donate all of the profits from the song. It's just a persistent rumor.
No that would go to Leonard Cohen
@@timothytouhey8682 I would say Stan Rogers.
And I would say Joni Mitchell!
@@timothytouhey8682 Leonard Cohen songwriter, ok. Singer? He's Canada's Bob Dylan. Leonard is my favorite artist from Québec though.
I remember seeing a cartoon the day after he died Gordon was at the gates of heaven, and he was told, “come in, Mr. Lightfoot, there are 29 souls here waiting to welcome you.” ❤️❤️❤️
❤
Oh that made me cry!! He was extraordinary!!
See now I’m just crying. We had a famous author here in Atlanta and the paper published a cartoon at the gate with his dog running out to greet him. Lewis something. One book is Shoot Low Boys They’re Riding Shetland Ponies. 😂 Don’t Bend Over in the Garden Granny You Know Them Taters Got Eyes. 😂😂😂
Lewis Grizzard.
That just brought a tear to my eye. I grew up in Michigan and remember that event like it just happened.
Greatest folk singer of a generation. RIP
Information nerd here The edmund fitzgerald is a lake freighter that was made in the great lakes and sailed the great lakes it was 730 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 39 feet high.. It was built in June 7, 1958 and sank in November 10, 1975 with a crew of 29 men, She was the "queen" of the lakes, The queen of the lakes is a unofficail term used for the biggest lakefreighter on the great lakes and Lakefreighter crews consist of 15 to 21 crews on average. The edmund fitzgerald had 29 and it sank in lake superior during a storm and it's still a mistery on how it sank as it Sank so quickly that the Arthur m anderson behind the Edmund fitzgerald Lost sight and communication halfway near the soo locks and were going to dock somewhere to waitout for the storm. The wreck was later found In 2 peices with the stern capsized. Also Gale is a term used for strong winds and The gale slowly turned into a storm in lake superior. Also the edmund fitzgerald is suspected to have had a loose hatch ( lake freighers are usually bulk carriers and use hatches to load and unload) the Front hatches got weaker and weaker and soon gave in and water rushed in the ship and within 2 seconds the entire ship was forever to rest in lake superior with the over 6,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes as the edmund fitzgerald takes the crown of biggest lakefreighter to have sunken in the great lakes. ALSO if you wanna know what the biggest lakefreighter is on the great lakes rn its the paul r tregurtha At 1013.5 feet, Interlake's flagship M/V Paul R. Tregurtha is the longest ship on the Great Lakes. She can carry up to 68,000 gross tons of taconite pellets or 71,000 net tons of coal. AND they rang the bell 30 times for gordons death... Pretty cool ey? im a lakeboat nerd also Rest in Peace....
IM taking this from
@858Bill
Michael Armagost- 37- Third Mate- Iron River, Wisconsin
Fred Beetcher- 56- Porter- Superior, Wisconsin
Thomas Bentsen- 23- Oiler- St. Joseph, Michigan
Edward Bindon -47- First Asst. Engineer- Fairport Harbor, Ohio
Thomas Borgeson -41- Maintenance Man- Duluth, Minnesota
Oliver Champeau- 41-Third Asst. Engineer- Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Nolan Church -55 -Porter -Silver Bay, Minnesota
Ransom Cundy- 53- Watchman- Superior, Wisconsin
Thomas Edwards-50- Second Asst. Engineer- Oregon, Ohio
Russell Haskell -40- Second Asst. Engineer- Millbury, Ohio
George Holl -60- Chief Engineer- Cabot, Pennsylvania
Bruce Hudson- 22- Deck Hand -North Olmsted, Ohio
Allen Kalmon -43- Second Cook- Washburn, Wisconsin
Gordon MacLellan- 30- Wiper- Clearwater, Florida
Joseph Mazes- 59- Special Maintenance Man -Ashland, Wisconsin
John McCarthy -62-First Mate -Bay Village, Ohio
Ernest McSorley -63 -Captain -Toledo, Ohio
Eugene O'Brien- 50- Wheelsman -Toledo, Ohio
Karl Peckol -20- Watchman -Ashtabula, Ohio
John Poviach -59- Wheelsman- Bradenton, Florida
James Pratt -44- Second Mate- Lakewood, Ohio
Robert Rafferty -62 -Steward -Toledo, Ohio
Paul Riippa -22 -Deck Hand -Ashtabula, Ohio
John Simmons -63 -Wheelsman -Ashland, Wisconsin
William Spengler -59- Watchman- Toledo, Ohio
Mark Thomas -21- Deck Hand- Richmond Heights, Ohio
Ralph Walton -58- Oiler- Fremont, Ohio
David Weiss -22 -Cadet -Agoura, California
Blaine Wilhelm -52- Oiler- Moquah, Wisconsin ( this took like 5 minutes to write lmfao ) If i made any mistakes tell meh plass ☝🤓
An additional note: The ore it was carrying could adsorb water. The ship could have been taking on water all day and nobody would know it. The ore could adsorb the water and it never reached the sump where it is normally pumped out. This is why some think it disappeared so fast; it had acquired a lot of water and the extra weight made it ride very low in the water. Then one wave came over the deck and the ship never came out the other side.
@@ShawnHCoreyLater on, in live concerts, GL changed the lyrics “the main hatchway gave in” to “it grew dark, he said then”. The reason being that people were upset that initially the investigation pointed to the hatches not being secured properly. In other words, it was crew negligence. Decades later I read they’re still not sure, but one video I watched said that even clamped, the hatches were good only under X feet of STILL water. So if the Three Sisters or another rogue wave hit, the hatches would have crumpled anyway.
(Side note: Oceanographers were more believing of the possibility that rogue waves existed and not just a sailor’s myth, but they didn’t have PROOF until…1995(?) with the Draupner oil platform.
GL also changed “musty old hall” to “rustic old hall” in concerts, because the hall was actually a church (real name: Mariners Church of Detroit) and he felt “musty” sounded disrespectful.
This is probably the greatest tribute song ever written.
Perhaps, but "Tribute" from Tenacious D was funnier! 😉😂
It is about "The Greatest Song in the World" (as they claim)
Candle in the wind Elton john? Although don't like the song it was huge at the time.
Canadian railway trilogy is most likely best.
Anyone who has tried to write a song... wow. This is not just a song. He is telling the story of people who died in a terrible storm. The responsibility is huge and then the difficulty in conveying everything that happened and making it all fit into a 3 minute song. This is pure song-writing genius.
And to do it in such an honorable and respectful manner. Wow. Lightfoot was a genius
I spent a couple of years researching this event about 15 years ago. Even after all this time, I still cry when I hear this song. I was a Coast Guard rescue swimmer on the Great Lakes so it really hits home with me. I was only 6 years old when this happened. November 10, 1975. To hear his passion in this song and relate it to my rescue swimming just adds another level to it all. Thank you for your review. The fact that it brought up that much emotion out of you is why Gordon Lightfoot wrote the song. He didn't want people to forget.
I was in high school when the Edmund Fitzgerald sank. I lived in a suburb of Detroit at the time, so, for us, this was big news. Not everyone knew about the Edmund Fitzgerald before it sank, about how it was the biggest of the freighters, but we damn sure knew all about it after it was wrecked.
I still remember the first time I heard this song. I was driving when it came on the radio. Eventually, I had to pull over because I couldn't concentrate on the lyrics and drive at the same time. And, yes, when the line "all that remains are the faces and the names, of the wives, the sons, and the daughters" came on, I bawled my eyes out. Honestly, the song came out in 1976, and sometimes that line still makes me cry. I admit it ... I got all teary-eyed watching your reaction to it!
This song is based on a true event. The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was a freighter carrying a full cargo of iron ore pellets that sank during a storm with hurricane force winds on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975, with a loss of the entire crew of 29 men. I had just graduated from high school that year. Back then, they didn't have the weather reporting that we do today. It was a very sad day indeed.
I was 10 years old at the time of the mighty Fitz sinking. I can remember my dad taking us out to the lake and watching the big ships coming by. The Fitz was a massive ship and I cried when she sank.
Chippewa is a native American tribe. It's said Gitche gumme is the name for Lake Superior in their language. You got the message about staying off the great lakes in November just right. I lived on Lake Michigan the day of that storm. I saw waves roll over the beach and down the street
Large lakes can be worse than the ocean during a storm. I’ve lost family members on Lake Winnipeg, which is the 8th largest lake in the world and is only 3/10 the size of Superior.
I learned about it around 6th or 7th grade. The story always stuck with me because of an uncle that ran fishing charter off of Lake Michigan.
May they be comforted by God.@@daerdevvyl4314
A Canadian singer, singing about an American tragedy! Another testament to the friendship of our two great nations.
Given the nature of the Great lakes, and Lakers in general, this tended to be more of a shared tragedy than an American tragedy. It could have just as easily have been the Canadian ship and everybody who works the lakes knew that.
FYI It did sink in Canadian water even though it was a American ship
@@79tazman well I want to see next is a video about the results of her deep dive into the rabbit hole.
@@79tazman I knew that, sad anyway you look at it.
The ship sank in Canadia waters.
I'm glad you're enjoying this. GORDON did a tremendos amount of research and visited with the families before releasing this song. He has always been known as a truly fine wordsmith. The fact that he makes you lean in and listen close to understand increases to listener's investment so when do you unpack it, the phrase hits you. It's much more powerful than if he sang it in language you were familiar with. When the whole culture of a story embrace you as one of their beloved dead, you manifest divity.
Gordon Lightfoot is possibly the best lyricist, songwriter or poet that Canada has ever produced. I remember this song as a kid on CBC Radio, now as an adult...
"All that remains are the faces and names of the wives and the sons and the daughters..." and I tear up.
This song is a lyrical masterpiece. You only get a song like this once in a generation, and this is ours. Requiescat in pace, Gordon.
Once in a lifetime
May perpetual light shine upon them...
The song was not only Gordon Lightfoot's tribute to everyday working men who put their lives on the line for their families, but also his powerful reaction to the minimal coverage the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald got from the media. All the profits from the song went to the families.
I don't know how you could say there was four media coverage or maybe that was Nationwide I lived in Cleveland at the time this happened it was on the news every day for months
@@williamlukacik4648 I was 11 years old at the time in Chicago and never heard a word about this until the song came on the radio. I wasn't sure until I was older that it was even a real wreck. I was paying attention to the news at the time. The EF went down in 1975, and I was very familiar with the news of the prior two yeas, the OPEC oil embargo. So it was not like I was some (totally) dumb kid. As a member of the blue collar class tho, this song really hit hard. I knew it had to do with steel production and risky work, which was made more clear as I got to college age and did a project on the SE side, the 10th Ward, where there were many steel workers and their families. I learned that steel production involved crazy large shipments of iron ore and coal, etc. Later, during my career, I toured US Steel, an "integrated" steel mill. That is, they took raw materials at one end and rolled out coils of steel at the other. I never toured another steel mill, but I suppose from the terminology, non-integrated mills would take close to finished product. Still dangerous work. The workers are wearing basically flame suits, almost like space suits, near some of the equipment. Back to the song, the tight vocals and rhythm, the sort of emphatic pronunciation that evokes a mariner telling a tale, this is a mood piece and a fitting elegy. We should remember that these tragedies happen all the time as part of the sacrifice to produce the comforts of our lives. Videos abound, one of which showed a huge sip breaking in two midship. What is crazy is that you might expect that on the open ocean, but a few miles from shore in a lake? We should remember that Lake Superior is the deepest of the Great Lakes. I think that means it gets the biggest waves, but I am prepared to be corrected. I do know that the lake is so deep that 30 years ago I read about a bespoke trend before we had a name for that. Wood that was being transported from Michigan through L. Superior had been lost a century before; so many ships had gone down. This was desirable old growth hardwood. It was found to have been preserved by the lack of oxygen and the coldness at the bottom of that deep lake. So there was a market to retrieve it for high-end furniture or whatever. Kind of gross, imo. I felt it should be left as a grave marker or perhaps shown in a museum.
The death of the cook breaks me every time. And I've known it was coming for nearly 50 years
I always envision Gordon having imagined him as a grizzled old sailor = who'd been around and therefore knew before everyone else it was 'lights out'
I was a young lady when this song came out. I didn't until it. So I asked. Now I cry every time I hear it. I'm 66 now. And I'm still crying.. it's an emotional thing to listen to Gordon's music.
Growing up in a Great Lakes community in the 70's and 80's, with community members lost, we were raised listening to this song.
I'm from Ashtabula - Lake Erie. We lost 3 boys on that ship.
@@jerrybowers3174 I'm so sorry for your loss.
it was in constant rotation on all the radio stations in Thunder Bay
I was a sailor in the Navy, and this damn song brings tears to my eyes every time.
Retired from the Navy in '94...listen to this ballad every Nov. 10th and still cry my ass off today...happened upon this reaction video and can't thank @brittreacts enough for sharing this with RUclips nation...she is adorable and seemed very sincere ❤
Same here for many Marines. Greatest tribute song, in all my 63 years, that I have ever heard in my opinion!
When you add in the fact that this was a tribute to all those 29 men who lost their lives aboard in an instant, it takes on a whole other meaning.
When you research the wreck, the ship was broken in half, the smaller ship that was following never saw the ship go down and never saw a lifeboat or survivor as they passed over, literally minutes after. The reports go hand in hand with the song and you have to read those to understand just how deep this song's meaning is.
When you read the reports and listen to this it becomes very emotional. I was born in 72 in Traverse City MI adopted at birth, and I cry when I hear this every time, I feel there is a greater connection for me.
This in the Great Lakes region is larger than the Titanic in historic significance.
My father was a Great Lakes wreck diver. I grew up learning all about the hundreds and hundreds wrecks all over the lakes. This song was played constantly and it always brings tears to my eyes.
Gordon was disappointed with the scant media coverage so he wrote this as a tribute to the 29 men who died. Lake Superior is like an ocean in its size. It's the world's largest freshwater lake by surface area - 31,700 square miles (82,100 square kilometres), or roughly the size of Maine - and holds 10 percent of the world's surface fresh water. (By volume, it's the third largest, behind Lake Baikal in Siberia and Lake Tanganyika in eastern Africa.) Lake Superior's 3 quadrillion gallons are enough to cover both North and South America under a foot of water.
It's also over 1300 feet in depth at spots, though apparently it was "only" 500 feet deep where the ship sank.
Gorden Lightfoot read the article about the sinking in Newsweek Magazine, & it inspired him to write "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald".
@@DavidSmith-pg1ob Actually I had read once that at its deepest point it's around 2,000 feet. I think Michigan is second at about 950 feet.
It’s 3rd largest only when you artificially consider Michigan Huron to be 2 separate lakes.
@@DavidSmith-pg1ob The surface of Lake Superior is about 600 feet above sea level, the highest elevation of the Great Lakes. But the deepest point in the lake, 1300 feet below, is lower than the deepest point in the rest of the Great Lakes even with the 167 foot drop of Niagara Falls between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Lake Superior alone holds more fresh water than the other four Great Lakes combined.
If this song doesn't bring a tear to your eye, you are not human. Amazing song, one of Gord's best
Glad to report that I'm human.
I was born in Wisconsin and remember when this happened. I had relatives who knew crew members on that ship. Every year, at Whitefish Point, on the anniversary they go through the roll call and either a family member, friend, or a member of the Coast Guard goes up and rings the ship's bell (it's the actual bell off the ship). You can find videos of the ceremony. Every time the bell rings it just sends shivers up your spine.
You're right that this song is super-powerful: in fact, Gordon's song was so enormously popular when it first came out --- and emotionally-moving --- that it was the main reason that so many people started noticing and remembering about this particular wreck (i.e., the Edmund Fitzgerald was just one of thousands of other lost ships on the Great Lakes, and so if Gordon hadn't produced this attention-riveting song about it, the Fitzgerald would likely have been largely forgotten otherwise), researching it, and so on.
Gordon Lightfoot (Lightfoot is an Indian name), donated all proceeds of this album to the surviving families of each victim. 🎼🎶♥️👍
Chippewa is tribe native to that area
It was carrying iron ore. "Gales of November", "Witch of November" = Bad windy weather. Gitchagumi is the Indian name for Lake Superior.
Gichi-gami. He misquoted Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha
The Great Lakes are basically huge inland seas, more than lakes. “ Gave Early” means that they came early. The ship was an iron ore carrier. Steel is made from iron ore.
@@ritafoster4958 I live on Lake Ontario, the Eastermost great lake and the 2nd smallest. It's so large you can't see the other side (which is Canada).
The Edmund Fitzgerald was 730 feet long, 75 feet wide and had a draft of 25 feet. It carried 26,000 imperial tons of iron pellets on its last trip. It sank in 530 feet of water 17 miles from Whitefish Bay. The 15 miles in the song refer to nautical miles which are slightly different than land miles. The storm generated 25 foot waves with some reaching 35 feet in height.
The ship Arthur M. Anderson was trailing the Fitz when the Fitz’s captain radioed that they were taking on water and had a list. He also told them that the Fitz had lost both radars and required the AA to guide them. The Fitz slowed to about 10 miles from the AA. As the weather worsened, it started to snow and the AA lost sight of the Fitz’s ship lights, then it lost them on radar.
Some interesting notes:
1. The ship bell sounds the change of the watch every 4 hours. (Noon, 4pm, 8pm, midnight, 4am, 8am.)
2. Edmund Fitzgerald didn’t want the ship name after him. He argued for several others. He abstained from voting, but it was otherwise unanimous.
3. His wife Elizabeth christened the ship but it took 3 tries to break the champagne bottle. (For the superstitious out there)
4. Superior’s worst winds are in November. The warm moist air from the south collide with the arctic air from the north to create giant cyclones They are so large the the wind speeds are relatively slow, but still plenty of high for ships on the lake. The relatively warmer water of the Great Lakes adds energy to the storm systems. Yeah, Superior is very cold, but it’s warmer than the arctic air coming down. Wind driven waves on the Grate Lakes have a very short period of just a few seconds between crests.
5. No one knows why caused it to sink exactly. Evidence points to it breaking up on the surface and to the existence of an unknown shoal where the AA reported the Fitz being. The fact is 26,000 tons doesn’t change direction of motion easily. If the front of the ship was driven up by a large wave, the stress on the keel would have been very high. Do that enough times and it breaks. The large cargo hatches weren’t weathertight which lends credence to it simply filling with water and sinking.
6. The Coast Guard was criticized for not issuing a warning until after the winds reached storm level. On the other hand, the captain of the Fitz was known for pushing through storms so who knows if an earlier warning would have helped?
7. Strangely, no government agency seemed interested in determining the cause of the wreck.
8. Like what happens often after tragedies, the rules changed after this accident. No ship would be on the open water during a similar storm these days.
9. The Chippewa are a Native American tribe. Gitche Gumee is supposedly their name for Lake Superior according to the song. I don’t know if that’s right.
Not a sailor, but it's my understanding that ore carriers periodically submerge in rough storms from operating so close to their buoyancy limits; they're only slightly below and resurface in a matter of seconds. Taking on water (supposedly from the failed hatch cover) encroached on Big Fitz's limited buoyancy and the first real warning the crew had was when the ship submerged from a storm crest and never resurfaced.
A report done in 2010 did not show open hatch covers or a non-water tight condition, APART FROM EXPLOSIVE PRESSURE from the hold filling from below. Explosive in the sense that if you put enough pressure in your can of beer, it will burst. The ship is broken in two, which shows a catastrophic failure of the hull, near the mid point.
@@twylanaythiasthere have been at least a few visits to the wreck underwater. They were not able to determine the failure. In fact in later years, Gordon changed the line "At 7 PM a main hatchway caved in, he said fellas it’s been good to know ya." to "At 7 PM it grew dark, it was then he said fellas it’s been good to know ya.".
The ship does lie in two pieces, but why it broke up is unknown. It’s not uncommon for very large ships to do so. The stresses as they sink are enormous and they rarely sink fore and aft simultaneously. The end afloat may rise high enough to be insufficiently supported by the water. Ships aren’t designed to do that. However, it’s entirely possible it split in two on the surface and then sank. It’s also possible it ran aground took on water then split in two and then sank.
@@ryangrimm9305interestingly, when the Titanic sank, survivors reported the boilers exploding blowing the ship in two. Evidence at the wreckage shows the boilers did not explode. It also showed that the middle of the ship was missing. They believe that when the bow went under, air pressure built in the stern from compression. The keel amidship was the point under the most stress and the middle was blown out in pieces too small to find in the debris field. So your theory is highly plausible.
9:20 Gordon is saying that if the Fitzgerald had "put fifteen more miles behind her" --- i.e., gone another fifteen miles further than it did --- it would have reached the safety of Whitefish Bay, where surrounding land-masses formed a quieter sheltered harbor-area that would have blocked the heavy waves that could have further damaged the ship.
Gordon Lightfoot was Bob Dylan's favourite songwriter. So yes, he was a great poet.
Does any one know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours.
One of the most haunting lyrics in music history.
Britt your community is giving you top songs to react to. This one and Sundown are 2 of my favorites.
This is my favorite melancholy song. It has legs enough but nothing I can't handle. Watching you react transfered your emotions through the screen and gave this thing all new life and sadness.
Knowing the the 29 times was coming and you didn't was like watching a kid go out into traffic but you can't call them back. Brace for emotional impact.
Greatest reaction vid yet. TY. 🙏🏾❤️
It would be Lake Superior, through the Lochs at Sault Ste Marie, down the Saint Mary's River, down through Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair and finally through Lake Erie to the port in Cleveland.
The Lakes, come November become unbelievably treacherous. Monster storms that can blow up out of nowhere with hurricane force winds, waves as high as 30ft in some cases, and the dreaded Three Sisters... a set of 3 waves that usually roll up from behind the ship, are honestly HUGE, and are known to sink ships.
The Big Fitz (The Edmund Fitzgerald's nickname)was the last major wreck on the Great Lakes, going down on 11-10-1975. All hands on board were lost.
A masterpiece for the ages. Well done Mr Lightfoot. Godspeed to you.
I work at the steel mill the Edmond Fitzgerald was destined for. If you did not sail the iron ore over the Great Lakes during the winter months then car manufacturing and appliance manufacturing would cease and prices would escalate to unattainable levels for the consumer.
God bless the men and women who have to treck this journey and may they always be safe.
Now the ore goes to China.
Exactly!
@@orangeandblackattack Exactly!
Kids raised in Michigan heard this song at least once a year, in November, as radio stations would play it.
45 years on and it still evokes tears.
I think kids on all the GL states did/do.
Born and raised in Michigan, this song gets me every time I hear it. 😢
The Gales of November - as most famously illustrated in Gordon Lightfoot’s song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” can bring violent storms, creating gale-force winds that cause gigantic waves and fury on Lake Superior.
Mr Gordan Lightfoot was indeed a poet..listen to every one of his songs and you will see and hear it..He actually asked the families of every lost soul on that ship before he released this as a single..they listened to it and said yes.. They still ring the bell 29 times on the anniversary of its loss..but now they add an extra one for Mr Gordan Lightfoot..l have known and listened to this song mamy times and l always watch when someone reviews it and still cry every time even though l know whats coming..it sank in Lake Superior..the deepest and darkest of the lakes..my dad is from Michigan and we lived there for a few yrs..the winters are hard..especially on those lakes. 🇬🇧💕🙏✝️👏🇺🇸
These aren't lyrics this is just pure prose, truly beautiful and heart wrentching. Gordon was a special kind of artist.
"We are holding our own" -- the last communication from the Edmund Fitzgerald's Captain Mcsorley when queried by the Arthur M. Andersen how they were doing. 10 minutes later, she suddenly disappeared from sight and from radar of the Andersen (who was only a few miles behind her trying to guide her in the storm because their radar masts had been damaged). It was quick and catastrophic, whatever happened. You can find pictures of her broke in 2 at the bottom of the lake., 533 feet down.
Classic Gordon Lightfoot. ❤️
So good to see the young carry on elder songs. “Cat’s and the Cradle” Harry Chaplin. You will never forget once you have heard the song. 🐺
Here in Australia when the "Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald" was played on radio I was shocked then learnt that Gordon's song was based on a true story even more shocked.
Every time I see someone react to it, I get 😢
For those of us old enough to remember the news, this song touches our hearts. I still tear up hearing the lyrics.
For those that complain about toxic masculinity, know that those 29 souls knew they may not survive hauling iron ore and steel. Your buildings, bridges, autos, and many of things you consider part of daily life would not be possible without men braving the weather and shipping hazards.
I was kid and I remember hearing the news on the Cleveland news. I had pictures of the Fitz' unloading in Cleveland about 2 years prior.
Strength, skill and bravery have nothing to do with "toxic" masculinity, which is a type of bad behavior. I just wish "toxic" femininity was called out as often. Bad behavior is not linked to gender or race but is learned.
@@DarqJestor
I've been married 47 years to a girl who could have been a model, an artist, or professional cellist. I caught a woman my Dad thought was crazy for marrying me. She was his favorite even above his own daughters.
When I asked her out on our first date, her response was, "I sure would!"
Beautiful, talented, and honest. What more could a man want?
[Other shoe drops] after about 30 years she started to have health issues. It'd always been me. I refereed football, basketball, and umpired a couple years at the college level for baseball. I am still in reasonably good shape. But I've had 27 surgeries. When she started getting sick (colitis, and a couple other immune-related illnesses), she became bitter, and abusive. Nothing physical, thank goodness. She knows I'm stronger than any man she's ever known. I have my own universal gym, and still use it at 69.
I can't tell anyone because I know for certain there's no chance in hell anyone would believe it. At one point we went to marriage counseling. It was a dude I had a lot in common with. But, they turned on me and blamed me for everything.
I have no idea what to do other than what I'm doing: shut up and take it.
I'd rather die than divorce. She's 100% faithful, as am I. And, when she's not mad at me, which is 95% of the time, she's great. In. Every. Way. And yes that means what you think, including making me a sandwich if I ask. This is the first time I've ever written this down, and it's going to be the last.
Well said.
Toxic masculinity is being an asshole with the justification that you are a guy, its called toxic for a reason, implying there is non toxic versions of masculinity.
I'm so glad that you saw the poetic meaning in the best line in this song. "Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours"
Beautiful line. My take on this is that in times of unbearable stress, it is difficult, if not impossible, to calm oneself with comforting thoughts of God or family or friends. The mental torture makes each minute feel like an hour.
I well up with tears every time I hear this song. Gordon Lightfoot was a tremendous story teller. But this song holds a special place in my heart. I was a Senior in High School when this happened. I remember the news stories and the interviews on the news of families hoping for the best but knowing in their hearts the outcome of the search would be the worst. The Ship was what is called a "Bulk Carrier". It carried Iron ore from the mines in Minnesota to the Steel Mills in Wisconsin. Thank You for sharing. I have to agree with you on what we are taught in public schools. The Chippewa are American Indians or if you will, Indigenous People. and the "Gitche Gumee" was the Chippewas name for Lake Superior back in the 17 and 1800's.
Interesting fact I just recently found out about Lake Superior, where the Fitzgerald went down -- it's not really a lake, technically it's an inland sea. We just call it a lake out of habit.
This is a song about the loss of at the time the largest lake boat in Canada. These ships were called lakers or lake boats, they carried bulk cargo such as grain, coal or iron ore. I personally travelled through the lakes to Chicago on a British ship carrying grain, and we were one of the first ships to enter the lakes after the winter of 1973 . Before we even entered the lakes we hit a huge iceberg in the St Lawrence seaway which caused us to limp into Montreal for repairs. Even so the Lloyds register of London reported my ship as lost at sea for three days, my parents thought I was lost.
As a teenager at the time I have to say when I heard we were traversing the Great Lakes I really didn’t know what to expect. Imagine my dismay when sailing across these lakes, when you don’t see any land for 2 ,3 or 4 days because they are so big and consequently have a whole climatic/weather system of their own which can be brutal. RIP the crew of the many ships that have perished in those bitterly cold waters. ❤
The Fitz was built in Detroit and owned by Northwester Mutual based in Milwaukee. The Port of registry was also Milwaukee.
It was an American ship.
Britt I strongly suggest you and the husband take a vacation to the Michigan coast areas to see the lakes for yourself. They are truly majestic. These aren't the lakes you go to the beach and swim in. You can't see the shoreline on the other side. They are really inland seas, the vestiges of the last ice age. The water is cold till July in the lower ones and it never gets warm in Superior. You don't go boating on them unless you know what you are doing. They are forces of nature demanding respect. But that are beautiful and awesome inspiring. There's magnificent fishing and wondrous sand dunes.You can collect fossilized stones right off the beach. Ernest Hemingway absolutely loved this area. His family had a summer home in Northern Michigan and he wrote his first stories there before WW1. You can do guided tours of the home and areas he traversed. Finally because of the lakes Michigan has more coastline than Florida.
I never said what nationality the EFitz was.I merely referred to the fact that they were all referred to as “lakeboats “ or “Canadian lakeboats” or “Lakers”. They all have a unique look designed around the fact they had to traverse the locks of the Welland canal and others on the lakes.There are many other reasons these ships>…….and I say ships because they were not boats. The design of these ships were narrower and longer. They typically had the bridge at the bow of the ship and they had a second superstructure at the rear of the ship .. I remember the first time I ever saw one of these ships I was confused because all my life previous had thought that ships had all the superstructure for accommodation and navigation at the rear of the ship. The ship that I was on was a conventional bulk carrier with all the superstructure to the rear, my beautiful memories of that trip were passing through the bay of a thousand islands, and eventually arriving at Chicago . All those bridges opening up for us to slide through, magical memories .❤️
Fair enough. I’m somewhat familiar with these boats, because I have done repair work on several of them. I even got the chance to ride on one (the Lee A Tregurtha needed an emergency repair while they sailed).
So, I know some stuff, heard some stories, I’ve just never heard them referred to as Canadian lake boats.
@@JohnStrandt not worth responding to
I grew up on Lake Superior. The storms that come off of that lake in November can be insane. There's a reason it's called an inland ocean.
Gails = WestWinds from across the Northern portion of Canada.
The ship had to cross Lake Hurron, and Superior (the Great Lakes).
This is a TRUE STORY.
Yes, White Fish Bay was just ahead, only 15 miles ahead of the November winds.
Edmund Fitzgerald is at the bottom of the lake.
To answer an earlier question.
They were shipping Iron Ore to the Steele Mills.
Still, today, there is a memorial event each year on the anniversary which the ship's bell is rang in remembrance of each sailor on board.
The Great Lakes are a major waterway for iron ore from mines in Minnesota and Upper Michigan to the steel mills in Indiana, Ohio, and points east. The St. Lawrence Seaway it's called. Goes all the way to the Atlantic. The Edmund Fitzgerald is what we call an "ore boat". She sank in a gale in Lake Superior. The Chippewa (Anishinabe) are a Native American people from Northern Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ontario, etc. Gitchee Gumi approximately means "Big Water". This is totally based on a true story, which was big time news in the north in 1975. Gordon Lightfoot, a Canadian, wrote the song in 1976, I think. It's a very emotional, sad, great song.
Nobody could tell a story in a song like the late great Gordon Lightfoot. This is one of the most hauntingly beautiful sad songs of all time. Once you hear this song you will never forget it. Whoever recommended this song to you...I tip my hat to them. When the singer Gordon Lightfoot passed away the cathedral in Detroit which is mentioned in this song rang their bell 30 times, once for each of the men lost with the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald and once for Mr Lightfoot. Cheers from Ottawa, Canada🍁
A brilliant song about a horrible tragedy in November 1975. God bless their souls 🙏
The iron ore carriers take taconite ore from Minnesota to the steel mills of Detroit, Cleveland and by rail, to Pittsburg, at least back when all those cities were the heart of America's steel industry. I used to live in the Detroit area and had an office overlooking the Detroit River. The Detroit River basically connects Lake Huron to Lake Erie. The iron ore boats would often unload at the River Rouge complex owned by Ford Motor Company, and their mill would make steel for their automobiles. Once unloaded, the ships immediately turn around and head back to the iron ore mines. They would do this until the waterways started to freeze or the weather got too treacherous. I've sailed on the Great Lakes and they can be as dangerous as the ocean. In a poetic way, the song is actually a pretty accurate description of what happened. The Mariners Church in Detroit, overlooking the Detroit River is where many memorial services for those who have perished on the lakes are held. The Great Lakes have claimed far more lives than you'd imagine.
BTW, you need to buy a map! Plus, the Chippewa are a native American Indian tribe indigenous to the area.
These lakes make their own weather. My husband and I went to Tobermory one year on Lake Huron for May 8th. They were just able to open boat traffic including the ferry to Manitoulin Island that day because of the weather. Lake Ontario can spit ice shelves up on the shore at any given time in the winter and it is more to the south than Superior. This masterpiece by Mr. Lightfoot is doubly sad in its history and poetry. He was a true bard. Ontario has shared many talented people with the world, but he was one of the greats. I am glad you said you were going to learn about the background of the song. I was alive when it happened and it was huge news. This song has always been a favorite and I am basically an old metal head. Keep leaning and discovering.
Gale is a very strong wind - this is why Dorothy *Gale* is the main character of The Wizard of Oz.
Yes, the Mighty Fitz was a Great Lakes freighter - she was the largest ship to have sailed the Great Lakes, and is the largest ship to sink there. She also set 6 records for hauling freight across the Lakes.
She sank in a very bad storm with near-hurricane level winds and waves 35 feet high, only 15 (nautical, 17 non-nautical) miles away from a bay that would have sheltered her from the storm.
When Gordon wrote the song, they hadn't found where the Mighty Fitz's wreckage. They have since then.
Largest to sail when launched, by todays' standards she'd be too small to be profitable. Still the largest wrecked though. 729ft long vs the current queen of the Lakes is the MV Paul R. Tregurtha at 1013.5ft.
Definitely not the biggest anymore, but many ships of that era and size are still sailing the lakes. I assume they're profitable. The Arthur M. Anderson was with the Fitz when she went down and is already loading in Minnesota for her first trip of '24.
@@glahtiguy _"Still the largest wrecked though."_ To be fair, that's not exactly a record anyone *wants* to beat.
They salvaged the ship's bell, but families of the men wanted the rest if the Fitz left undisturbed as a grave site. You cannot dive the wreck at all anymore, it was only done the once in order to recover the bell
When Gordon heard this in the news it barely got any recognition. So Gordon, having such a kind heart, wrote this to bring it the attention it deserved. What a kind soul. I feel for those families still.
And he accomplished his mission beautifully.
The newspaper article he read about the sinking was only a few lines and couldn’t even be bothered to spell the ship’s name right.
Gordon made it so the sinking would never be forgotten. It’s unfortunate how many other shipwrecks didn’t get that level of respect and care.
Gordon Lightfoot was connected to one of the sailors' families, and wrote this for a memorial service after his buddy didn't come back. People said he ought to record it, but he didn't want to sing other people's pain unless they're okay with it, so he went around to all the families of people who'd been lost and asked them for permission to release it.
I love watching you come around with the love for some of this classic music that I grew up with! Thanks for appreciating our culture!
I am a Marine, and this song brings me to tears every time I hear it. Gordon is a talented story teller.
As a child living across from Detroit Michigan in WIndsor ontario Canada. My dad pointed out the Edmund Fitzgerald saying it was the largest ship on the Great lakes . Gordon Lightfoot went to the church a few times to hear the bells chime 29 times. With the verse that says in a musty old hall.. One of the mothers gave him heck saying it wasn't musty. So he later changed to the words to Rustic old hall. Every year you can hear the bells chime from the Detroit river. and it was really cool hearing them chime 30 times last year. One for Mr Lightfoot.
Having been in Mariners Hall multiple times, musty is not inaccurate.
@@donpietruk1517 he changed it for later performances
The last transmission from the Edmund Fitzgerald: "We're holding our own." After that, she was lost with 29 souls.
When I was a kid, I saw the Edmund Fitzgerald go thru the locks at Soo Saint Marie. It was later that year I heard of the sinking and remembered that was the name of the ship I had seen just months earlier. No matter how many time I hear this song, I get tears in my eyes every time
On November 10th, 1975, [49] years ago. The Edmund Fitzgerald sinks in Lake Superior. The biggest of the Great Lakes. Twenty-Nine men lost their lives never to be recovered. " Lake Superior never gives up her dead"-Gorden Lighfoot. The Chippewas are an Indian tribe. They called Lake Superior (Gitche Gumee).
He’s a master lyricist!! A tribute to the people who died in that tragic accident 😢 RIP, too GL
The Edmund Fitzgerald was a Great Lakes ore carrier, she was one of the veteran ships on the Great Lakes. This song is about the night that "Big Fitz" as she was nicknamed was lost with all hands in November of the early 1970's.
Gordon Lightfoot was a Canadian songwriter and storyteller, the story of the loss of the ship was across all the news stations. Gordon Lightfoot wrote the song about one to two years after the loss.
I'm 55 years old, never been to America, but this song still brings a tear to my eye every time I hear it.
The U.S. Navy has ships that patrol the great lakes, including training cruises. Whenever they pass over the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, there is a ceremony observed to honor those fallen sailors.
The ship's bell of the Edmund Fitzgerald was retrieved, and replaced with a replica, for use in museums or education, but never a for-profit use.
All the proceeds he got went straight to the families of each men on the Edmund Fitzgerald. He wrote this song for the men and their families.
Gordon Lightfoot recorded the song in December, 1975, only around a month after the _SS Edmund Fitzgerald_ wrecked in Lake Superior. It was released in August, 1976. Also, the Chippewa (also called Ojibwe) are a Native American tribe, some of which live along parts of Lake Superior, which in their language, they call _Gichie Gumee_ . Hope this helps!
Just because it's sad, doesn't keep it from being great! A true classic! If more "history" was written like this, maybe more people would know it!
So many of us who will listen to this throughout our lives and no matter who is hearing this song for the first time...we listen along and cry. Quietly cry for the crew as if they were our family.
So true. I always cry when I listen to this song. My sister lived up in Duluth and I'd always head down to the harbor where the lake freighters were coming and going. Lake Superior's like an ocean but frigidly cold. This song is a poetic masterpiece.
The Chippewa are a Native American tribe from that area. "Gitce Gumee" roughly translates as "big water." Lake Superior is so cold year round that bacteria cannot grow in the bodies of drowning victims, so gasses don't build up and bodies don't float. Hence, the lake never gives up her dead. The wreck is charted and is now marked as a gravesite and is off limits to diving. To this day, when ships pass over the site, they ring their bell 29 times. At the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral they rang the bell 30 times on the day of Gordon Lightfoot's death.
It's actually "Mariners' Church," but Gord needed to fill out the meter... ;-)
I love someone who is willing to listen to good music and can appreciate it and, yes, it is like a poem. I remember when the song came out.
I am 70 yrs old . Iwas a young man when I visited Mackinaw's locks where I saw the captains' face. His eyes I will never forget. I cry every time I hear this song.
I'm also 70 years old. When I was a young man of 21 , I was with a friend on our way to an annual fishing trip to Canada.We stopped at the Soo locks and saw the Edmond Fitzgerald pass through the locks in the summer before it sank. Several years later , we visited the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish point. I talked to an old man from Sault Ste. Marie.He said the day the ship sank, it was like 100 freight trains were coming through the Soo. He thought his house would blow away. In 1976, I was in Columbus ,Ohio trying out new speakers for my stereo system. I took that record of Gordon's to choose my speakers. So, I have a soft place in my heart for the man and his song. I also cry every time I hear it.
She was an iron ore carrier.
This is about the 12th time I have watched your reaction. It is the best you have ever done. Being a sailor i had to laugh when you called it a flotation device lol. You are so genuine and honest with your reaction that it made my heart sing. Not often do we get someone who tries so hard to explain wat the song meant to you. It is a true tribute to the men who went down. It is also in my opinion one of Gordon Lightfoots best songs. He did a lot of research to construct this song as a great tribute to the lost men. I had a great grandfather who sailed the Great Lakes foe 30 e so i can associate with their hardships. I also spent 10 years in the U S Navy and did 3 shipboard tours and 1 tour on a merchant marine ship yo help some scientists with their experiments. We handled the explosives they needed and set off the charges. Congratulations on such a v ery authentic and heart felt reaction. I also grew up in Michigan so i was familiar with the Great Lakes and i can tell you from experience Lake Superior is very cold even in August the hottest summer month.. the clue that the Chipewa is an indian tribe is in the first and last verse that they call gitchee gumi whiich actually should be gitchee gami but i guess gitchee gumi sounded better lol. Great job and keep being real. Love ya Poppy Wayne
RIP Gordon Lightfoot. Loved his music