Gordon Lightfoot "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" Reaction | Asia and BJ
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"Does anybody know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours" sends chills down my spine every time.
Every time, never fails
Gordon Is a Poet....
Yes!!🙌🏻
Incredible lyric. Lightfoot is a genuine poet
Chills down my spine and a tear to my eyes.
Gittchie Goomie was the native American name for Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes, which could be particularly treacherous during the horrific storms it was subjected to. Lightfoot is a Canadian icon who is a master storyteller and had a string of hits in the US in the 70s and 80s and this was his biggest. Heartbreaking and vivid storytelling. Lightfoot gave all the proceeds of the songs to the survivors of the wreck.
From Henry Wadsworth Longfellows Poem - The Song Of Hiawatha - "By the shore of Gitche Gumee,
By the shining Big-Sea-Water,
At the doorway of his wigwam,
In the pleasant Summer morning,
Hiawatha stood and waited."
Good backstory but the Edmund is off the shores of munising MI...lake SUPERIOR..not lake Michigan or none of the other great lakes
@@matthewgenyas4454 I know it's Lake Superior Matthew. Did you not read my thing?
Unfortunately there were no survivors, he gave the proceeds to the family members left behind
More like Gichi gami in the Ojibwe language. Usually pronounced gitchi gami, or sometimes kitchi gami in a different dialect. I grabbed this off wikipedia but have seen this info elsewhere.
Gordon Lightfoot has passed away on May 1st, 2023 at the age of 84. His funeral took place in his home town of Orillia, Ontario 🇨🇦 He will be forever beloved and ever missed. And in honour of his passing the families of the 29 lost on the Edmund Fitzgerald rang the bell 🔔 29 times plus 1 more time for 30 for Gordon Lightfoot. Our 🇨🇦 troubadour.
I hope he knows he lives on. His music is nothing short of brilliant
I was a sailor (US Navy) and this song hits me in the guts every time, very emotional. Every sailor's worst night mare.
I'd imagine so! My hat's off to you and all who go out on the waters for a noble purpose!
I served aboard the , Charles F. Adams (DDG-2). We got caught in a storm in the North Atlantic, on our way back from the Med. It was a rollercoaster! I miss it!
My dad was in the Navy during WW2. Right after the war ended they were transporting part of the 1st Marine Division from Okinawa to China when they got caught in a typhoon. He said his ship came within 3 degrees of capsizing and he was never more scared in his life. Eugene Sledge mentions this typhoon in his book China Marine.
But I give major respect because you know what being a sailor is and I love the respect you give all those who came before..
Dude.. I get you. If you can check out the French Canadian song Partons la mer est belle.
My Uncle George was one of the 29. He just turned 30 the previous August. I was only 8 when this happened. He was my favorite relative. Thank you for the reaction Asia & BJ. Much love, y'all are my favorite people on CZcams. ❤️
I was growing up in So.Cali when this happened...in 75 I was 13. I remember the news stories and eventually this song on the radio. People I grew up with had relatives or friends on the ship. It was heart breaking then and even more so after Gordon Lightfoots song came out to share the story. In 80 I moved to Oregon and then in 88' I moved to Michigan and one of the first songs I heard here was this song! Couldn't have ever seen that coming....its an anthem of sorts around here even now... no one will ever really know the exact sequence of events but I've heard it said that in a place where we don't technically have hurricanes it's ironic that the ship was sunk by one... sobering thought.
How very sad, I'm sorry for your family
So sorry your family lost your uncle.
I’m so sorry you lost your uncle. Love and peace to you and your family. ❤❤❤
Sorry for your loss
Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian icon, humble, kind and generous. The proceeds from the song were all donated to the families of the Fitzgerald's crew. Gordon is 83 years old, and still performs, a truly great story-teller and musician. Check out "Sundown", "If You Can Red my Mind", "Ghosts of Cape Horn", "Early Morning Rain" and "Canadian Railroad Trilogy"...
....Black Day in July...👍
Two more worth checking are "Daylight Katy" and "Beautiful".
Circle of Steel, Carefree Highway are some other tunes worth checking out by him.
I'm really grateful that all the young people are listening to all these great songs from the past,it guarantees that these songs will always be remembered. Thank you so much for doing this. May God's Blessings be upon you both
On the night of November 10th, 1975, the Irion ore carrier Arther M Anderson was about 5 miles behind and to the North of the larger Edmond Fitzgerald. Together they were battling a sudden and violent storm that was creating nearly unheard-of sea conditions. At one point in the night the Fitz radioed that they thought they were taking on water in their cargo holds but their pumps seemed to be holding their own. Not more than a ten minutes later they lost sight of the Fitz visually and on radar. The radio calls from that night are spooky to listen to. As to the fate of the ship and her 29-man crew it is believed by inspecting the wreck that a rough wave that had nearly rolled the Arther M Anderson caught up to the Fitz and caused her to nose over. Lifting her stern up high enough that the bow dove below the water and struck the lake bottom and this caused the ship to sheer in half. both sections of the doomed ship would have been fully submerged in a matter of moments not allowing any one to escape or the Aurther M Anderson to have seen it happen. I grew up in a commercial fishing family and even as a child I knew the bitter feeling of loss but then this happened and one of my best friends lost their uncle and his pain was somehow harder for me to handle. Its tuff losing those you love to the sea. As to why no bodies are recovered from ships in the Great lakes it's a phenomenon where the waters temp causes the bodies to never become buoyant and they freeze. I've seen pics of people pulled up after months, with the buildup of what is called Adipocere, or Corps Wax add this to the always near freezing temps at the bottom of the lakes and you get Never floating never aging bodies. For a great talk on this phenomenon see "The lake that never gives up her dead" by Ask a Mortician here on Utube.
If the bodies are frozen maybe at some point they can be brought back to life like Stalone and Snipes in Demolition Man.
It sank in 500-600 feet of water. It did not hit the bottom and break up and sink.
@@ckobo84 that’s a great idea. You need to reach out to someone because maybe the people up there haven’t seen that movie and don’t know of that possibility!!
@@kevinb9745 the ship was over 725' long.
True, however in order for the ship to have nose dived into lake bed it would have already been sunk and the fact that it had 52,000,000 pounds of iron ore make it clear there was no resurfacing going to happen.
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours" - gives me chills everytime I hear it.
The most profoundly. artistically accurate description of "Despair" that I have ever heard.
I always loved that line as well....then I joined the Navy and had been in such seriously dangerous waters that the super structure a couple aircraft carriers I was on had serious damage and we literally limped to the closest safe spot to repair damage. We actually had to pack necessities and put out the life rafts just in case. Called it "pitching deck". Another she actually cracked to the keel. First one was scary, the keel even our Fleet Admiral was going fuck. Called over the intercom so prepare to abandon ship and had the other ships prepare to take as many of us as they could. The minutes to hours line hit me during that and I understand it now with such a core verocity that now when I go out on my skiff I obsess over weather and water temp.
SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that sank in Lake Superior during a storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29 men. When launched on June 7, 1958, she was the largest ship on North America's Great Lakes, and she remains the largest to have sunk there...
Some songs are timeless, others don't age well. This one is, and forever will be, timeless. Everyone who ever hears it and listens to the haunting tune and lyrics can relate to those 29 souls trapped in the jaws of fate.
That line about the wives and the sons and the daughters makes me tear up every time.
"Does anyone know, where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" It's rare to hear a singer so successfully capture such a complex, huge life experience in single line in a song.
Yet that is every Gordon Lightfoot song. He's a poet to rival Leonard Cohen or Bob Dylan.
@@crhu319- He is the one who inspired both of them. Bob Dylan even said Gordon Lightfoot was his favorite singer/storyteller.
I graduated with victim Karl Peckol. Sat next to him in band and he was a great clarinet player. This was supposed to be his last voyage as he saved enough to go to college. Died at age 20. Plus another victim was from our town. I didn’t know him but my husband did. Last name was Riipa. A lot of broken hearts in Ashtabula, Ohio.
I found his name in the comments. Paul M Riippa, 22 years old. May God welcome all of the lost into the Kingdom of Heaven and into his loving embrace. May He walk by your side for your loss.
I am sorry
It was supposed to be the Captain’s last turn also before he retired, am I correct?
@@Jt02078- Yes. It was the last run for the season and he was retiring.
always get chills when he sings about the cook saying "Fellas it's been good to know ya"
My dad started working on the “Lake Boats” in the fall of 74. Interesting facts: the Captain was due to get off the ship in Cleveland as he was to retire. When the ship was found, the families decided to leave the bodies with the ship. The regular chief steward (cook) was off due to “bad feet” and his replacement was not a fan of the ship, in fact his daughter said later that he was going to refuse the post and that he had planned to get off the ship at the end of that trip and retire. Another man, Woodward, was a wheelman on the ship during the 74-75 season. Months before the sinking he contacted HQ and requested a transfer to another ship as he has a bad feeling about the ship.
It’s crazy similar to captain smith who was suppose to retire in New York after Titanic’s maiden voyage
He would have gotten off the boat in Zug Island.
The way I heard it, it was ulcers which kept the usual cook off the boat.
I think I was 10yrs old when this song came out. It haunted me for many many years. As a little boy in a town full of lakes, I could not grasp the idea of a boat sinking in a lake.One day, as a grown man, my wife and I visited the Chicago Navy Pier by Lake Michigan. My brain nearly collapsed inward when I realized the immense size of the body of water before me. At that moment, i knew the reality of the Edmund Fitzgerald tragedy in Lake Superior. This reaction video and the discussion u two had about will always be my favorite. You never know what sticks in the mind of a ten year old into adulthood.Glad u did this song.
RIP Gordon . . . You are always a Canadian icon and a musical treasure.
I watched a TV show special on The History Channel about this accident. They actually found the wreck on the bottom of the lake and the ship had been broken in two. They did a recreation of the destruction similar to that of the Titanic and what they believe happened is a huge rogue wave hit the ship which literally lifted up the stern and the bow simultaneously leaving the entire center section of the ship completely unsupported by water....it was literally in the air as if straddling two chairs. The massive weight of iron ore they were carrying caused the ship to catastrophically and immediately break into two. It was so sudden that no distress call could be made, she sank straight away like a lead weight. Lake Superior is one of the most treacherous waterways in the US and most of us don't realize that. The amount of goods transported by these fearless men day in and day out goes totally unnoticed as to how seriously dangerous their job is.
Not to be mean, but that theory has been debunked largely by the layout of the wreck site, Bernie Cooper who captained the Arthur Anderson that night came up with the most likely theory. He stated that shortly before he lost contact with the Fitzgerald, a series of waves rolled along his ship and off towards the Fitzgerald, his belief is the waves rolled up on the Fitzgerald, and made the bow *THOUSANDS* of tons heavier, forcing it under water, and if his belief that the Fitzgerald bottomed out on a shoal earlier in the trip is true, that would provide a weakpoint in the hull which would be more vulnerable to catastrophic failure.
Something is seriously wrong with some people who do not take such a tragedy serious. These jobs are very dangerous.I was born in Chicago which is right off of Lake Michigan and like Lake Superior is very dangerous at any time of year especially in November when these storms come up.Then no one should be on any of these Great Lakes.
@@audreyricci6383 They are some of the bravest men. Sailing on the Great Lakes is extremely dangerous.
Thank you for letting us know
Not just in the USA but in the world these lakes are not to be played with I grew up in Toronto on Lake Ontario these lakes get downright nasty
Being from Michigan, this story dominated the news the week I turned 18. For days, we hoped for news of survivors that never came. The Great Lakes, especially Superior, are truly inland, freshwater seas, with weather to match. Superior never gives up her dead because it is so deep and so cold that bodies don't bloat up with gas and float back to the surface. Once they sink, they stay at the bottom. The wreck has been found by scuba divers.
This masterpiece is equal parts sad and terrifying. Gordon wrote it so well, that he literally puts me right there on that ship with those poor souls. I can visualize every frightening minute of the tragedy, feel every crashing wave, and sense every prayer being uttered.
Loving that you listened so passionately to one of the most beautiful and haunting ballads ever written and sung.
*R.I.P. all who perished* 😔
Rest in Peace Gordon Lightfoot
Song based on real events. The freighter sank on Lake Superior in 1975, 29 died.
Michigan born and raised. I think those that hear “Great Lakes” really don’t understand these are inland oceans. Storms can frequently spring up out of nowhere. The Lakes create their own weather. Think about that. While we don’t have hurricanes because we’re too far north we absolutely have low pressure systems and wind and storms that rival hurricanes. Again, that can come out of nowhere. The geology of how the Lakes were formed create wave patterns not seen anywhere else on this planet. And they are wicked. I think most of Jacques Cousteau’s crew got seasick while exploring the Lakes. The water being so cold is why “Superior never gives up her dead”. I heard both of you asking why didn’t they call for help. There is no help here. The US Coast Guard cannot come and rescue you. Nobody can. There are at least 6000 shipwrecks that we know of in the Great Lakes. Probably at least 500 that haven’t been found yet. I am a scuba diver and am always in awe and humbled any time I dive in the Lakes. I was 8 when the Fitz sank and remember it very clearly because it dominated the news. It gives me chills every time I see her sister ship on the water. Great reaction you guys. Too many people get lost in the song rocking out to it without paying attention to the lyrics and realizing this really happened. And this was the Captain’s last run because he planned on retiring once they returned ashore.
Honestly they arguably worse than oceans. I took ship across superior and got so “sea sick”. I went on a cruise to the Caribbean in September out of Miami during the hurricane and didn’t get sick. Superior was much worse
I am born and raised in Minnesota too
Yet marine vessels of all kind continue to violate her everyday.@@hearttohartwithbri
Hello from Southwestern Ontario Canada Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian treasure when Gordon Lightfoot passed away Mariners church in Detroit Michigan rang the bell 30 times 29 times for the men lost on the Edmund Fitzgerald and one more time for Gordon Lightfoot . As someone whom has lived on lake Erie , Lake Superior and Lake Huron and fished all those lakes you learn three things 1 , too respect them . 2 , they can turn on you in a dime and 3 , the great lakes are oceans disguised as lakes . RIP too those 29 men whom lost their lives doing what they loved and RIP too Gordon Lightfoot .
I grew up a late 90s kid and my parents played so much "oldies" music I grew to hate EXCEPT when my dad played Gord's Gold. Rest in peace to a legend. His beautiful music overcame my generationally biased mind without even understanding that his words were poetry😅
@@Prof.Shmoop.P.Shmooply Hello and thank you you should take a listen too the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald it is a song based on an actual sinking of a ship in lake Superior its also got a haunting melody .
Lightfoot is a Canadian legend. He has had offers over the years to use this song in various shows, but he refuses to allow it. He protects the song as a tribute to the men who died that day. As far as what cause the ship to sink, I don't think anyone is sure. I have heard theories that they may have been hit by a series of monster waves that came out of nowhere. Those lakes can turn from calm into destroyers in a heartbeat, and Superior is the worst of them. I live near Lake Erie and there are hundreds of names on a monument of sailors who have lost their lives on the lake. If you want another picture of what the lakes can do, listen to "White Squall" by another Canadian icon, Stan Rogers.
Yes, thank you, ‘White Squall, is so beautiful and sad.
There's a documentary on the Edmund Fitzgerald. They found the ship and they dove the wreck. They say that the waves were so big that it lifted the boat out of the water and the boat split in two pieces and sent it straight to the bottom. The front of the boat is sitting upright while the back half of the boat is upside down. When the divers looked in the cabin seems like I remember there were still two bodies in the cabin. Superior is so deep and cold that the bodies are not decomposing. So everyone still on the boat that's why they couldn't find anyone. That's what in half and went straight to the bottom that's why there was no distress calls. It just split in half and went straight to the bottom. But it's a great documentary and it is on CZcams if you get a chance to watch it.
I live here in the U.P. and my great grandfather was the asst lighthouse keeper for whitefish point where they were trying to get to for several years. This song meant everything to my dad and now i listen to it on stormy nights to remember him. thanks for this. My dad once told me a story of a diver who was on the floor and turned around and there was a women still wearing her party dress and holding a glass. superior is that cold.
The wreckage was found.
When they were filming the wreckage, the submersible came around the ship and they found a crew members body on the sea floor next to the wreckage.
That part of the film was edited out and destroyed.
The public has never seen it.
The site is an official burial site, now.
People do not know how big the Fitz was. CV-6, the USS Enterprise, "The Big E" , WWII aircraft carrier, loaded, was 500 tons lighter than the load the Fitz was carrying.
Saw Gordan Lightfoot in concert , in a small outlet , just outside Philly , about 7-or 8 years before the Fitzgerald sank ....One of best story-tellers ever ..
I grew up along the shore of Lake Superior. This happened a few years before I was born, but the story and this song hits like I was there at that time. It is a part of the culture of the local area. Everyone knows you don't mess around with the lake, especially in the fall.
All of the emotions every time I hear this. November 10th, 1975. I was 11. I will never forget.
This is a beautiful tribute by one of the best Canadian singer songwriters. This is based on a true story & the lyrics tell the sad tale of the sinking of the ship & loss of lives in 1975. Gordon Lightfoot has had many hits through his long career such as "If You Could Read My Mind", "Sundown", "Carefree Highway", "Rainy Day People", Canadian Railroad Trilogy" & many more.
If You Could Read My Mind is one of my all time fav songs!😌
@@tinatreitler9192 mine too
Rest in Peace Gordon Lightfoot 😞
I have always been drawn to Gordon Lightfoot's ethereal and haunting voice. Very distinctive and unmistakable.
I've been in Michigan since 88' and this song is like an anthem to folks! Deep!
As a former sailor, hurricane force winds can blow any ship off course. I vividly remember the Edmonton Fitzgerald as it sank on my birthday in 1975. We rode out 2 cat,5 hurricanes and a monster typhoon. I still get chills when hurricanes force winds are forecast. The power strength and ferocity is beyond comprehending. God bless those brave men and their families.
The line where the cook says " fellas it's been good to know you" is the defining moment when they realize there is no way out
The other ship was SS Arthur Anderson which is still in service. Edmund Fitzgerald's last radio message was "We're holding our own". Once moment it was there, the next it wasn't. The Arthur Anderson was only a couple miles away from the Fitz. The Great Lakes are among the most dangerous waters in the world to sail because storms are confined to the relative small spaces of the Lakes.
Gordon Lightfoot is an amazingly talented singer/songwriter/storyteller/composer who is also a great humanitarian. After writing and performing this song, he donated ALL of his earnings from the popular song to the surviving family members of those who died in this tragic wreck. I had the honor of seeing Gordon Lightfoot in person at Symphony Hall in Boston sometime in the 1970’s. It was a great venue for hearing his lovely voice accompanied by his beautiful twelve string guitar skills. Great choice. Nice reaction. Love your channel. 🌺✌️
He also put it in his will that all future profits will continue to go to the families
This was in '76. They did not have all the fancy equipment they do now. The Navy still teaches navigation by the stars in case all power is lost. One reason put forth for the rapid sinking is a "rogue wave". A rare but extremely large wave.
i worked for the subsea company that retrieved the ships bell from the wreck and replaced it with a memorial bell. An old documentary on The Discovery Channel about it
That's my favorite doc on the Fitz. I've seen the bell at Whitefish Point.
You do realize that the families of the lost sailors considered that to be desecration of the grave of their loved ones?
I am USN Retired and a Disabled Veteran. This song is VERY HAUNTING.
Growing up in WI we all knew about the ship. Storms often hit the lakes.. many ships have sunk.. this was one memorialized in this song. I believe the wreck was eventually found via modern searching techniques. The bodies preserved in cold water I believe were left or no attempt, it's a grave.
Divers did bring up the ship's bell. Otherwise the wreck is left as a memorial.
It sunk in lake superior off munising MI
Frankly the whole video is a nice tribute. The pictures and names. The Lakes have taken many over the years.
I remember the storm that caused this tragedy as I still live at the very east end of Lake Superior. NO ONE here was surprised to find out the next morning that a laker was missing. I was only 12 at the time and even in our relatively sheltered area many tree tops were just gone. Not laying on the ground but gone.
Wow. I've never experienced a truly severe storm, it must be terrifying in open water.
I've been in storms where the captain tied himself to the wheel with a bucket on his lap while vomit ran through the hallways from everyone in their bunks and I was the only person checking on several decks of a huge ship while those decks were moving like the craziest amusement park ride you can think of. Only those with saltwater in their veins could understand how much this song makes one want to go back out to sea.
My mom and I saw Gordon, in concert, in Mississippi about 4 years ago. Now in his 80's, he still sounds amazing! The melody is so haunting in this one.
@Gordon Lightfoot keep on keeping on!
I lived along the shore of Lake Erie when this happened and this song brings me to tears whenever I hear it. Such a tragedy!
Gordon Lightfoot is a wonderful story writer and teller! He has a wonderful catalogue of songs!! Sundown is a must hear!!
This happened in '74. The ship was finally located on the bottom of Lake Superior just a few years ago. Had the ship not been fully loaded, it would have been able to travel faster and would have made it to Whitefish Bay safely. It was not the weight of the ship that made it sink. Lightfoot felt that the story dropped out of the news cycle too quickly and was being forgotten. He wanted to memorialize the loss of the men and ship so it would never be forgotten.
November 10 1975
A haunting, yet beautiful song.
Lightfoot is an amazing songwriter and singer storyteller. 👍♥️
The part that got me was when the cook said "fellas it's been good to know ya".
Aye, me too.
If they all died, how do you know he said it.
My late grandpa was a ship's cook until he retired. That's the line that gets me every time. 🥺💔💔💔
@@johnhurd6243 Obviously, this is the composer's poetic license. He created that line for dramatic effect. Of course no one can know what any of the victim's said while the ship was in danger of sinking in the storm.
@@johnhurd6243 Just part of the songster's story.
A song that should not ever be forgotten or lost in the shuffle!
I ❤️❤️❤️❤️ this song so much!
…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"
Goosebumps every time.
@Gordon Lightfoot ❤ If you're really you, I'm humbled that you'd respond to my comment. Thank you for the joy your music has brought into my life. Much love!
this happened on my 6th birthday, it's one of my first childhood memories. sad song but great tribute to the sailors. Always look forward to your reactions.
Almost 50 years after Gordon Lightfoot released this song, my eyes still water when I hear it.
"Lake Superior it's said never gives up her dead ..."
The depths of the lake are so cold bacteria stops acting on victim's bodies, so they just sink and are lost forever.
The ship was eventually found, it had split in half.
The Fitz went down Nov 10th 1975. They found it eventually. The only thing they brought up was the ships bell. There were skeletal remains seen by the divers. After consults with the families, it was decided to leave the ship where it was as a gravesite. The song was extremely popular. Gordon Lightfoot donated all the profits to the families.
I was 21 when this happened. I love this song, even though every time I hear it, it brings tears to my eyes, Gordon Lightfoot had a way of making you feel everything that those crewmen must have felt when this happened. Such a tragic event.
A classic song that never gets too old. I enjoy it every time.
Living on Lake Michigan, I can tell you that when these storms come in, they are deadly. Lake Michigan and Lake Superior are vast, deep and the most treacherous during storms.
I grew up 🇨🇦 hearing this song. Lightfoot is a great storyteller. He’s definitely beloved here and in parts of US too. Thx so much for your reaction. ♥️
I get tears in my eyes when I hear this true story. Gordon is great
Growing up in Michigan, this was big news. I was 11 years old when the Fitzgerald went down. The storm was originally on track to hit Lake Michigan, but the it tracked north and ravaged Lake Superior. The Great Lakes drive the climate of Michigan since we have more coastline than land borders. Four of the 5 Great Lakes surround Michigan.
A hauntingly, beautiful song.. RIP to all 29 souls.
A throwback to the folk songs of the 50s and 60s. No one had the voice for something like this more than Gordon.
The ship came from Wisconsin after dropping off iron ore back to Minnesota on Lake Superior to pick up imore ron ore for delivery to Cleveland. After loading the iron ore they left from Minnesotal across Lake Superior heading to Cleveland. Minnesota is famous for its iron range where iron ore is mined.
My mother lost her Uncle when he went through the ice on Superior. Never found his body but recovered his snow mobile. Bodies get pulled toward the center of the lake not washed to shore my understanding.
When bodies decay, the gas produced makes them float in the water. The water in Lake Superior is so cold that it prevents this from happening. They just sink to the bottom and stay there. That's why the lake "never gives up her dead".
Gordon Lightfoot passed away on May 1, 2023. At the Maritime Sailor's Cathedral in Detroit, they now ring the bell 30 times instead of 29.
Gordon and his band were recording an album when this Fitzgerald went down. He wrote the song and and they decided to record it but the band had never played it. This song in its finished form was done in one take with no preparation.
Fact that not many people know!! Gordon Lightfoot never made money off this song. Every dime this song made went directly to a fund and was divided evenly then distributed to the families of those on the Fitzgerald.
The guitar track in this iconic song is some of the most haunting music I've ever heard.
My uncle worked on the Fitzgerald in 72,73,and 74. Luckily for him, he decided he wanted to try something new. And my grandfather was on the Anderson. The boat that was closest to it.
Always get goosebumps when listening to this classic...
"Lightfoot became a mentor for a long time. I think he probably still is to this day." - Bob Dylan
“I can't think of any Gordon Lightfoot song I don't like. Every time I hear a song of his, it's like I wish it would last forever. " - Bob Dylan
"Favorite Lightfoot songs? Shadows, Sundown, If You Could Read My Mind. I can't think of any I don't like!" - Bob Dylan
The reason the lake never gives up her dead is the bacteria that breaks down the human body can't exist in the freezing temperatures of Lake Superior. The bodies don't get bloated and float up. According to the divers who went down there, there is one body near the ship. The rest are still on board. It seems it was a totally freak accident that made it break in half. The bow and stern can be out of the water due to waves, but the middle has to be on something, so if it was caught between two waves that came at just the right speed and distance, it could have suspended the ship just long enough to break it. The site is protected as a cemetery now. I was 8 when the Fitz sank.
Brings me back to Shawnee grounds Pennsylvania in the mountains our country house. 12 years old hearing that as my Pops favorite song. I ventured out by myself trekking into the deep Forrest. That feeling of the wild was pure spiritual. Indians had it all. I was blessed to have duality of city and mountain kid. Brooklyn and the hickory runs Forrest. I was in great shape but to survive two jungles, the bears and gang's. I knew God was with me.
This song brings those memories every time. From mud run to hawks falls and tamocwua I trailed it alone. Only two bears a wolf and me in the woods along.
Gordon Lightfoot gave the proceeds of this song to the families of these 29 men. They rang the bell 30 times May 1. 2023 once for Gordon Lightfoot who died that day.
And it's in his will that all future profits will continue to go to the families
This is one of my all-time favorite songs...it's part of the soundtrack of my life. It still gives me chills every time. Gordon Lightfoot wasn't just a songwriter, he was a lyrical genius.
When I was a kid growing up in Detroit, Michigan, I used to love to watch from freighters come down the river from the lakes to break up the ice. I was married when this happened. It was heartbreaking. Gordon Lightfoot is such a great storyteller. He brings the feelings back & makes those that knew nothing about it, feel the heartbreak too.
Thanks once again. (I could listen to this tune every day, and I miss Gordon already.)
Awww Thank you!!
I worked at one of the steel mills that they were to drop off some Ore. We waited & waited, not knowing what happened. They never showed & we were told to go home. The next morning we heard the news. We all knew some of the crew. This song haunts me & I pray for them.
I am from Superior, WI where the Fitz left port. Several family members of the deceased still live here. The song is a enduring memorial to the people here.
Gordon Lightfoot is a Master storyteller! Go into his rabbit hole you won't be disappointed.
One of my favorite story songs ever! And true 💜
I was a kid when this happened and that was really the first time I thought of death and that they had children my age… one of my favorite songs.
There is another CZcams video of this that shows the portrait photos and ages of the crew members. Most of them were in their 20s.
Lake Superior is the biggest freshwater lake in the world. 412 miles long, 167 miles wide, nearly 32000 sq. miles & 1300 feet deep & an average water temps in the 40s/50s. Also the biggest waves ever recorded on freshwater of about 60 feet. The ship was something like 728 feet long, no little row boat on a little pond.
My buddy interviewed the Canadian icon Gordon Lighfoot last year. His next door neighbour is Drake here in Toronto. LOL.
Gordon Lightfoot died last Monday. On Tuesday, the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral rang the bell 30 times........29 times for the crew, and once for Gordon Lightfoot.
26,000 tons MORE than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty--that's a hell of a lot of weight. If the ship broke in half, the communication cables would have been torn apart and both pieces would have pitched up and dropped to the bottom in a heartbeat, I think. What really gets me is that they missed, breakfast, lunch, and dinner because of the storm, so, they were dealing with all this on empty stomachs and frazzled nerves.
What happened was both the Fitzgerald and the Arthur Anderson (the other ship 10 miles behind the Fitzgerald) were fully aware of the approaching storm. They have instruments that monitor weather conditions. Also they work in shifts. Someone is always up. Both ships turned northeast to get closer to the shoreline where they could be protected by the mountains from the hurricane winds, but the dangerous thing in that area was the underwater rocks only gave them 9 feet of clearance. With the turbulent waters, raising the ship up and down, it was very dangerous that they could hit the rocks. That is what happened to the Fitzgerald. The rocks tore a gash in the hull. For the next 3 hrs the ship was taking on water and the ship was mortally wounded, listing (meaning leaning ) to one side. The water was coming into the ship so fast, the pumps could not keep up with it. The Anderson 10 miles behind was hit by a 60 foot wave, and from the speed of that wave, the Captain judged it would reach the Fitzgerald in a couple of minutes. Being wounded already and leaning, when the 60 foot wave hit the Fitzgerald, it could not withstand the fierce power and force of it, and it broke the Fitz in two, sending it to the bottom
Like Asia said.. there was another ship behind the Fitz and one minute the Fritz’s Captain said they were “holding their own” a few minutes later they were at the bottom of Lake Superior (Gitchee Gumee)
This is one of Joey’s fav songs, based on a true story. Gordon sang this story to my tears. Haunting & you’ll never forget it .. I guarantee you, (there’s a documentary about it). Loved ur reaction A&B! ♥️ ya
My guitar player/best friend's uncle was one of the 29. We covered this on occasion in his honor.
I remember sitting in our living room listening to the news of this with my parents. Such a horrible way to die. To know it's coming, and being so afraid. They did find the EF and some wanted to plunder it, but it was declared a memorial site and off limits. If memory serves, they did find one guy, completely preserved due to the cold and lack of oxygen. He was left there as the wreck is functionally a cemetary.
So awful- and just to add, they died not only freezing, but also never were able to be fed- Hungry, Terrified and freezing to death-😢. ❤️🙌🏻
When they did inspect the wreckage to try to find out several years later the families of the victims requested that if they did find remains they were to be left alone.
“The wind in the wire made a tattletale sound as the waves crashed over the railing..”. My favorite part of that chillling line is the use of the instrument to sound like a wire being blown about…
Gordon Lightfoot gave Honor to the Brave Men of the Ship.
I was a child in Michigan when this happened and the song still gives me chills and often makes me cry. It happened to them so fast that they didn't even have a chance to send an sos. Did you notice the rhythm is like the waves? And the wires making the tattle tale tattle tale sound? one documentary I saw said the Captain and the man steering were both retiring and went on a last trip together. After Gordon died the bell chimes 30 times now. They didn't "find" them but they are still in the ship. Superior is a glacial lake. It's so cold the bodies don't rise. There are so many ships and bodies down there. The ship did sink that fast, tho. They think the backend got lifted by a huge wave, the iron ore shifted to the front, and the nose just dove under and smacked the bottom. Divers said there was a crater.