Edmund Fitzgerald song--I can't get away from it!

[sand_man]

Despite all the "alternative/indie" stuff I'm into, I like him also! Good is good...

[Oh Haha]

Well, at least I'm not alone in this. Thanks guys.


Angela--I never thought of it the way you put it but that's pretty cool. Maybe Dan is sending me a message. It'd be nice if he could contact my Mom, though.

9dreizig--I live in Mount Morris but grew up in Port Huron. We used to watch the ships go up/down the St.Clair river.

[KNS]

Many years ago I had a roomate in school who, for a while, was a radio operator on a Chevron oil tanker. He happened to have some serious third degree burn scars covering half of his face. I'm not sure if he was in some accident at sea or what, I never asked him.

Every night at bedtime I could hear music (very quiet) coming from his room, it was always the same song: "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald".

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by tchanson

Perhaps.

But the following verse "Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" more than compensates.


Tim

There are some great lines in this song...that is one of the best

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the big lake they called "Gitche Gumee."
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
when the skies of November turn gloomy.
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty,
that good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
when the "Gales of November" came early.

The ship was the pride of the American side
coming back from some mill in Wisconsin.
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
with a crew and good captain well seasoned,
concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
when they left fully loaded for Cleveland.
And later that night when the ship's bell rang,
could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?

The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
and a wave broke over the railing.
And ev'ry man knew, as the captain did too
'twas the witch of November come stealin'.
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
when the Gales of November came slashin'.
When afternoon came it was freezin' rain
in the face of a hurricane west wind.

When suppertime came the old cook came on deck sayin'.
"Fellas, it's too rough t'feed ya."
At seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in; he said,
"Fellas, it's bin good t'know ya!"
The captain wired in he had water comin' in
and the good ship and crew was in peril.
And later that night when 'is lights went outta sight
came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Does any one know where the love of God goes
when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
if they'd put fifteen more miles behind 'er.
They might have split up or they might have capsized;
they may have broke deep and took water.
And all that remains is the faces and the names
of the wives and the sons and the daughters.

Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
in the rooms of her ice-water mansion.
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams;
the islands and bays are for sportsmen.
And farther below Lake Ontario
takes in what Lake Erie can send her,
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
with the Gales of November remembered.

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed,
in the "Maritime Sailors' Cathedral."
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the big lake they call "Gitche Gumee."
"Superior," they said, "never gives up her dead
when the gales of November come early!"

[Dan J]

Such a great song

[masraum]

Well, I had to check out more of Mr Lightfoot's stuff. Based on his "Complete Greatest Hits", I've heard 3 songs well enough for instant recognition. Besides the Edmund Fitzgerald, I also recognize [/i]If You Could Read My Mind[i] and Sundown. Just figured out another, but not quite as familiar, Carefree Highway

Thanks for posting. I'm happy to now have all three.

I'll give the rest a thorough listen and I suspect will grow to like others.

If you don't know the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Edmund_Fitzgerald

[herr_oberst]

Gordon Lightfoot also wrote and performed "Ten Degrees and Getting Colder" which tells a pretty good story.

But my favorite has to be "Cold on the Shoulder" - try the Tony Rice cover - he made it his own.

[tedward515]

Where did he play in Saginaw, anyone know? I would have loved to have seen him. I don't think he ever came when I lived there. Although a bit sobering, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald always seemed to be everyones favorite on the beach around a bonfire with a guitar. Spending summers on Lake Huron as a kid I thought everyone knew that song by heart but, since I've moved to Florida, other than people from the Great Lakes its seems like no one hardly remembers it.

[fuelie600]

Whitefish Point is great place to visit.

How would you like to work in the shipwreck museum and hear that song all day? - everyday!

[azasadny]

Originally Posted by Oh Haha

Back story first:

I was 8 years old in 1975 when my older brother was killed in a car crash, November 1. During the weeks after was the sinking of the Fitz. Living on Lake Huron, it was big news as they searched and we learned of the tragic results.

A year later Mr. Lightfoot's song was on the radio. The songs still takes me back to those days when my family was in turmoil over my brother as well as the story of the sinking. For many years, I would get creeped out when I heard it.

Only a visit to the Whitefish Bay memorial site helped me get over the stigma. I don;t know why but it helped me understand why I was affected by the story. I've followed the site visits and just about eery news story on the ship over the years. I even have several pictures hanging in our loft of her.



Fast forward to a month ago: I had to buy a car as my job was eliminated as well as my company car.

I bought a Grand Prix from a local dealer. I was on my way home yesterday and hit the CD player by mistake and found the PO had a mix CD with various songs on it. As I'm sampling the tunes the song starts. HOLY CRAP!!! What are the chances of the car I buy has this song on a homemade CD?!!

As well, I was setting my radio/alarm before ved and turned the radio on by mistake. Yep, there's the freakin' song again.



Oh, and the capper?







Gordon Lightfoot played in Saginaw last Sunday night!!!!!!!

I didn't go but maybe it's best that I didn't.



The mind is a very strange thing.

I know what you mean. The EF was just a ship., like any of the countless ship that have sunk. I am really tired of hearing about it. We hear more about the EF than any other disaster/sinking/crash when more lives were lost. What's the fascination with this ship wreck? I just don't get it...

[Oh Haha]

Art,

I think you missed my point but I respect your opinion.



The song has particular meaning to me as the time that she went down was right after my brother was killed. Growing up on the Great Lakes, the loss of the men on the EF was a cold reminder of the power of the sea.


I talked to my sister last night and she agrees that it is weird and that she believes as well that we are sent messages from our loved ones. She was 1.5 years older than my brother.


I liken listening to the song to facing a fear for me. To others, it's just a song they play in November.

[oldE]

I like to say I learned to play guitar (badly) because of Gordon Lightfoot. I grew up listening to his music and trying to sing and play it. When I got to college, I realized a lot of it was so depressing nobody wanted to listen to much of it.

I was surprised a few weeks ago when I found my son (27) had gotten out "Shadows" and had listened to a side. There are several great cuts on that LP that I try not to butcher too badly from time to time.

I finally got to see Lightfoot perform in Halifax after his illness a couple of years ago. He was supposed to have been there almost two years before that, but nearly died from abdominal bleeding. He walks onto the stage (to a standing ovation) and says, "Sorry I'm late!"

His voice was all but gone, but, as my son said, "He could have quacked like a duck and people would have applauded."

"Here's to the girls from London and the ones from Montreal
We never will forget them, we still fantasize them all
I knew one in St. Louis on a Missouri afternoon
I met one up in Shanghai and another in Rangoon

I just let it ride, ride let it ride
Leave on the evening tide, just let it ride"

G. Lightfoot

You go Gord!

Les

[strupgolf]

Oh yea, Gordy on the radio on a long trip is just beautiful. He's had some of the most erie music over the last 40 years. I've got many of his albums, yes albums, that still sound great with his low voice. And Art, the great lakes are like a mine field; looks calm and then it goes booooooom. And when it does, you dont want to be anywhere near them.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by Oh Haha

The songs still takes me back to those days when my family was in turmoil over my brother as well as the story of the sinking.

My dad died when he was only 49, I'll be 49 this year. The popular song which seemed to be always playing on the radio when we went to visit at the hospital was "Shout" by Tears for Fears. It was also one of the few pop songs my father sort of liked.

That song always gets a reaction by family members now, it's an association thing.