Edmund Fitzgerald, 50 Years Gone

[HobieMarty]

Monday, November 10th marked 50 years that the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior. I subscribe to this YouTube channel and wanted to share this with y'all.

https://youtu.be/y3HypvMV9aM?si=RZcq2qx97HBvvi1y

Superior never gives up her dead...

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[HobieMarty]

https://youtu.be/wIg90sVSwSE?si=Rzc3r7oxGh1C6dvn

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[Steve Carlton]

What a great song Gordon Lightfoot wrote to memorialize it. Classy guy that he was, he changed the lyrics in performances after learning some of them were inaccurate and hurtful to the community in the song.

[wdfifteen]

I’m a big Gordon Lightfoot fan, but I’ve always hated that song. Great lyrics, but the plodding pace and the constant twangy guitar racket is just awful.

[stevej37]

I'll post this again...
I took this pic in 1973 out the drivers window of my 66 Chevelle while going 55mph on the 'Mighty Mac'.
Of course I had no idea at the time of what would happen two years later....it's a miracle I kept the pic for those years.
I also love the haunting like song by GL

[HobieMarty]

We took a trip to Michigan from Valparaiso, Florida in August of 1975, I was 9 years old. I had an uncle that was stationed at K I Sawyer AFB at the time. We were at the Soo Locks when it was announced that the largest ship on the great lakes was coming through. I remember the hull was red with the superstructure being white. My Dad took pictures of the ship as it passed by us and I wish that I could find those pictures, I remember there was a picture of the stern showing the name of the ship. I can remember that it was a big deal and the captain was announcing details about the ship and there was music playing. Who would've known that a few short weeks later, the ship would be gone? God Rest Their Souls.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[Crowbob]

[Former version:] That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
[Latter version:] That good ship and crew was a bone to be chewed

[Former version:] At seven PM a main hatchway caved in
[Latter version:] At seven PM it grew dark, it was then

[Former version:] In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
[Latter version:] In a rustic old hall in Detroit they prayed

The melody is from an old Irish Dirge that Lightfoot slowed down a bit. The ’twined ’ guitar was meant to portray the helplessness the crew must have endured when the gales of November were blowing.

Buddy a mine has a summer place on Neebish Island which is on the extreme eastern edge of the UP. The family has become very knowledgeable about the freighters. The big boats have to make a sharp 90° turn to starboard just before they pass in front of his cabin. As such they are moving quite slow but the captains up the RPMs to gain a little momentum. At the bow, the Fitz was silent, being a 700+ footer (modern freighters are over 1000 feet). You could be out grillin’ lake trout and look out to see a giant wall of steel where the river used to be a minute ago. Really startling. They push the water up the banks about 5 feet when they pass. The captain would put Tigers games on loudspeakers when he passed Neebish so when the Fitz sailed it was greeted on both shores (US and Kanadia) with flags of The famous Gothic ‘D’.

The Fitz was longer than the water it sank in was deep. Stood on end the Fitz would stick out about 200’.

[stevej37]

Captain McSorley was very proud of the EF. It was said that whenever the ship was in port or the locks...he would play loud music to attract attention to the ship.
I read that they even took on passengers when needed...mostly company people and sailors families. Deluxe dining rooms and cabins were used by them.

[Steve Carlton]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I’m a big Gordon Lightfoot fan, but I’ve always hated that song. Great lyrics, but the plodding pace and the constant twangy guitar racket is just awful.

Awful to you, I guess. It was ranked #1 in Canada and #2 in the US.

Lightfoot considered it his finest work, and said it's "just an old Irish folk song; an old Irish dirge."

[Chocaholic]

When he passed away I remember listening to a radio show about him. Indeed, he felt it was the best song in his repertoire. I vaguely recall the event as a teenager in Detroit. His song brought the story to the masses.

[BK911]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

[Former version:]

[Former version:] In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
[Latter version:] In a rustic old hall in Detroit they prayed

He changed that lyric because comments from the Mariners Church,

Mariners Church. 1849

[Steve Carlton]

He also changed another:

"At 7 pm, a main hatchway caved in. He said, "fellas, it's been good to know ya.""

Gordon Lightfoot changed the lyrics after a Canadian documentary claimed to prove that it wasn't the hatchway that caused the problem. It was supposedly a huge, powerful wave that caused the wreck.

Gordon since has changed the lyrics in his live performances to:

"At 7 pm it grew dark, it was then he said, "Fellas, it's been to know ya."

He also showed his appreciation for the songs success by setting up a scholarship fund, which is still active today, for the maritime students at Northwestern Michigan College.

https://wjon.com/lyric-changes-for-song-the-wreck-of-the-edmund-fitzgerald/