Back when songs told stories, there was a genre called folk or folk-rock. These songs told tales and provided life lessons along the way. Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian singer/song-writer that helped popularize folk-rock in the 70s.
The “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” which tells the true story of a 1975 shipwreck on Lake Superior. The freighter was caught in a November storm and sunk, sadly killing all 29 crew members. There were gale warnings and 25 foot seas at the location where the ship wrecked, and it is suspected that there could have been rogue waves twice that height that took down the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. Years later when crews found the wreckage, it was found that the huge ship was split in half, lifeboats were found damaged, not launched, and several of the hatchways were loose – all contributors to sinking the ship. Gordon Lightfoot wrote the song to commemorate the tragedy and lost crew.
Find a bit more info about the shipwreck HERE and HERE
“Every time you wanted to do something, you’d hope it would score. You’d keep trying and trying, and all of the sudden, something would come right out of left field, like ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.’ No one had any idea about that one.”
— Gordon Lightfoot
Take a moment to listen to the story below!
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 every man knew, as the captain did too T'was 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 to feed ya" At seven PM, a main hatchway caved in, he said "Fellas, it's been good to 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 his 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 her 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 called Gitche Gumee Superior, they said, never gives up her dead When the gales of November come early
Do you like songs that tell stories – what are some of your favorite?
We’d love for you to follow us over on Insta at @cfrsart and @positivelycfrs – Or on Facebook at PostivelyCFRS and CFRSArt – Thank you!!
Make it a great day!!
It’s CFRS, Positively!