“The church bells chimed and they rang 29 times for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald “, but when Gordon passed the church bells chimed 30 times, to include Gordon !!!! What a tribute ❣️🎶🙏🏽❤️✌️

On Tuesday, May 2, 2023 the Mariners’ Church of Detroit honored Gordon Lightfoot with ringing the bell 30 times instead of 29 times. RIP Gordon.

"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" Simply haunting lyrics. RIP Gordon. ❤️

He was a folk song hero for everyone, but us Canadians are awfully proud he was one of us. Timeless music. Such an iconic voice.

This wreck remains in the deep water off the coast of Canada with its crew. The line in the song that says the big lake it says never gives up her dead refers to this. The water is so cold that the bodies will never rise to the surface and can not be retrieved. Canada has made this area sacred, there is no diving permitted without special permission. Cargo ships to this as they pass by will blow their horns or ring their bells once for each man lost. It is sad to know that if they had only left port 5 minutes earlier or traveled a little faster they would've made the bay before the storm. Only 15 miles.

Everything you just said...yes. Gordon (recently passed) the best storytelling singer/songwriter ever. I was in high school (in Minnesota) when this shipwreck took place. It hit hard. The ship hauled iron ore from the mines in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin to plants in Ohio and Michigan. I could type volumes, better to just google "Edmund Fitzgerald" and "Lake Superior" . Gordon Lightfoot donated all his profits from this song to the families of those who perished. It's been almost 50 years and this song still brings a tear to my eyes.

The Maritime Cathedral rang the bell 30 times the day Gordon Lightfoot passed. Lost a Canadian treasure. RIP

Gordon wrote this song because the papers at the time barely carried the story and 29 men had died. He talked to the families and said he wanted to write a song about it. He was a good man and when they didn't like a line he had put in the song he changed it for them and then some of the money made from this song was donated to the families. There is another ship not included in this song that had a brave crew and captain. They made to to cover barely and had lost radio contact with the Fitzgerald. The coast guard asked if he would turn his ship around and go back out into that storm to try to find survivors. He did it but not before he said, "God help us". They found the remnants of a banged up lifeboat and that was all.

Gordon Lightfoot was very special to us Canadians and to write a song about an American story just shows what a great connection we had cheers

I'm from Michigan & I remember when it happened. This was a tragic story & a beautiful memorial to those who were lost. The Great Lakes can be fierce like the ocean.

November of 1975, I lived in a small village about 90 miles from the western tip of Lake Superior. I was a senior in high school, and spent the evening in question doing homework, then reading, while listening to the radio station out of Duluth, MN. Earlier that day the two last ore freighters of the season out of Duluth and Superior left the Harbors and steamed up lake, heading for Lake Michigan and eventually one of the eastern steel cities in Ohio. If memory serves, the Arthur M. Anderson left Duluth Harbor that day, and the Edmund Fitzgerald out of Superior Harbor was running about 10-15 miles behind her. A blizzard had moved into our town in mid to late afternoon, the same storm that eventually caught up with the Fitz out on Lake Superior. The Duluth radio stations began reporting in early evening that the Fitz had been having some trouble. according to Coast Guard reports. The reports came in throughout the evening while I did my homework and reading, at one point reporting that the Fitz had lost ship-to-shore communications but was able to communicate ship-to-ship with the Arthur M. Anderson. When I went to bed, the reports were that she was still struggling, but was nearing safety at the upper east end of the lake. When the radio alarm woke me the next morning, the reports were that the Fitz had lost all radio contact and disappeared from radar, and the Coast Guard was initiating a search for survivors or wreckage. I didn't know anyone on the ship, but a number of my classmates had dads, uncles, and older brothers that worked on the ore freighters, so it was kind of a big deal around school for a while. Months later I was listening to that same radio station while driving to a friend's house, when the dj on the radio said he was about to play the new song by Gordon Lightfoot, about the Fitz. I pulled off to the side of the road to listen, and by the time it was half over had tears on my cheeks. Great song. Side note: At the beginning of the song, Lightfoot refers to "the big lake they call Gitchegumee," that is the what the local population of indigenous people who lived in that area before European settlers came in, called Lake Superior. Gitchegumee = Lake Superior.

Lightfoot gave all the profits from this song to the families of the victims. He maintained a relationship with them until his recent death. This song was recorded in one take the first time the band played it.

I am USN Retired and a Disabled Veteran. I was a cook 👨‍🍳. This song is near and dear and rocks my soul. 🎶🎼🎵🎶🎼🎵

This a true story and Gordon Lightfoot did a masterful job telling the tragic story of these brave men. The proceeds to this day go to the families of the crew. Lake Superior is one of the five Great Lakes that are part of the Canadian/American border. It is the largest freshwater lake in the world and the coldest and deepest of the Great Lakes. It measures 31,700 square miles and is 1,332 feet(406 meters deep). It is so large it can as it did that day experience hurricane-force winds. It took some time to even locate the wreckage. To this day the exact reason for its demise is still unknown. Gordon Lightfoot recently died and what a loss to the world as a great singer and storyteller. A great choice for a reaction!

I’m from Chicago and I remember when this happened. I was 10 years old . An old friend of my father’s perished on the Edmund Fitzgerald. It was one of the few times I saw my father cry. This was huge news in the Great Lakes region of the United States.

I live on Georgian Bay part of the Great Lakes. They are massive, deep deadly lakes. The storms on them are fierce. God bless the sailor's and Gordy. ❤🇺🇸🇨🇦

This was no small boat bobbing in the water. It held 26,000 tons of iron ore which is close to 250 rail cars.

There is extended version where he list the names of each man lost.....very eery, but powerful. This song was the reason I joined the U.S. Navy 32 years ago!

that quiet moment of reflection following 'the wives, and the sons, and the daughters'.

The wreck took place on November 10, 1975 on Lake Superior -- one of the Great Lakes bordered by the United States and Cananda. The ship was carrying a heavy load of iron ore pellets. Another ship, the SS Arthur S. Anderson, had reached safe harbor, but was asked to go back out into the storm in search of the Fitzgerald. The Anderson's captain reluctantly did so, risking his own ship and crew. After hours of searching the Anderson found no sign of the lost ship, and returned to harbor.

l concidered gordon lightfoot to be a folk crooner his voice was so smooth and fluid

The long twang he has tune his guitar to is the sound of the wind through the mast cables, antennas ,superstructure. If you have ever been on a ship in a storm you would immediately hear it here.

I was high school when this happened. Gordon was a master story teller and this song is so hauntedly beautiful. At the Whitefish Point Maritime Museum in Michigan located 15 miles from the wreck, they loop this song and play it continuously from the time they open until it closes every day. Gordon will be missed very badly. You have a blessed day

I first heard this song in 1976 when it came out. That haunting melody still puts a lump in my throat to this day.

November 10, 1975! I was extremely young but I remember seeing my pops cry! He worked for Great Lakes Steel which sits on the Detroit River/Lake Erie. He had been on this vessel many times, loading and unloading. A lot of the crew rotated, but there were several who were assigned to the EF. He had gotten to know them and there was a bar near there where they'd go "cut up" (my pops words). The only thing that brought my pops any kind of solace was knowing those guys died doing what they loved! The Mariners church in Detroit used to chime their bells 29 times for every soul lost every November 10. But, for reasons unknown to me, they stopped doing that years ago, until this past May! In honor of the passing of Gordon Lightfoot, the Mariners Church sounded their bells 30 times!

His lyrics and the way he presents it puts you on the deck of a freighter at the mercy of a terrible storm. Can't you just imagine it? To this day, a Navy vessel whose GPS says they are over the wreckage, stop the vessel and sound 29 times on their ship's bell before proceeding. They have named the wreckage site on the lake bottom as a national cemetery.

The Edmund Fitzgerald was the biggest freighter on the Great Lakes at the time it was launched in 1957. The Arthur M Anderson (the ship that was 15 minutes ahead of the Fitzgerald) was lengthened to be even bigger A friend of mine told me that her father worked on the Anderson and was on board the night that the Fitzgerald sank. He told her that they didn't get the full brunt of the storm and still almost didn't make port. The waves were coming 25 feet over the bow. I can't imagine how bad it was for the Fitzgerald as the caught the worst of the storm. These are huge ships, meant to run on the Great Lakes, so this was truly a monster storm. RIP Gordon and the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

My son is a ship captain and I always cry when I hear this song. We have hurricanes in our waters and this song runs through my head but I NEVER play it during a storm when my kid is out at sea. I used to build ships and a captain told us that women were unlucky on ships nd I had to leave the ship that I’d sweated blood n 19 hours a day for months. His shipment down out of Seattle. Karma.

I worked with a guy whose dad went down on the Edmond Fitzgerald. This is such a classic and iconic song - a tribute to the talent and heart of Gordon Lightfoot.

True story. I was 7 years old when the "FITZ" sank on November 10th 1975.

Gitche Gumee is Lake Superior, the "inland sea". This wreck has never been forgotten. I'm so glad you did this.

I have tears in my eyes, watching you , and from the git go, we all knew this was a true story, it made national news. Peace🌎✨️

One of the Best 🎶from our Canadian neighbors ❤He will be dearly missed!!! 💞🇺🇸

Gordon Lightfood is the pride of the Canadian Side, RIP to the best story telling musician ever

When they say Superior never gives up her dead , that is literally true. It's water is so cold that bodies don't decompose and float to the surface like you would expect. They are still in and around the boat to this day. The families went to court to prevent photos and video being published and it is now designated a gravesite and protected by the Canadian government! In honour of Gord's death the Cathedral rang the church bells 30 times. He would have been humbled!

Gordon is my favourite singer/songwriter of all time. He has two more songs about ship disasters. The Ballad Of Yarmouth Castle and Marie Christine. My favourite all time song by him is The Last Time I Saw Her. Keep playing the good ones.

There is another version of this song showing a picture of the ship with all the lyrics. You may want to check that one out for yourself.

Gordon read an article about the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and felt that it didn't do justice to the crew and wrote this iconic song. The ship was named after the president or CEO of an insurance company that owned her as an asset. Captain McSworley was 59 and going to retire the next year (1976). The ship was found nine days after she was last heard from. The area where the wreck is, is considered sacred land and off-limits to anyone who wants to dive or film there. The youngest member of the crew was only 22. Gordon was such a Canadian national treasure. He was a storyteller. As several have mentioned the most poignant line is about where God's love goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours. I cannot imagine drowning and going down with the ship in such a terrible way.

At 7 pm the main hatch way gave in he said fellers it's been good to know ya That line aways gets me 😪 Rip lads 🙏♥️

Im in Ontario Canada , remember the news headlines of the Fitz missing & the search, shocked to realize years later that about the same time was camping at Pancake Bay Provincial Park where you could practically see where she went down from the beach ... beach lol remember as a kid the gravel beach , running about 10 ft into Lake Superior & the bottom dropping out ... never touched the bottom & got a mouth full of water RIP Gordon & to the Fitz s crew , will never forget you

I love that he mentioned the Great Lakes.....Its how I remember the names, I sing the verse....Lake Huron, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. I used to live on the eastern tip of Lake Ontario. Its a beautiful song.

I agree ... good story teller.. I ❤ Gordon and also John Denver n CW McCall .. n my personal fav Johnny Horton ( whom I learn my history as a girl).. by the way, these are Trubadors... in my opinion

In my opinion, this is the best folk song written in the 20th century. When this song first came out on the radio, people would just stop and fall silent. In case you are puzzled by "Gitchee Gumme" -- Big Sea Water -- it is one of various pronunciations of the Native name for Lake Superior, and popularized by Longfellow's poem, "Hiawatha."

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

To my favourites of his have always been Canadian Railroad trilogy and sundown.

All the proceeds from this song went to the families.

Yep, that's a true and tragic tale, but I have always loved how he tells it. RIP Gordon.

Thank you for reacting to this! So many of us who were around in 1975 and aware of the power of the lakes will never forget when it happened or the amazing song Lightfoot (RIP) wrote. The waves on Lake Superior are unusual and move differently because fresh lake water is much less dense than sea water. So, when typically dangerous freezing cold and windy weather hits up there, (I live in the Detroit area), when everything is “right”, the waves become really treacherous. They often come in 3’s - the “3 Sisters”, one fairly quickly after the other, and a ship cannot adjust after being hit by the first, and worse yet, after the second. A twenty foot fresh water wave is all water. There is little, by comparison to a salt water wave, foam, any entrapped air. So, it’s like being hit by a tall wall of concrete vs a longer rise and fall from an ocean wave. The wave face angle is steeper, so there is less introduction to the wave. It is in your face, all of it, right now. And the speed of advance is faster, and a few other things that make a fresh water wave harder to deal with. While 20 foot waves are common on the ocean, they are not so common in fresh water, few lakes have the fetch (distance) and weather conditions to generate them. So, the November weather on Lk Superior generates fast, tall, and hard. You combine these specific waves and weather with the type of freighter that carry ore in the Great Lakes and a heavily overloaded iron ore freighter cannot adjust to being hit by those 20-30 foot 3 sisters. One of the initial theories was that the Fitzgerald broke in half and then sank, with the thought that it was caught between 2 waves. One more current theory is one that proposes that the boat was running so low in the water because of its load, that the hatches giving in helped swamp the boat. When the wave hit, the bow of the boat was forced downward given the shifting of the weight of the ore forward, causing it to sink at a very high angle. It’s thought that the boat hit bottom so hard that it snapped when it hit. Sounds sort of logical. No matter what, ships sink in Superior and the other Great Lakes because weather comes up fast and hard in November. Folks really can’t appreciate the size and power of of them until they see them. They are inland freshwater seas, and so they have tides and generate their own flavor of tsunamis. This was an epic Great Lakes shipping tragedy that still has us listening to the song with quiet reverence. I hope you did some further investigation. Listening to the song with that information is a whole different experience. Cheers! Happy New Year!

part 2 Edmund Fitzgerald left Superior, Wisconsin, at 2:15 p.m. on the afternoon of November 9, 1975,under the command of Captain Ernest M. McSorley. She was en route to the steel mill on Zug Island, near Detroit, Michigan,with a cargo of 26,116 long tons (29,250 short tons; 26,535 t) of taconite ore pellets and soon reached her full speed of 16.3 miles per hour (14.2 kn; 26.2 km/h).Around 5 p.m., Edmund Fitzgerald joined a second freighter under the command of Captain Jesse B. "Bernie" Cooper, Arthur M. Anderson, destined for Gary, Indiana, out of Two Harbors, Minnesota. The weather forecast was not unusual for November and the National Weather Service (NWS) predicted that a storm would pass just south of Lake Superior by 7 a.m. on November 10. SS Wilfred Sykes loaded opposite Edmund Fitzgerald at the Burlington Northern Dock #1 and departed at 4:15 p.m., about two hours after Edmund Fitzgerald. In contrast to the NWS forecast, Captain Dudley J. Paquette of Wilfred Sykes predicted that a major storm would directly cross Lake Superior. From the outset, he chose a route that took advantage of the protection offered by the lake's north shore to avoid the worst effects of the storm. The crew of Wilfred Sykes followed the radio conversations between Edmund Fitzgerald and Arthur M. Anderson during the first part of their trip and overheard their captains deciding to take the regular Lake Carriers' Association downbound route.The NWS altered its forecast at 7:00 p.m., issuing gale warnings for the whole of Lake Superior.Arthur M. Anderson and Edmund Fitzgerald altered course northward, seeking shelter along the Ontario shore, where they encountered a winter storm at 1:00 a.m. on November 10. Edmund Fitzgerald reported winds of 52 knots (96 km/h; 60 mph) and waves 10 feet (3.0 m) high.Captain Paquette of Wilfred Sykes reported that after 1 a.m., he overheard McSorley say that he had reduced the ship's speed because of the rough conditions. Paquette said he was stunned to later hear McSorley, who was not known for turning aside or slowing down, state that "we're going to try for some lee from Isle Royale. You're walking away from us anyway … I can't stay with you." At 2:00 a.m. on November 10, the NWS upgraded its warnings from gale to storm, forecasting winds of 35-50 knots (65-93 km/h; 40-58 mph). Until then, Edmund Fitzgerald had followed Arthur M. Anderson, which was travelling at a constant 14.6 miles per hour (12.7 kn; 23.5 km/h), but the faster Edmund Fitzgerald pulled ahead at about 3:00 a.m.As the storm center passed over the ships, they experienced shifting winds, with wind speeds temporarily dropping as wind direction changed from northeast to south and then northwest. After 1:50 p.m., when Arthur M. Anderson logged winds of 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph), wind speeds again picked up rapidly, and it began to snow at 2:45 p.m., reducing visibility; Arthur M. Anderson lost sight of Edmund Fitzgerald, which was about 16 miles (26 km) ahead at the time. Shortly after 3:30 p.m., Captain McSorley radioed Arthur M. Anderson to report that Edmund Fitzgerald was taking on water and had lost two vent covers and a fence railing. The vessel had also developed a list.Two of Edmund Fitzgerald's six bilge pumps ran continuously to discharge shipped water. McSorley said that he would slow his ship down so that Arthur M. Anderson could close the gap between them. In a broadcast shortly afterward, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) warned all shipping that the Soo Locks had been closed and they should seek safe anchorage. Shortly after 4:10 p.m., McSorley called Arthur M. Anderson again to report a radar failure and asked Arthur M. Anderson to keep track of them.Edmund Fitzgerald, effectively blind, slowed to let Arthur M. Anderson come within a 10-mile (16 km) range so she could receive radar guidance from the other ship. For a time, Arthur M. Anderson directed Edmund Fitzgerald toward the relative safety of Whitefish Bay; then, at 4:39 p.m., McSorley contacted the USCG station in Grand Marais, Michigan, to inquire whether the Whitefish Point light and navigation beacon were operational. The USCG replied that their monitoring equipment indicated that both instruments were inactive. McSorley then hailed any ships in the Whitefish Point area to report the state of the navigational aids, receiving an answer from Captain Cedric Woodard of Avafors between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m. that the Whitefish Point light was on but not the radio beacon. Woodard testified to the Marine Board that he overheard McSorley say, "Don't allow nobody on deck,"as well as something about a vent that Woodard could not understand. Some time later, McSorley told Woodard, "I have a 'bad list', I have lost both radars, and am taking heavy seas over the deck in one of the worst seas I have ever been in." By late in the afternoon of November 10, sustained winds of over 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph) were recorded by ships and observation points across eastern Lake Superior.[56] Arthur M. Anderson logged sustained winds as high as 58 knots (107 km/h; 67 mph) at 4:52 p.m., while waves increased to as high as 25 feet (7.6 m) by 6:00 p.m.Arthur M. Anderson was also struck by 70-to-75-knot (130 to 139 km/h; 81 to 86 mph) gusts and rogue waves as high as 35 feet (11 m). At approximately 7:10 p.m., when Arthur M. Anderson notified Edmund Fitzgerald of an upbound ship and asked how she was doing, McSorley reported, "We are holding our own." She was never heard from again. No distress signal was received, and ten minutes later, Arthur M. Anderson lost the ability either to reach Edmund Fitzgerald by radio or to detect her on radar

My boyfriend had turned me on to Lightfoot around 1971. I think the first song I heard of his was Sundown. I became an instant and permanent fan.

A master singer/songwriter and teller of tales. No one did it better than Gordon.

This happened about a month before my 6th birthday, but we only had one English tv channel where I lived so I watched almost everything that was on, including the news... and I remember when this story broke. The Edmund Fitzgerald was a the largest of the freighter ships that sailed the Great Lakes, which are the largest fresh water lakes in the world (larger than many seas). Gitchigumi is what the Ojibwe people called Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes, it means something along the lines of "Big Sea" or "Huge Water."

Wipes me out every time

He sounds like he has a bit of a Canadian east coast accent. I also love the sound of his 12 string guitar.

True story,she sank in Lake Superior in 1974!

Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours. . . That's probably the greatest line ever written

I remember it. I was very young and in Missouri. It was on NBC national news. Then this song came out and just made me cry.

I had the pleasure of seeing Mr Lightfoot back in the 90s at an open air concert. He was spellbinding!

Gordon is going to be sadly missed ...such a great voice and story teller. Haven't heard a song I haven't liked by this gentleman RIP the next generation will definitely miss out on his songs I'm from Erie Pa and right on the lake..graduated in 1974 remember this tragedy like it was yesterday.

I'm a 64 year old native Floridian. This was released when I was a teenager. I was vaguely aware that The Great Lakes existed, those blue patches on the maps up near the border with Canada. This made the industry and people of the region real for me. I love artistic works that expand my frame of reference, and this is a wonderful one. RIP men for whom the bell tolled.

Such a haunting beautiful song, It always brings a tear to me eyes! This is one of my favorite songs of all time! I love that you let the music control your body, i do the same! There is a video of the song that includes the names, age and hometown of the crew members!

Sometimes it is difficult to get a feel for how big the Great Lakes are. The entirety of Great Britain is 80,823 square miles, but the Great Lakes are together 94,250 mi² . Scotland is 30,081 mi², but Lake Superior, where this wreck happened is 31,700 mi². The swells on the lakes can be truly immense. During the storm, the waves were over 25 feet, which both would have come over the deck and would have caused dangerous dipping and rising from end to end.

Gordon maintained friendships with many of the sailors’ survivors. In fact, not long before he passed, he visited one of the sailor’s widow who was in ill health. He contributed financial support to the families in addition to his beautiful rendition of the mishap. R.I.P. Gordon. 💔🇨🇦

Gord is a storyteller to the depths of his soul.

I remember when this ship sunk. It was so tragic. I heard he wrote this as a memorial to this tragedy. My son was born the following week of th sinking.

I lived along Lake Erie and Cleveland where they were going. I remember it. What a tragedy!

I recently saw the bell from the Edmond Fitz. at the ship wreck museum in upper Michigan. Very moving and they played this song inside the museum.

He is so very very good! He is a Legend! I love all his music ✌❤🎶

I didn’t see this mentioned by any of the other commentators, but thought you might not be familiar with the names in the song. Chippewa was/is a Native American tribe/nation that lived in that area & Gitche Gumee was their name for Lake Superior. This song always makes me cry. 😢🥰

The Edmund Fitzgerald is still the largest ship to sink on Lake Superior at 729'. She was a bulk iron ore carrier

There have been thousands of boat and shipwrecks on the Great Lakes, but if it wasn't for Gordon with this song, it may have been just remembered as regional history, but he made it legend worldwide. His "Sundown" is one of my all-time favorite songs which I highly suggest.

Hits way too close to home. I was in the 8th grade when this happened. My grandfather was a steward on the freighters. He came off the rotation at the end of September but, he could easily have been in line for crew replacement... Respect the Lakes

I was in grade school when the this event occurred. Unless you are from an area that borders the Great Lakes, most people don't realize how vast they actually are. Lake Superior (called Gitche Gumee by the native Ojibwe) is particularly deep and cold. Bit of trivia, during the fur trade era, the French voyageurs had a difficult time pronouncing Ojibwe. With their heave accent, it came out sounding more like Chippewa.

The great lakes are more like inland seas. Unlike the oceans they are small enough that storm waves are washed back after contacting shore and crash into incoming waves. The lakes are big enough to easily permit ocean going vessels and do. The size of vessels being limited to what will fit through the locks on the chain. Lake Superior lies mainly west to east and is the largest of the lakes. The Fitz was at the east end of Lake Superior at the time and most likely feeling the full force of the storm sweeping across the lake from west to east with those waves battling each other beneath her. I have lived in Wisconsin my whole life and seen both lake Superior and Michigan calm and whipped by storms. When calm they are peaceful and beautiful, but when nature stirs them they become churning cauldrons with huge waves. Gordon's ability to tell this story along with the haunting instrumental always take me back to 1975 when this dominated the local news casts. Remember at the time there was no internet, all we had was television, radio and newspapers.

I was so sad to hear of Gordon Lightfoot's passing away recently. Loved his music! This song is a beautiful tribute by one of the best Canadian songwriters & storytellers. 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 "Sundown", "Early Morning Rain", "Steel Rail Blues", "Ribbon Of Darkness", "Carefree Highway", "Rainy Day People", "Cotton Jenny", "Black Day In July", "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" etc.

I loved Gordon Lightfoot from the first time I heard him...amazing singer amazing Canadian...

I remember my mom crying while she read about this in the newspaper and explaining it to me

Gordon Lightfoot had another great Maritime tragedy song in Ballad of the Yarmouth Castle. Have some tissues ready for that one too! Also please check out some Stan Rogers - The Mary Ellen Carter. It's another "shipwreck" song. Its more uplifting and inspirational though!

This story and song has haunted me since I was nine years old. 🖤

I'm subscribing and thank you for limited pausing.This was the crew of the Fitz. The Crew Crew Tribute Michael Armagost Frederick Beetcher Thomas Bentsen Edward Bindon Thomas Borgeson Oliver Champeau Nolan Church Ransom Cundy Thomas Edwards Russell Haskell George Holl Bruce Hudson Allen Kalmon Gordon MacLellan Joseph Mazes John McCarthy Ernest McSorley Eugene O'Brien Karl Peckol John Poviach James Pratt Robert Rafferty Paul Riippa John Simmons William Spengler Mark Thomas Ralph Walton David Weiss Blaine Wilhelm

Sad but true story. And Gordon was the man to tell it and he did it so well.❤

My other G.L favorites are Beautiful and Sundown.

you should check out some of his other tunes such as "Sundown" and "If You Could Read My Mind" and "Carefree Highway" Stellar RIP, Gordon 😔

He had been to the church a few times for the ceremony's. I remember as a child watching this ship sail down the Detroit river. It was huge and living in Windsor ontario we can hear the church bells ringing for each member and once for Mr Lightfoot himself.

Best Singer Story teller Ever❤

One of the greatest songs ever

I knew a guy that worked on the Fitz for a summer job between college the year she went down. He would tell us stories of the ship and her crew from his time back in 1975

True and good reaction. He reaches your soul.

I remember when this happened. Gordon, a Canadian, wrote this song qickly to remember this in the US. I live relatively close to this area where it happened.

Gordon was a legend and sadly missed. I was so lucky to have seen him live years ago. I live very close to Lake Erie and I will say that all of the great lakes can be absolute monsters, but superior takes it to a whole new level. I’ve seen quite a number of people react to the song, and it often takes on a whole new meaning when they realize that it’s all true.

I still remember when this happened, as a young adult. I was listening to the radio. A sobering event. It was quite a few years before they found the wreck, so she was presumed lost for years before located.

Another FANTASTIC Story teller is Jim Croce. I recommend you start with my favorite, which was played at my wedding as I entered the gazebo, TIME IN A BOTTLE. Then go to OPERATOR and I'VE GOT A NAME

I live in the lower Peninsula of Michigan. My husband and I travel to the upper Peninsula at least 12 times a year. We always hit Lake superior shore. We are rock hunting nerds. When it’s a calm day with hardly any waves, we are very surprised and thrilled. It’s normally crazy wavy, windy and can be outright dangerous.

Gordon is ours(Canadian) the tragedy is yours(USA) we connect over this, both nations consider it a maritime graveyard, dive on it upon your peril, take something from it, we will both end you.

If you want to understand the whole story there is a lyric video. I’m sure it is hard to catch everything he is saying. I love Gordon Lightfoot. He has so many hits!!

Just a few of almost countless story-telling songs by Gordon Lightfoot: CANADIAN RAILROD TRILOGY; DON QUIXOTE; CHEROKEE BEND; The LAST TIME I SAW HER (from 'Lightfoot-Did She Mention My Name' 1968 album version...talk about poetry!!!❤)

Eric Burdon and The Animals Sky Pilot...if you like the story tellers, you will love this one

Gordon Lightfoot: One of the greatest musical story tellers ever.

I'm from Michigan, & this was a part of American History, for as long as I can remember. Definitely taught here in Michigan. If you want to know more about the actual wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, here is an article I found. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wreck_of_the_Edmund_Fitzgerald

Another story song of his to check out, The Canadian Railroad Trilogy. Amazing!