No you stopped the song in what I feel is the most powerful lines in the song. "Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?"

RIP gordon lightfoot, a legendary canadian singer/songwriter, bob dylan's favourite. gordon gave all the profits from the song to the families of the dead. when he died last year the maritime museum in detroit rang the bells 30 times, gordon was the last of the 'crew' to die.

If you’re not from Canada/ Ontario and the northern USA you cannot comprehend just how big and all mighty the Great Lakes really are!! Especially Lake Superior. It’s the most beautiful scary body of water outside an ocean.

If you didn’t know, Lake Superior is larger than all of Scotland, and there’s enough water in it to cover all of South America in 3 feet of water.

The reason "the lake never gives up her dead" is because it is so cold it prevents the normal biological processes that bring a body to the surface after a few days. They are likely gone forever once lost in the lake.

The voice you hear reporting the Edmund Fitzgerald missing was the skipper of the Arthur M Anderson. She had travelled with the Fitz and had also been caught in the storm. When the Anderson reached Whitefish Bay, the Coast Guard was swamped by other emergency calls and asked the Anderson to go back out into the storm to look for survivors. She, along with another freighter, the William Clay Ford, led the search for survivors. The Arthur M Anderson is still working on the lakes, a reminder of that storm and tragedy.

Gordon Lightfoot died on May 1st 2023. On May 2nd, the Mariner's Cathedral, in Detroit, rang their bell, 30 times, officially add Gordon Lightfoot to the lost crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Upon Gordon Lightfoot's passing, the Maritime Cathedral sounded the bell 30 times - one for each crewman, and another for Mr Lightfoot.

Oh this is the video that rarely gets seen with actual footage. Thanks to the person who sent in this request. RIP Gordon and the 29 crew.

As someone from Wisconsin, the Legend of Edmund Fitzgerald is well-known here. You definitely cannot underestimate the Great Lakes. Lake Michigan and Lake Superior are like oceans, and the weather over them can change so fast, especially near winter.

Guys, Gordon was a Canadian folk/Pop singer. He had several big hits in the US. I think I remember hearing that a lot (if not all) of the profits from the song went to a fund to assist families of the crew. When Gordon died they rang that church bell 30 times. For the 29 crew and for Gordon.

The wreck sits in 530 feet of water. The bodies remain as the lack of oxygen and coldness of the water preserve them. Lake Superior hold 10% of the world’s fresh water. It is 31,700 square miles. By comparison all of Scotland is 30,414 square miles. Austria is 32,385 mi2.

The Great Lakes are basically inland oceans; and very unpredictable.

I've grown up with that song and it still chokes me up every time.

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

What a song... Impressive. To the requester, sorry for your loss. RIP Blair.

You're correct to say that the GREAT LAKES are inland SEAS

Canadian folk legend

The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald really brought in maritime regulations and safety protocols that simply didn't exist prior to the wreck. And since there has never been another tragedy like this one.

Great review! Gordon Lightfoot was a treasure for Canada and The US. He was a Canadian singer. I believe he was from the province of Ontario. My grade school music teacher introduced this song to us in 77 as we were from Michigan and because of the it was about the Great lakes. Glad you guys are reviewed, as it seems that most Europeans seem to forget that America is huge with so many stories beyond NY or Miami or LA. Looking forward to more!

I actually watched that news broadcast from the beginning of the song. I was 12. 5 years later I joined the US Navy and was stationed on a ship smaller that this one. The North Atlantic in Winter is no joke. My Father survived "Halsey's Typhoon" in WW2 (react please) on the USS New Jersey. "Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours" No truer statement was ever made.

Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the minutes turn into hours?

I read that this song was recorded live in the studio, exactly as it was to be performed live. So, when Gordon played it in concert, it always sounded perfect. Truly one of the greatest songs ever written/recorded.

They should react to a video about the Great Lakes. It’s always so interesting how no one outside the immediate region seems to grasp the size. I can’t tell you how many Europeans or coastal Americans that think you can see across them or that they’re just normal big lakes lol.

One of the wives whose husband was on the ship at the sinking asked to make it illegal to take things from the ship or to even go down to the ship. Lake Michigan is the hardest lake to sail on because of the space between the swells because it can break the back of the ship.

Living in Michigan for my whole life, I heard this heart breaking song often. Gordon Lightfoot did a great job giving tribute to the sailors.

Love this song so much ! It’s legendary ❤

He’s Canadian But of Scottish descent

I went to college in Ashland Wisconsin about 65 miles east of Superior Wisconsin. We would frequently make a run over to the Duluth Minnesota and drive through Superior. I saw the Edmund Fitzgerald there. You can't appreciate the vastness of the Great Lakes unless you come on over and see them in person. I've been scuba diving in Lake Superior and those big freighters make quite a wake when they pass by. Gordon Lightfoot was Canadian. Saw him many times in concert.

The original recording of this song from Lightfoot's "Summertime Dream" album was recorded at Eastern Sound Studios in Toronto, Canada in early 1976. Whilst it's hard to believe, the first take of this song was the version released in '76 and went straight to #1 in Canada and #2 on the U.S. Billboard charts. Not bad for a song well over 6 minutes long, landing square in the middle of the disco era. A memorial plaque in front of the Mariner's Church (Maritime Sailor's Cathedral) in Detroit, Michigan honours Gordon's song. And yes when Gordon passed, the church bell rang 30 times - 29 for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald and another for Mr. Lightfoot. As a Canadian, this makes me extremely proud.

Best version by far the radio communication give even more of an eerie feeling

Area of Lake Superior: 31,700 sq. mi. Area of Great Britain: 80,823 sq. mi.

Gordon Lightfoot national treasure in Canada. He was angered at the poor reporting in the news media of such a tragedy,( some papers had it as third page news, some mis-spelled the name of the ship. He wrote the song as close to the details they had at the time. All proceeds from the record sales were given to the sailors families. Gordon became very close to the families and attended every memorial service, right up until his death, about a year ago. On his death they rang the bell 30 times instead of the usual 29, the extra ring for Gordon. R.I.P. Gordon a nation still mourns your loss!🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

Gordon Lightfoot signed over all royalties to the family of the sailors. He also annually attended the 29 ringing of the bell at the Maritime Sailor's Cathedral. One chime for each man. Gordan passed away on May 1st of 2023. On May 2nd, the Maritime Sailor's Cathedral bell rang 30 times. One for each man and one for Gordon Lightfoot. Bless you, Mr. Lightfoot.

Thank you for covering the song! ESPECIALLY this video. This is the one I was hoping you'd do.

The great & legendary Gordon Lightfoot. I was privileged to not only see him sing live but got paid to do it. In 1978 I was an usher for All Star Security and was working the balcony, where my job was mostly over by the time the concert started.... I got paid for 6 hours minimum, and the seating and concert was only 3 hours total. So by the time I got home from the concert at the Jackie Gleason Theatre on Miami Beach to my home in the Westchester neighborhood of Miami I was still being paid, as it was only about 45 minutes from my home to The Beach (we Miami natives never say Miami Beach, it's just the beach)

I love this version of this song. I love the song, and the news reports interspersed with the song

It's funny seeing adults learn about this story for the first time. I've lived near Lake Superior my whole life and I first heard the story/song back in the third grade.

Captain and Crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald..... RIP Ernest McSorley - Captain born in 1912 in Canada and lived in Toledo, Ohio. He started command of the Fitzgerald in 1972 with more than 40 years of experience navigating oceans and the Great Lakes. McSorley was highly regarded for his skills, especially in heavy weather. He intended to retire after the 1975 shipping season but was survived by wife Nellie Pollock. John McCarthy - First mate born in 1913 and lived in Bay Village, Ohio. James Pratt - Second mate born in 1931 and lived in Lakewood, Ohio. Michael Armagost - Third mate born in 1938 and lived in Iron River, Wisconsin. David Weiss - Cadet born in 1953 and lived in Agoura, California. Ransom Cundy - Watchman born in 1922 on Easter Sunday in Houghton, Michigan, and lived in Superior, Wisconsin. He was in the Marine Corp and fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima during WWII. Fortunate to survive, Cundy was awarded several commendations and medals for his service. He was sailing with his friend Frederick J. Beetcher at the time of the sinking. Cundy was survived by his daughter Cheryl, her husband, and their seven children as well as three grandchildren from his youngest daughter Janice who passed away in 1974. Karl Peckol - Watchman born in 1955 and lived in Ashtabula, Ohio. William Spengler - Watchman born in 1916 and lived in Toledo, Ohio. John Simmons - Senior wheelman born in 1913 in Ashland, Wisconsin, where he also lived. He was known as a storyteller, jokester, and pool shark, and he loved sailing. Friends with Captain McSorley for more than 30 years, the ill-fated Fitzgerald trip was going to be his last before retirement. Simmons was survived by wife Florence (who never dated or remarried after his death) and two daughters Mary and Patricia. Eugene O’Brien - Wheelman born in 1925 in Minnesota and lived in Toledo, Ohio. Nicknamed the “Great Lakes Gambler,” he worked on ships from age 16 and only took a four-year hiatus as a glass factory worker. He loved casinos and playing cards. O’Brien was survived by wife Nancy and son John, who was just 17 when he lost his father. John Poviach - Wheelman born in 1916 and lived in Bradenton, Florida. Paul Riippa - Deckhand born in 1953 and lived in Ashtabula, Ohio. Mark Thomas - Deckhand born in 1954 and lived in Richmond Heights, Ohio. Bruce Hudson - Deckhand born in 1953 and lived in North Olmsted, Ohio. George Holl - Chief engineer born in 1915 and lived in Cabot, Pennsylvania. Edward Bindon - First assistant engineer born in 1928 and lived in Fairport Harbor, Ohio. Thomas Edwards - Second assistant engineer born in 1925 and lived in Oregon, Ohio. Russell Haskell - Second assistant engineer born in 1935 and lived in Millbury, Ohio. Oliver Champeau - Third assistant engineer born in 1934 and lived in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Nicknamed “Buck,” he quit school at age 13 to raise four siblings after his father died. During his life, Champeau fought in the Korean War with the Marine Corps. Ralph Walton - Oiler born in 1917 and lived in Fremont, Ohio. He and his brother Wade sailed on many Columbia Transportation ships, including the Fitzgerald, but only he was on board when it sank. He often volunteered to maintain the ships during winter and gave his nephews tours of the vessels. Walton was survived by a wife and son Alan who worked on freighters too. Blaine Wilhelm - Oiler born in 1923 in Big Bay, Michigan, and lived in Moquah, Wisconsin. He was in the Navy for 11 years, serving in WWII and the Korean War before being discharged as a first class fireman. Afterward, Wilhelm sailed for 19 years. He liked to go fishing and deer hunting and enjoyed playing pool, barbecuing, spending time with family and friends, and eating blueberry pie. Wilhelm was survived by wife Lorraine, seven children, and a grandchild born just four days after the Fitzgerald sank. Thomas Bentsen - Oiler born in 1952 and lived in St. Joseph, Michigan. Gordon MacLellan - Wiper born in 1945 and lived in Clearwater, Florida. Less than one month before the tragic Fitzgerald journey, he built a home in Presque Isle, Michigan, to make travel between the two states easier. MacLellan took after his father, Master Captain Donald MacLellan who traveled the Great Lakes route several times. Robert Rafferty - Steward and cook born in 1913 in Toledo, Ohio, where he also lived. After 30 years of sailing, he started just filling in for crew members. Rafferty wasn’t supposed to be on the fateful journey but was called to fill in for the regular steward. He was actually considering retiring altogether. Rafferty was survived by wife Brooksie, daughter Pam, and several grandchildren. Allen Kalmon - Second cook born in 1932 and lived in Washburn, Wisconsin. Joseph Mazes - Special maintenance man born in 1916 in Ashland, Wisconsin, where he also lived. He sailed for 30 years on the Great Lakes and loved his job. At one point, he saved another crewman’s life. Sadly, the 1975 season would have been his last because he planned to retire. Mazes loved ice fishing, deer hunting, and snowmobiling in his free time. His siblings, nieces, and nephews remember how kind and generous he was. They recall him being afraid of Captain McSorley’s habit of never pulling out of a storm. Thomas Borgeson - Maintenance man born in 1934 and lived in Duluth, Minnesota. Frederick Beetcher - Porter born in 1919 and lived in Superior, Wisconsin. Nolan Church - Porter born in 1920 and lived in Silver Bay, Minnesota. He didn’t start sailing until his 40s after watching the freighters pass by his home and thinking that the job would be fun. He was survived by multiple children who say that he loved the job. Son Rick recalls his father joking that the Great Lakes didn’t have a hole big enough for the Fitzgerald. Church didn’t think that such a tragedy could happen.

There's a little known fact about the Edmund Fitzgerald. in 1958, it took 3 attempts to break the champagne bottle , upon Christening it's launch. While that delay took place the crew struggled to release the keel blocks. It launched sideways crashing into the pier,creating a huge wave that doused spectators before righting itself. The Edmund Fitzgerald was owned by Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance company and named for it's president

My ex was wintering in Gran Marais, Michigan, while her first husband was in the army, when the Edmund Fitzgerald sank miles from where they were on shore. Whitefish Bay was a short ways eastward. Everyone's (non commercial band) radios were listening to the rescue effort, appalled at the tragedy unfolding. The big boats can be seen sailing from the shores of Gran Marais.

We went to Lake Erie every Summer as a kid and when you came up to the lake it looked no different than the ocean. It was really an inland sea--and some of the other lakes are bigger. Usually there was a Summer storm during our stay and the waves were huge and sometimes there would be a water spout (essentially a water tornado off shore a few miles. About 10 miles out you could see the big iron ore freighters as they traveled across your sight lines sometimes. They technically are lakes, but not really.

I think it's really awesome you guys did this for Andy and his family.

The Great Lakes is the largest interconnected collection of freshwater inland lakes in the world, and the primary means of commerce between the United States and Canada. The combination of the Great Lakes is virtually the same as an ocean. The Edmund Fitzgerald left a port in Wisconsin on the very western point of Lake Superior (“Gitchee Gumee”) with a load of iron ore, which is the raw material used to produce steel, and was headed to the straights at Sault Saint Marie between Michigan and Canada, to Lake Huron, and then through the St. Clair River to Lake St. Clair, then through the Detroit River into Lake Erie to Cleveland, Ohio, which is on the banks Lake Erie. The steel firms in Cleveland were going to use the iron ore on the Edmund Fitzgerald to produce structural steel. A “gale” is essentially an inland hurricane with high winds and high waves. I believe “the Chippewa” refers to the native American tribe that inhabited the area around what is now the northern United States and southern Canada around the northern Great Lakes region. The Great Lakes has their own maritime culture, and this song is a great testament to that culture.

I was a kid when this happened. This song is truly haunting.

I don’t know if anyone has mentioned it, but Gordon donated the proceeds from this song to the crew members families. He also stayed in touch with them until his death. RIP GORDON LIGHTFOOT.

To give you an idea of how big Lake Superior is, it is the largest of the Great Lakes and the deepest at about 2,000 feet at one point. Where the Fitzgerald went down is 350 feet. It's surface area is 2,000 square kilometers larger than Scotland! In volume there is enough water in the Great Lakes to cover the entire US 10 feet deep!

I remember learning about this back in grade school, and the story (along with the song) really freaked me out 😅

5:02 In reference to if Gordon Lightfoot was Irish, no, he's actually a Canadian

The line, “Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?” is so sad & probably reflects what we all think/wonder when disaster strikes.

Legend. Carefree highway, Sundown ,If You Could Read My Mind and many more.

I’m from Chicago and I remember when this happened. I was 10 years old. An old school friend of my father’s perished on the Edmund Fitzgerald. It was one of the few times I ever saw my father cry. This tragedy was huge news around the Great Lakes. Weather conditions around the lakes in winter are brutal and harsh. The Great Lakes are like the sea.

Gordpn Lightfoot, the singer, is Canadian.

The Great Lakes are far from the idyllic little ponds one normally associates with inland fresh water. From late October through mid-April, they can be as treacherous as the North Atlantic. They are also huge, looking for all the world like open water ocean once underway. "The Witch of November" is meteorological and maritime laker slang for the strong winds and low atmospheric pressure which blow across the lakes in late autumn and early winter. They can create rogue waves and hurricane conditions. I went to college with a guy whose father skippered lake freighters. According to him, his dad called those winds "November banshees". In Irish lore, a banshee is a ghostly female spirit who wails away in the darkness, signifying that someone has died or is about to die. Seems quite a fitting description and an apt metaphor.

Even though I was very young, I remember that storm, and the night this happened. I remember my dad following the story on local radio. I could see the docks where the Fitzgerald took on its final load from my childhood bedroom window.

The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald is a lyrical masterpiece, a once-in-a-century work penned by a master bard. Requiescat in pace, Mr Lightfoot.

Gordon was actually Canadian, I don't know of his heritage, to be honest I never noticed he had an accent. lol

Lake Superior is more of an inland sea than a lake.

I've lived in Wisconsin since I was 3 years old and was 15 when this happened. I definitely remember seeing the news reports and since this was during the school year there was a lot of talk about it there. Every time I hear this song I have to blink back a few tears. Out of all the Great Lakes, the only one I've seen is Lake Michigan. The closest I've ever been to Lake Superior was Green Bay.

Haunting

Folks don't realize the Great Lakes are essentially inland oceans with storms as violent if not more so than even the North Atlantic.

Don't forget, if Lk Superior was salt water it would meet the criteria to be called a Sea. The size of the lake is humongous. The Trans Cda hiway runs along the north shore from Sault Ste Marie to Thunder Bay, if you can average 100 kmh it is a 6 and a half hr drive.

Gordon Lighfoot was a great Canadian bard. When he died they rang the bells 30 times, one extra time for him

I shipped out of Duluth, Minnesota on an ore carrier at the age of 18 in summer 1976. My crewmates, all of us deckhands, were on the Anderson that night that the Fitz went down. They said the old timers put their lifejackets on and just sat in their quarters waiting for whatever might be their fate.

Superior is notorious for bad storms and it is basically like a sea. Wind speeds can reach over 100 miles an hour.

My grandparents lived on the Detroit River and my grandfather was an amateur photographer. They rented the second and third floor of a three-story walk-up the first floor was a small machine shop and the second two floors were just one family apartments. They were quite big and they lived there forever. They lived on the third floor and the second floor was just full of storage and quite empty and very scary as a kid. Anyway we have tons of pictures quality pictures including the Edmund Fitzgerald my grandfather took of freighters from his back balcony. Whenever we were there the kitchen was in the back and my grandma would say there goes a freighter... We would all run to the deck and look.They had some huge binoculars too.

This version of the song is compressed and speed up. This makes the voice higher and the instruments sound a little weird. There is a much better higher quality version.

The report said 25 foot waves but there are estimates that there could possibly have been rogue waves as large as 60ft that rolled up the deck of the Fitzgerald.

David Weiss attended my High School in Agoura, California. He was a year or two behind me. He must have graduated at 18 and it was his unfortunate fate to have found himself at 22 halfway across the country. He was a cadet aboard her when she went down. 😢

This is a good video. Tells a lot about the wreck and aftermath.

"We are holding our own." ~ The last words ever heard from Edmund Fitzgerald.

You made me sob with gratitude. Thank you, Blokes! ❤️ R.I.P. Blair Garland Randolph.

As mentioned, Lake Superior can almost be considered an inland sea. Lake Superior is reportedly a bit warmer, but the water is so cold, it is dangerous to swim in the lake, even for less than 10 minutes. A few years ago I read an article that explained that the reason storms are so unpredictably fierce on Lake Superior in November is because that is the month the lake releases the warmth absorbed form the hot summer temperatures.

I live off of lake Erie ,one of the tame lakes. Yes, the winds can howl in November. 6000 ship wreaks under the Great Lakes, this song is an anthem to all that have lost thier lives on the beautiful but potentially dangerous Great Lakes. Thank you for remembering.

this is a great song, another good song similar is " 32 down on the Robert Mackenzie "

"The Fit" was longer than the water was deep where she went down.

Even had hands on deck from Florida. 😢😢

8:12 Something that makes this shipwreck even more tragic was that this voyage of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was to be the one under Captain Ernest McSorley before he retired from hauling freight on the Great Lakes

I didnt realize my town of Ashtabula, ohio had 2 men go down with the Edmund Fitzgerald. nice video

The Fitz was only about 100 feet shorter than the infamous Titanic, a beast of a ship. It was indeed the pride of the American side, as Lightfoot say, and sits just on the Canadian side, at the bottom of Lake Superior, off limits to all in perpetuity, their permanent grave site.

"We are holding our own, going along like an old shoe."- The last communication with Arthur M Anderson from the Edmund Fitzgerald, 10 November, 1975 This happened so quick; one minute, The Fitz was ahead of the Arthur M Anderson on her way to Whitefish Bay in the middle of the storm, and the next, within... I think like, ten minutes or even less, she was gone. Just gone. No wreckage, no survivors, no signal, no distress call, nothing. She was on radar one minute and then in the blink of an eye, she'd disappeared beneath the water. I don't think the men had any time to react, and if they did, by then it was far too late. I hope that the crew met Gordon at the Gates when he passed in May 2023.

there is one boat left in service that went back out to search for the fitzgerald, and some information is that they are going to have her work a few more seasons then put her as a museum ship ss arthur m anderson is 79 years young

Great Lakes Legend. I amfrom Michigan. I was 13.

DAMN i love the line "the good ship and true was a bone to be chewed"

Gordon LIghtfoot was upset that more attention was not spent on the wreck and the lost crew. He wrote the song and donated the proceeds to the surviving families. At the memorial, when he passed, they rang for him as well. Fall/winter weather is not for the feint of heart in the northern waters. Mike is right about the Great Lakes--they are more seas. I was a kid when this happened--but I live in this area so it was a major event for the people in our area.

I heard this is a child growing up. The song always haunted me. I learned about the Great Lakes in school and that was a little deeper when I was young after hearing the song. As a little girl from the Midwest smack dab in the middle of the country, even I have a healthy fear and admiration for the Great Lakes. I've also been all long time fan of Gordon Lightfoot.

The surface of the 5 Great Lakes is 21% of all of the surface of fresh water in the entire world

Thank you fellas I have never seen this video before and I thought I had seen them all.

This is the sped up version of the classic. This version sounds terrible compared to the proper version. That being said though, the visuals are great - Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian legend. Cheers from Canada!

Superior is the largest lake in the world, its gigantic. Gitche Gumee is what the natives called the lake before settlers named it.

Gordon Lightfoot was Canadian

Superior is not a lake .. She is an inland sea. Spring fed inland sea, she never gets warm. The storms are brutal and shipping continues on the lower lakes but it stops on Superior. The ship is now it's own cemetery and diving is discouraged.

Superior is 31,700 square miles (82,103 square kilometers) - it is like an ocean are the other great lakes.

It would have been 30 times that bell rang if my family friend (Uncle) didn't go with my grandpa when he hired him. Thankfully he went with my grandpa but it's still heartbreaking to remember that close call with the music.

If you were ever interested in another Lightfoot song I would recommend "Alberta Bound" which is definitely a more upbeat song.

There are over 6000 known wrecks in the Great Lakes. Most people don't know that the waves in the Great lakes don't dissipate during a storm like in the ocean they get amplified because of them bouncing off the shores.

With a load of iron ore 26,000 tons more than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty. It's amazing that something that heavy could float.

In re the discussion on "Nowadays." In 2015 the S.S. El Faro sank on a voyage from Jacksonville FL to San Juan PR. She was caught in the Bahamas by Hurricane Joaquin and sank with all hands, 31 men and 2 women. Technology may be better, but the sea was, is, and probably always will be a dangerous place.

about time nice

open water with shallow lakes makes waves on the great lakes treacherous