Hey folks, thanks for watching with me. I've been reading all your messages about this disaster and have also read a lot online. Seems like it was pretty far away from what I imagined. The fact that is was only 50 years ago makes for a very dark and tragic tale. My thoughts are with all those that were affected. This is undeniably a beautiful song to commemorate what happened.
It was on Lake Superior, Michigan USA. It was only about 25 miles from shore. While it sounds like a tragedy on the high seas, it was within sight of land if it were clear and it was light out. The Great Lakes are like that. I'm not sure if in Austria (I think that's where you said you were from) has large storms on the Med, but we get them often on the Great Lakes here in the US. There are hundreds of freighters that haul between different ports on the lakes and there are records of lots of ships that have succumbed to the Lakes and their disregard for the sailors that ride them when the November storms come early.
When Gordon died, the chappel in Detroit added him to the times the bell was rung for the Edmund Fitzgerald. From 29 to 30, all proceeds from the song when to the families. RiP Gordon.
Things you should know to understand. "Superior, it's said, never gives up her dead." Superior is deep, and its northern latitude means that it stays incredibly cold all year. Cold enough that bodies don't break down and rise to the surface. So, are never recovered. The storms can and do have hurricane-force winds 75 MPH and over. Also being freshwater lakes the frequency of the waves is shorter than salt water. In a storm, the ships take a terrible beating as they are hit by the force of the water much more often, and with less time to recover from the last wave, they can remain in the trough of a wave and not have time to rise to the next one before they are hit again. There are over 3600 ships known to have been lost on the Great Lakes. They make the Bermuda Triangle look like a minor inconvenience.
The Witch of November refers to the late fall gales coming out of central Canada blowing southeast the length of Lake Superior, around 400 miles (550 km) over the lake from Duluth, MN to Sault Ste. Marie, MI. With every mile trsaveled from northwest to southeast the waves of these gales just grow larger, and the Fitz sunk a couple of hours before she would have been safe at the Sault Ste. Marie locks, or even sooner if she had managed to round Whitefish point to get protection from the growing waves, as the song mentions.
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
Next year in 2025 will be the 50th anniversary of this tragedy, how time has passed by but because of Gordon Lightfoot their memory’s will live on. He too will be missed by all of his friends and family and those of us who enjoyed the music he brought to us. May they all Rest In Peace.
As a Canadian, I can attest to the fact that GL was one of Canada's great storytellers. He sang about the Canada he dearly loved and occasionally about our American neighbors. One of his most powerful songs was also one of his least known masterpieces....Black Day in July. This song was about the Detroit riots in 1968 and made you feel like you were living through it all over again. He is a national treasure in Canada and his legacy will continue for generations.
His voice had changed quite a bit by this point. I'm glad he was still playing, just saying that you should hear the original studio version, or a live version from earlier in his life, when his voice was more deep and full 👍
He never stopped recording or touring till shortly before his death. But yes I agree he had an amazing voice when he was in his prime. Listen to any of his classics from the 70s. His voice in this recording is nothing compared to his younger self. I grew up listening to and loving Gordon lightfoot. It was a sad day when I heard he passed.
Gordon Lightfoot is legendary. The song is based on fact - he wrote it 'cuz he didn't think the tragedy had gotten enough notice when it sank on Nov. 10, 1975. His hometown was Orillia, Ontario, Canada - his funeral was held there a few blocks from where his bust sits outside the Opera House. Among his many other songs are "Rainy Day People", "If You Could Read My Mind" and "Sundown".
"Gitchigomee" is the Indigenous name for Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes on the upper midwest US/Canadian border. It means "great water" or "great sea". The melody is akin to that of old sea shantys. "Hurricane" is a perfect comparison for both the composition and the nature of the song.
There's an interesting story about the recording of the song back in 1976. According to drummer Barry Keane, Gord showed up to the studio with this song and played it for the band on acoustic guitar. They happened to roll tape as the band played it. Keane says the version released is that first take, in other words, the first time the song was ever performed by the full band.
As others have mentioned, "If you could read my mind" and "Sundown" are two of his best known songs. I saw him in an early 80s and he was terrific. His voice had begun to change a bit here, but he had a great baritone when he was younger. "Beautiful" may be my favorite sing of his.
One of the best song writers ever and this is his most famous song. For decades my husband I would go see him every time he was touring. I saw him again in his final year.
"If I Could Read Your Mind" is another Gordon classic and great song. He is a great story teller with the way he let's you in to the songs. Don't think I've ever heard a song of his that there was ever any doubt about what the song is about.
- The Fitz was an (iron) ore boat fresh out of the Duluth/Superior harbor on Lake Superior (one of America's Great Lakes). It sank in a terrible storm on November 10, 1975. - I get the shivers every time I hear this song because I live up here near Duluth MN and recall that night, and that storm vividly. Was listening to local am radio around 9:00/10:00pm when the call went out locally for the Coast Guard crews to man the USCG cutter "Woodrush" for a rescue mission. - We commemorate this day by only once every year on Nov. 10, lighting the old Split Rock Lighthouse beacon on the North Shore of Lake Superior. I've attended the ceremony numerous times. The beacon WAS lit last year on one extra night to mark the passing of Gordon Lightfoot. - I see you smiling at his incredible wordsmithing. It's story telling at it's best. - Damn straight! Get a twelve string! :)
Every verse in the song tells the tale of the Edmund Fitzgerald and the crew and every hour and minute of it's sinking. To put the words to song in such a haunting respectful like Gordon did, is a testament to his songwriting. Along with the likes of Bob Dylan, probably one of the best lyracists ever.
I have lived by Lake Erie my whole life. At the age of 70 I remember this tragedy. While shipwrecks are somewhat common throughout history it was different to see it on the local news and see what happened so close to us. The song is written respectfully and beautifully.
1975 is when the Fitz went down .. that was a legendary storm. Gordon didn't want the men to be forgotten. All money made off this song goes to the families of the 29 men. Superior is an inland sea and storms are vicious.
I remember when the wreck happened in 1975 well. A teacher I had in '77 said his brother took some pics of the Fitzgerald the day before she wrecked. He worked at the dock in WI and one of the men on the Fitzgerald was a friend. Guess they went for some breakfast or something early that morning and when he dropped him off he took a pic of the ship. Not sure if his friend was in the pic or not but he was on it when it sunk. Quite possibly one of the last pics of the Fitz if not the last. I didn't see the pic. Was just told about it and that it hung on his brother's wall. I remember when this song first came out. It was and still is so beautiful. I get tears in my eyes and goosebumps when I hear it.
His voice was so much fuller when he was younger, he was a brilliant Singer Songwriter Performer. I remember the wreck it filled the newspapers and airways for some time. For yourself you should hear the album version. He did a great Ode to the Canadian Railroad, and so many beautifully written songs
Yeah, if you can find the youtube video of the released version from 1970's, you can hear the music reflect the storm, the story, and the pain. Gordon's voice also is more on point to the parts of the story. He's good in this version, but the original was a lot better.
The studio version is well worth a listen. Lightfoot's attention to detail is very evident. Bob Dylan was among Lightfoot's admirers. The Edmund Fitzgerald sank November 10, 1975. You were only off by eighty years.😆
I was 16 when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down, and I've lived in Michigan most of my life. I live on Lake Huron now, but I've been to Superior many times. It's the largest source of fresh water in the world, and it's so deep and so cold on the bottom, that the bodies of lost sailors never rise to the surface. Superior in truth never gives up her dead. That's what is meant by that particular lyric.
It’s not just the coldness but that and the lack of oxygen in the water to that prevents the bodies that drown and sink into the depths of Superior from decomposing and thus floating up to the surface.
Canadian Railroad Trilogy, this was written for the Canadian 100th anniversary. The story goes that Lightfoot was approached by the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp), they wanted a song that celebrates Canada. Four days later Gord presented them with the Canadian Railroad Trilogy
This was Lightfoot's second song about an actual disaster at sea. The first was "Ballad of the Yarmouth Castle", the story of a cruise ship which burned at sea in 1965.
I remember when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down in 1975. Gordon Lightfoot was the Canadian Troubadour. Anything from his album Gilds Gold is worth a listen. RIP Gordon!
I was 6 years old when I watched the news about the ship sinking. Then not too long after this song hit the air waves...and this tribute is to those men and most importantly to the families who suffered such a tragic loss. That bell tolled. The nation mourned. This song is legendary because he put his feelings about this incident to song. Thankyou Gordon Lightfoot for such a thoughtful song and lyrics.
This is a true incident. On Nov 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald sank. She (here ships are referred to as she) had been caught in open water by a huge storm that included waves up to 50 feet and winds gusting up to 90 miles per hour. There are plenty reports of what had happened that day and night. No one knows for sure exactly how she sank, there was no distress call, she just disappeared. The shipwreck site, in Canadian waters, has been ruled off limits for divers by the government to protect the site as a graveyard.
I lived about 60 miles from where it went down. The day it went down me and a good friend went stream fishing, we were just about to the creek when the wind got so strong trees started to fall. Needless to say we got out of there.
Gordon Lightfoot was one of my favorite singers of my youth. He was a bard; a minstrel; a real troubadour. His songs told stories, and they were tales that many of us have known or experienced in our lives.
This was a pretty significant event in my childhood, my father worked on the Lake freighters at the time and we lived in Thunder Bay a port city on the west end of Lake Superior. So it hit pretty close to home for many people here. My dad's ship was already home for the winter season when this happened. Love my twelve string. The sea shanty feel was probably on purpose. Next to go, the "Canadian railway trilogy".
Gordon has a vast and deep catalog. Many will recommend the hits to you. But since you are appreciating the sheer poetry of his work, I recommend the more obscure 'The Last Time I Saw Her'. And I'll give you a sample line...'That was so long ago that I can hardly feel what I felt before. But if time could heal the wounds, I would tear the threads away that I might bleed some more.'
I heard this on the radio the other day. I know in my heart that it was a poem set to music. It's a haunting tale and melody. I love it and hate it at the same time.
Funny< Bob Dylan was one of Gord's biggest fans.Sundown , If You Could Read My Mind, Early Morning Rain ....... he's worth a deep dive. Female favorite in the genre Joan Baez ( dated Dylan ) he told her she would never be more than a Minstrel Diamonds and Rust was her EPIC reply , denied for years it was about him. Made her a small fortune.
I love that you take notes and don't interrupt the video, just let it play out and get in your thoughts after. I remember when this song came out. It was some years after that I found it was based on a true story.
Yeah that's a new thing I'm trying. Glad you like that style. I prefer it I think. And gives people the chance to enjoy the whole song. Thanks a log for becoming a Patreon. Let me know if you have a video you'd like me to check out. I'm still searching for a Lungs video in the meantime...
The song lyrics mention that the Fitz was "coming back from some mill in Wisconsin". That's a reference to Superior, Wisconsin which was the port of departure for the Fitz. Superior is also where I grew up and I remember the storm that Fitz went down in. I had the pleasure of seeing Gordon live in the 80's when I lived in California. Thanks for appreciating Gordon's music and sharing the video with us.
Unfortunately this is the best live version on youtube. The studio version is much better. Its a tad slower which is more fitting and his voice sounds much richer.
In 1867 when Canada became a country a promise was made to build a railway from coast to coast and they did it. Gordon wrote the Great Canadian Railroad Trilogy as an homage to that accomplishment. So, Black Day in July, The Railroad Trilogy and Sundown....listen to them all.
My college roommates and I went up North for the Weekend to Paradise Michigan we were at White Fish Point the day before it sank. Gitchigumi is Lake Superior it’s a fresh water Lake. When we came home the day it Sank a pickup truck was flipped by the wind on the Mackinaw Bridge. They say it was a 25 foot wave.
Possibly my favourite folk song of all time, but certainly in the top 5. I remember hearing this on ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission) radio for the first time in the mid-70's and immediately was overwhelmed with emotion and that the Great Lakes could have storms like this as it is so far from our Australian mindset. Another person you should look out for is Harry Chapin and his live album Greatest Stories Live.
Thanks for sharing. You also might like the Bismark by Johnny Horton. Like how you listen to the whole song can tell you generally love music can see it in your eyes.
Gordon is a fabulous musician. His guitar leads are incredible. It’s a haunting tune. That church rings 29 times each and every day. Sundown is the one you should listen to.
You are going to want to listen to the Canadian Railroad Trilogy by Gordon Lightfoot. This song that he wrote and sang was a dedication to the men that worked and lost their lives while laying down the Canadian railroad from sea to sea. The changes in tempo are remarkable! Other the the Edmund Fitzgerald is my favorite song.
The Big Fitz was over 720 feet in length, A bulk oar Freighter, and went down in November of 1975. For the storm, think an ungodly gale in the Baltic with 70ft waves. To this day, they still don't know why she went down. I think she sits in about 750 feet of water or more.
The 70s had the best singer songwriters and lyricists. Just a few are Al Stewart, Jackson Browne, Dave Mason, Todd Rundgren, John Prine, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Seger, Bernie Taupin, Neil Peart, and Neil Young. Many more too.
Enjoy listening to Sundown; If you could read my mind love; and one of my all time favourites, Beautiful. His catalog runs deep. GL was a truly great Canadian. As are most things Canadian he was under appreciated.
No one that's had a maritime job or trade has anything but reverence for this song. It's one of the stories of sadness that we all carry with us. Like the stories of war and accidental tragedy; RMS Titanic, Bermuda Triangle, and the USS Indianapolis
This live version is much higher than originally recorded… I saw him live in 1986 and he was lower then as well… curious as to why they raised the register… usually they lower it with age.
I believe he and band recorded the released version in one take. They made him try several times more and then went with the first. They tried to make him cut it for commercial release; he refused. They released it his way. What a performer and artist.
The ship carrier iron ore (taconite pellets - round and about the sizeof marbles). The load was 26,000 tons (52,000,000 pounds). The ship was commonly called the "Fitz". Ships, while they may have a male name, are referred to by sailors with feminine pronouns. Such as "She" was a great ship. It was a great honor for the "Fitz" to be the first ship through the Soo Canal, to officially begin the Great Lakes shipping season.
True story , happened when I was 4years old everybody talked about it. Made headlines in the area where I grew up , just down on the St. Mary's River which feeds into lake Superior. Brutal weather in the autumn. Give the studio version a listen , can't go wrong with Gordon Lightfoot , love him but his voice here is a bit different from his younger years.
I was always told that if it could go to sea it was a ship, if it stayed inland it is a boat. Obviously plying the waters of the Great Lakes the Edmund Fitzgerald stayed in fresh water but it had ocean going capability so it would be classed as a ship. When Jim died they changed it so now the bell rings 30 times.
Dave, many folks have told you most of the story of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald along with many others of Gordon Lightfoot's songs. But I just noticed something in this video: you WRITE lefthanded although you PLAY guitar and DRINK your beverages righthanded. You are ambidexerous!!! What a handy talent!!!
Thank you for listening to Girdon Lightfoot. I agree with others that his voice when younger was AMAZING! Definitely cgeck out some of his other songs. They have a completely different vibe and sound.
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. It was a 730 foot-long Great Lakes ore hauling freighter. As a student in college in Sault Ste. Marie, MI in the early 1970's I watched it go through the locks more than once, and shouted greetings up to the crew, some of the men who died, I'm sure. Listen to the studio version. It's simply spooky and recreates the mood of the dark, cold, rolling Lake Superior. If you want to hear how a song can creates a mood, listen to it. This is a nice live version but it pales beside the studio version.
Listen to his greatest hits album "Gord's Gold". Each song is a masterpiece of lyrics and musical composition. "If you Could Read My Mind" is arguably his greatest masterpiece. There are plenty of other great songs on his albums, but this is a quick way to sample the best. You'll hear how much stronger his voice was when he was in his prime.
As a folk song enthusiast, when I heard this when it came out in 1976 I thought it was an old tune. Somehow, I had not heard of the wreck, even though I was living back east at the time. It was not until several years ago that I found out the truth of this song. I believe it was when they found the bell. I always wanted to know what made those songs sound the way they do as I am very moved by folk tunes that seem to be in a minor key. I’m not sure that they really are. I sang in choir but never learned music theory. This is definitely one of the best songs ever written.
What a song. A story, a sad story. Just a great song but sad at the same time. It's hard to put into words so hopefully you're picking up what I'm putting down. So good to know ya.....
There is a lot of commercial shipping on the Great Lakes of North America. It built the large cities of the American Midwest and Canada. The lakes are really big. Lake Superior is about 2/3 the size of England
As a great storyteller, Gordon did take a few liberties because he wrote the song so soon after the sinking. The Fitz wasn't headed for Cleveland, it was headed for the Rouge River area of Detroit, MI. It didn't signal that that they were having problems. The last message from the Fitz was that they had a slight list, but they were holding their own. And they were more than 15 miles from Whitefish point (the bay where freighters would wait for passage through the Soo Locks and into Lake Huron), there's no information on the cook mentioning to the crew of not being able to feed them. All songwriter's license, but it doesn't take anything away from the story that is being told.
Hey folks, thanks for watching with me. I've been reading all your messages about this disaster and have also read a lot online. Seems like it was pretty far away from what I imagined. The fact that is was only 50 years ago makes for a very dark and tragic tale. My thoughts are with all those that were affected. This is undeniably a beautiful song to commemorate what happened.
Yes he is the greatest storyteller ever. On par and tied, maybe a little above Merle Haggard
It was on Lake Superior, Michigan USA. It was only about 25 miles from shore. While it sounds like a tragedy on the high seas, it was within sight of land if it were clear and it was light out. The Great Lakes are like that. I'm not sure if in Austria (I think that's where you said you were from) has large storms on the Med, but we get them often on the Great Lakes here in the US. There are hundreds of freighters that haul between different ports on the lakes and there are records of lots of ships that have succumbed to the Lakes and their disregard for the sailors that ride them when the November storms come early.
When Gordon died, the chappel in Detroit added him to the times the bell was rung for the Edmund Fitzgerald. From 29 to 30, all proceeds from the song when to the families. RiP Gordon.
That extra ring pulled a tear from my eye.
@@g.gordon8117
They rang him down. As the 30th sailor. He had actually pulled duty on a steamer up there once. Don't know which boat to
I came here for this; wanted to make sure someone mentioned it. Thank you. 🙏🏻
The song is the true story of an iron ore freighter that sank in the Great Lakes in November 1975.
A very important point ... the ship went down like the Titanic.People didn't think it could, but it did ...
It sank in eastern Lake Superior.
@@Freedom_Half_Off Storms on the Great Lakes, especially Lake Superior can rival some of the worst storms in the Atlantic.
It still gives me goosebumps. Clevelander here who still remembers.
Took 29 brave salty boys with her.
Things you should know to understand. "Superior, it's said, never gives up her dead." Superior is deep, and its northern latitude means that it stays incredibly cold all year. Cold enough that bodies don't break down and rise to the surface. So, are never recovered. The storms can and do have hurricane-force winds 75 MPH and over. Also being freshwater lakes the frequency of the waves is shorter than salt water. In a storm, the ships take a terrible beating as they are hit by the force of the water much more often, and with less time to recover from the last wave, they can remain in the trough of a wave and not have time to rise to the next one before they are hit again. There are over 3600 ships known to have been lost on the Great Lakes. They make the Bermuda Triangle look like a minor inconvenience.
Dark. Thanks for the message.
You should listen to more Gordon Lightfoot. Sundown, Canadian Railroad Trilogy. He was an engaging storyteller.
Wow. Being a Minnesotan, I have been on and in Lake Superior. Its power is magnificent.
The Witch of November refers to the late fall gales coming out of central Canada blowing southeast the length of Lake Superior, around 400 miles (550 km) over the lake from Duluth, MN to Sault Ste. Marie, MI. With every mile trsaveled from northwest to southeast the waves of these gales just grow larger, and the Fitz sunk a couple of hours before she would have been safe at the Sault Ste. Marie locks, or even sooner if she had managed to round Whitefish point to get protection from the growing waves, as the song mentions.
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
Next year in 2025 will be the 50th anniversary of this tragedy, how time has passed by but because of Gordon Lightfoot their memory’s will live on. He too will be missed by all of his friends and family and those of us who enjoyed the music he brought to us.
May they all Rest In Peace.
Thank you for giving these men names. 🙏🏼
Thank you.
Thank you for this. 🙏🏻
He puts you on the deck. You can feel the storm. Very few can tell a story like Mr. Lightfoot. Not just a singer songwriter but a troubadour
As a Canadian, I can attest to the fact that GL was one of Canada's great storytellers. He sang about the Canada he dearly loved and occasionally about our American neighbors. One of his most powerful songs was also one of his least known masterpieces....Black Day in July. This song was about the Detroit riots in 1968 and made you feel like you were living through it all over again. He is a national treasure in Canada and his legacy will continue for generations.
You should make sure to hear "If You Could Read My Mind".
Song For A Winter's Night, the "Gord's Gold" version. Everything on that album, actually.
His voice had changed quite a bit by this point. I'm glad he was still playing, just saying that you should hear the original studio version, or a live version from earlier in his life, when his voice was more deep and full 👍
Yes, his voice i s much more rich on the studio recording. Almost baritone.
He never stopped recording or touring till shortly before his death. But yes I agree he had an amazing voice when he was in his prime. Listen to any of his classics from the 70s. His voice in this recording is nothing compared to his younger self. I grew up listening to and loving Gordon lightfoot. It was a sad day when I heard he passed.
While lovely and well done. You should listen to him when he was a younger man. It was beautiful.
@@bossfan49This recording was done when he was much older.
@@dorothyfielding8209 I know. The OP indicated that as well.
Gordon Lightfoot is legendary. The song is based on fact - he wrote it 'cuz he didn't think the tragedy had gotten enough notice when it sank on Nov. 10, 1975. His hometown was Orillia, Ontario, Canada - his funeral was held there a few blocks from where his bust sits outside the Opera House. Among his many other songs are "Rainy Day People", "If You Could Read My Mind" and "Sundown".
We lost a treasure when Gordon passed. And I'm not Canadian. RIP.
"Gitchigomee" is the Indigenous name for Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes on the upper midwest US/Canadian border. It means "great water" or "great sea".
The melody is akin to that of old sea shantys.
"Hurricane" is a perfect comparison for both the composition and the nature of the song.
There's an interesting story about the recording of the song back in 1976. According to drummer Barry Keane, Gord showed up to the studio with this song and played it for the band on acoustic guitar. They happened to roll tape as the band played it. Keane says the version released is that first take, in other words, the first time the song was ever performed by the full band.
I'd read that the drummer asked when he should come in and Gordon's response was, you will know, and he certainly figured it out
"Does anyone know where the love of G-d goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
In three days, it will be 49 years. I remember it so well.
As others have mentioned, "If you could read my mind" and "Sundown" are two of his best known songs. I saw him in an early 80s and he was terrific. His voice had begun to change a bit here, but he had a great baritone when he was younger. "Beautiful" may be my favorite sing of his.
My uncles helped build this freighter. It went down on my 10th birthday.
One of the best song writers ever and this is his most famous song. For decades my husband I would go see him every time he was touring. I saw him again in his final year.
"If I Could Read Your Mind" is another Gordon classic and great song. He is a great story teller with the way he let's you in to the songs. Don't think I've ever heard a song of his that there was ever any doubt about what the song is about.
- The Fitz was an (iron) ore boat fresh out of the Duluth/Superior harbor on Lake Superior (one of America's Great Lakes). It sank in a terrible storm on November 10, 1975.
- I get the shivers every time I hear this song because I live up here near Duluth MN and recall that night, and that storm vividly. Was listening to local am radio around 9:00/10:00pm when the call went out locally for the Coast Guard crews to man the USCG cutter "Woodrush" for a rescue mission.
- We commemorate this day by only once every year on Nov. 10, lighting the old Split Rock Lighthouse beacon on the North Shore of Lake Superior. I've attended the ceremony numerous times. The beacon WAS lit last year on one extra night to mark the passing of Gordon Lightfoot.
- I see you smiling at his incredible wordsmithing. It's story telling at it's best.
- Damn straight! Get a twelve string! :)
Every verse in the song tells the tale of the Edmund Fitzgerald and the crew and every hour and minute of it's sinking.
To put the words to song in such a haunting respectful like Gordon did, is a testament to his songwriting. Along with the likes of Bob Dylan, probably one of the best lyracists ever.
I have lived by Lake Erie my whole life. At the age of 70 I remember this tragedy. While shipwrecks are somewhat common throughout history it was different to see it on the local news and see what happened so close to us. The song is written respectfully and beautifully.
1975 is when the Fitz went down .. that was a legendary storm. Gordon didn't want the men to be forgotten. All money made off this song goes to the families of the 29 men. Superior is an inland sea and storms are vicious.
Early Morning Rain
Covered by the likes of Bob Dylan and Steve Forbert.
I remember when the wreck happened in 1975 well. A teacher I had in '77 said his brother took some pics of the Fitzgerald the day before she wrecked. He worked at the dock in WI and one of the men on the Fitzgerald was a friend. Guess they went for some breakfast or something early that morning and when he dropped him off he took a pic of the ship. Not sure if his friend was in the pic or not but he was on it when it sunk. Quite possibly one of the last pics of the Fitz if not the last. I didn't see the pic. Was just told about it and that it hung on his brother's wall. I remember when this song first came out. It was and still is so beautiful. I get tears in my eyes and goosebumps when I hear it.
All royalties from this song is split and goes to the families of the ones lost and what a tribute to write a song honoring those men.
His voice was so much fuller when he was younger, he was a brilliant Singer Songwriter Performer. I remember the wreck it filled the newspapers and airways for some time. For yourself you should hear the album version. He did a great Ode to the Canadian Railroad, and so many beautifully written songs
Yeah, if you can find the youtube video of the released version from 1970's, you can hear the music reflect the storm, the story, and the pain. Gordon's voice also is more on point to the parts of the story. He's good in this version, but the original was a lot better.
Two songs come instantly to mind. "Rainy Day People" and "Carefree Highway". Not quite so forlorn. 🤘😎❤
The studio version is well worth a listen. Lightfoot's attention to detail is very evident. Bob Dylan was among Lightfoot's admirers.
The Edmund Fitzgerald sank November 10, 1975. You were only off by eighty years.😆
I've always thought of it as a dirge. He was a modern bard for sure.
I was 16 when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down, and I've lived in Michigan most of my life. I live on Lake Huron now, but I've been to Superior many times. It's the largest source of fresh water in the world, and it's so deep and so cold on the bottom, that the bodies of lost sailors never rise to the surface. Superior in truth never gives up her dead. That's what is meant by that particular lyric.
I was 15 when it went down. It was a haunting song the first time I heard it and it still is.
It’s not just the coldness but that and the lack of oxygen in the water to that prevents the bodies that drown and sink into the depths of Superior from decomposing and thus floating up to the surface.
Canadian Railroad Trilogy, this was written for the Canadian 100th anniversary. The story goes that Lightfoot was approached by the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp), they wanted a song that celebrates Canada. Four days later Gord presented them with the Canadian Railroad Trilogy
So many iconic ballads by Gordon Lightfoot.... His voice in his early, prime years was mesmerizing.
This was Lightfoot's second song about an actual disaster at sea. The first was "Ballad of the Yarmouth Castle", the story of a cruise ship which burned at sea in 1965.
I remember when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down in 1975. Gordon Lightfoot was the Canadian Troubadour. Anything from his album Gilds Gold is worth a listen. RIP Gordon!
"If You Could Read My Mind" is one of so many beautiful songs by Gordon Lightfoot.
I was 6 years old when I watched the news about the ship sinking. Then not too long after this song hit the air waves...and this tribute is to those men and most importantly to the families who suffered such a tragic loss. That bell tolled. The nation mourned. This song is legendary because he put his feelings about this incident to song. Thankyou Gordon Lightfoot for such a thoughtful song and lyrics.
This is a true incident. On Nov 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald sank. She (here ships are referred to as she) had been caught in open water by a huge storm that included waves up to 50 feet and winds gusting up to 90 miles per hour. There are plenty reports of what had happened that day and night. No one knows for sure exactly how she sank, there was no distress call, she just disappeared. The shipwreck site, in Canadian waters, has been ruled off limits for divers by the government to protect the site as a graveyard.
is that after they got the ship's bell? It's rung on the anniversary, now rung 30 times to include Mr Lightfoot.
that's the church bell - not the bell from the Fitz.
They didn't find the wreck for several years.
I grew up in Milwaukee WI.. The lakes are very big.. And storms are fierce
Many American and Canadian children first heard of "Gitche Gumee" in The Song of Hiawatha, an 1855 poem by Henry Longfellow.
I lived about 60 miles from where it went down. The day it went down me and a good friend went stream fishing, we were just about to the creek when the wind got so strong trees started to fall. Needless to say we got out of there.
Gord had another song about a shipwreck, The Ballad of Yarmouth Castle, weirdly no one has reacted to it, but everyone reacts to this song.
Gordon Lightfoot was one of my favorite singers of my youth. He was a bard; a minstrel; a real troubadour. His songs told stories, and they were tales that many of us have known or experienced in our lives.
He was a great storyteller
Gordon Lightfoot. A fantastic storyteller. Another wonderful storyteller along the same lines is Harry Chapin.
Gordon Lightfoot:
Carefree Highway
If You Could Read My Mind
Sundown
The Circle Is Small
You Are What I Am
This was a pretty significant event in my childhood, my father worked on the Lake freighters at the time and we lived in Thunder Bay a port city on the west end of Lake Superior. So it hit pretty close to home for many people here. My dad's ship was already home for the winter season when this happened.
Love my twelve string.
The sea shanty feel was probably on purpose.
Next to go, the "Canadian railway trilogy".
Wow, I've heard so many stories from locals. Appreciate the message.
Gordon has a vast and deep catalog. Many will recommend the hits to you. But since you are appreciating the sheer poetry of his work, I recommend the more obscure 'The Last Time I Saw Her'. And I'll give you a sample line...'That was so long ago that I can hardly feel what I felt before. But if time could heal the wounds, I would tear the threads away that I might bleed some more.'
I heard this on the radio the other day. I know in my heart that it was a poem set to music. It's a haunting tale and melody. I love it and hate it at the same time.
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keep looking and listening to Lightfoot, you will not be disappointed. Minstrel of the Dawn, Ordinary Man, Shadows, Miguel, and all the rest.
In the early morning rain, Canadian railroad trilogy.
Funny< Bob Dylan was one of Gord's biggest fans.Sundown , If You Could Read My Mind, Early Morning Rain ....... he's worth a deep dive. Female favorite in the genre Joan Baez ( dated Dylan ) he told her she would never be more than a Minstrel Diamonds and Rust was her EPIC reply , denied for years it was about him. Made her a small fortune.
I love Joan Baez! House of the Rising Sun is iconic & very different lyrically from the Animal’s version. Definitely more folksy & less bluesy.
Retired US Navy here. Every time a sailor goes to sea, they know there is a chance they will not make it home.
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I love that you take notes and don't interrupt the video, just let it play out and get in your thoughts after.
I remember when this song came out. It was some years after that I found it was based on a true story.
Yeah that's a new thing I'm trying. Glad you like that style. I prefer it I think. And gives people the chance to enjoy the whole song. Thanks a log for becoming a Patreon. Let me know if you have a video you'd like me to check out. I'm still searching for a Lungs video in the meantime...
The song lyrics mention that the Fitz was "coming back from some mill in Wisconsin". That's a reference to Superior, Wisconsin which was the port of departure for the Fitz. Superior is also where I grew up and I remember the storm that Fitz went down in. I had the pleasure of seeing Gordon live in the 80's when I lived in California. Thanks for appreciating Gordon's music and sharing the video with us.
Unfortunately this is the best live version on youtube. The studio version is much better. Its a tad slower which is more fitting and his voice sounds much richer.
In 1867 when Canada became a country a promise was made to build a railway from coast to coast and they did it. Gordon wrote the Great Canadian Railroad Trilogy as an homage to that accomplishment. So, Black Day in July, The Railroad Trilogy and Sundown....listen to them all.
Gordon lightfoot and Jim Croce were our great lyrical storytellers, but the folkish Dylan, James Taylor, and many others were also amazing lyricists!
My college roommates and I went up North for the Weekend to Paradise Michigan we were at White Fish Point the day before it sank. Gitchigumi is Lake Superior it’s a fresh water Lake. When we came home the day it Sank a pickup truck was flipped by the wind on the Mackinaw Bridge. They say it was a 25 foot wave.
Check out “If you could Read my Mind” “Carefree Highway” “Sundown”
This and Gordon's early tunes have been my favorites. Such as "Early Morning Rain" and other 1960's tunes.
All things are captured in this song! Americana, Canadian, Native American, Ontario, Michigan, Detroit, Tragedy, Memories!
Yeah it's the full package
Hurricane winds start at 74 mph and go up from there. Hurricane Milton came through here on the East Coast of Florida and we had 87 mph winds.
Dear Dave... There's a wonderful documentary on Gordon....don't miss it. He is Bob Dylan's favorite songwriter.
I recommend listening to Canadian Railroad Trilogy
I came into the comments looking for this recommendation. 😊👍👍
The part about the cook is artistic license but important to the song in painting the picture of what they were going through that night, thanks.
Possibly my favourite folk song of all time, but certainly in the top 5. I remember hearing this on ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission) radio for the first time in the mid-70's and immediately was overwhelmed with emotion and that the Great Lakes could have storms like this as it is so far from our Australian mindset. Another person you should look out for is Harry Chapin and his live album Greatest Stories Live.
Born and raised near Lake Erie, this song always gives me chills
Yeah I can imagine it would
Thanks for sharing. You also might like the Bismark by Johnny Horton. Like how you listen to the whole song can tell you generally love music can see it in your eyes.
Gordon is a fabulous musician. His guitar leads are incredible. It’s a haunting tune. That church rings 29 times each and every day. Sundown is the one you should listen to.
You are going to want to listen to the Canadian Railroad Trilogy by Gordon Lightfoot. This song that he wrote and sang was a dedication to the men that worked and lost their lives while laying down the Canadian railroad from sea to sea. The changes in tempo are remarkable! Other the the Edmund Fitzgerald is my favorite song.
The Big Fitz was over 720 feet in length, A bulk oar Freighter, and went down in November of 1975. For the storm, think an ungodly gale in the Baltic with 70ft waves. To this day, they still don't know why she went down. I think she sits in about 750 feet of water or more.
The 70s had the best singer songwriters and lyricists. Just a few are Al Stewart, Jackson Browne, Dave Mason, Todd Rundgren, John Prine, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Seger, Bernie Taupin, Neil Peart, and Neil Young. Many more too.
12 strings are awesome!! Probably the best 12 string player in the last 50 years was Glen Campbell.
Enjoy listening to Sundown; If you could read my mind love; and one of my all time favourites, Beautiful. His catalog runs deep. GL was a truly great Canadian. As are most things Canadian he was under appreciated.
As a Canadian Gordon is a Canadian standard and his music is awesome to us ....ty for highlighting him...he is a Canadian Legend
I love this one! The music and cadence evoke waves....
No one that's had a maritime job or trade has anything but reverence for this song. It's one of the stories of sadness that we all carry with us. Like the stories of war and accidental tragedy; RMS Titanic, Bermuda Triangle, and the USS Indianapolis
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Treat yourself to a listen of his double album "Gord's Gold." Every cut is a gem.
This live version is much higher than originally recorded… I saw him live in 1986 and he was lower then as well… curious as to why they raised the register… usually they lower it with age.
I believe he and band recorded the released version in one take. They made him try several times more and then went with the first. They tried to make him cut it for commercial release; he refused. They released it his way. What a performer and artist.
The ship carrier iron ore (taconite pellets - round and about the sizeof marbles). The load was 26,000 tons (52,000,000 pounds). The ship was commonly called the "Fitz". Ships, while they may have a male name, are referred to by sailors with feminine pronouns. Such as "She" was a great ship. It was a great honor for the "Fitz" to be the first ship through the Soo Canal, to officially begin the Great Lakes shipping season.
Pussy Willows and cattails is another LOVELY ballad.
True story , happened when I was 4years old everybody talked about it. Made headlines in the area where I grew up , just down on the St. Mary's River which feeds into lake Superior. Brutal weather in the autumn. Give the studio version a listen , can't go wrong with Gordon Lightfoot , love him but his voice here is a bit different from his younger years.
I remember hearing about the wreck on the news as a kid, it got lots of coverage
I was always told that if it could go to sea it was a ship, if it stayed inland it is a boat. Obviously plying the waters of the Great Lakes the Edmund Fitzgerald stayed in fresh water but it had ocean going capability so it would be classed as a ship. When Jim died they changed it so now the bell rings 30 times.
The freighter sank with the crew to the depths of Lake Superior in a storm.
(I live not many miles from that Great Lake.)
Another one I like of Gordon Lightfoot's is "Ghosts of Cape Horn".
Dave, many folks have told you most of the story of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald along with many others of Gordon Lightfoot's songs. But I just noticed something in this video: you WRITE lefthanded although you PLAY guitar and DRINK your beverages righthanded. You are ambidexerous!!! What a handy talent!!!
Haha, yes I am! Well noticed
Thank you for listening to Girdon Lightfoot. I agree with others that his voice when younger was AMAZING! Definitely cgeck out some of his other songs. They have a completely different vibe and sound.
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. It was a 730 foot-long Great Lakes ore hauling freighter. As a student in college in Sault Ste. Marie, MI in the early 1970's I watched it go through the locks more than once, and shouted greetings up to the crew, some of the men who died, I'm sure. Listen to the studio version. It's simply spooky and recreates the mood of the dark, cold, rolling Lake Superior. If you want to hear how a song can creates a mood, listen to it. This is a nice live version but it pales beside the studio version.
A very sad tale. Thanks for the message.
Do check out "If you could read my mind", it won't disappoint.
Listen to his greatest hits album "Gord's Gold". Each song is a masterpiece of lyrics and musical composition. "If you Could Read My Mind" is arguably his greatest masterpiece. There are plenty of other great songs on his albums, but this is a quick way to sample the best. You'll hear how much stronger his voice was when he was in his prime.
Elvis did a cover of Gordon's song titled "In the early morning rain".
As a folk song enthusiast, when I heard this when it came out in 1976 I thought it was an old tune. Somehow, I had not heard of the wreck, even though I was living back east at the time. It was not until several years ago that I found out the truth of this song. I believe it was when they found the bell. I always wanted to know what made those songs sound the way they do as I am very moved by folk tunes that seem to be in a minor key. I’m not sure that they really are. I sang in choir but never learned music theory. This is definitely one of the best songs ever written.
I saw him live, in Boise, Idaho, in 2013. I was front and center at the Morrison Center, right in front of him. That was random.
I was able to see him on his last trip through Kansas City.
What a song. A story, a sad story. Just a great song but sad at the same time. It's hard to put into words so hopefully you're picking up what I'm putting down. So good to know ya.....
There is a lot of commercial shipping on the Great Lakes of North America. It built the large cities of the American Midwest and Canada. The lakes are really big. Lake Superior is about 2/3 the size of England
Another great guitarist and lyricist is Stephen Stills of Crosby Stills Nash & Young and originally Buffalo Springfield.
Check out the song “4 & 20”.
This song always reminds me of another shipwreck song - The Sinking of the Reuben James by Woody Guthrie. 31 October, 1941. 83 years ago today.
As a great storyteller, Gordon did take a few liberties because he wrote the song so soon after the sinking. The Fitz wasn't headed for Cleveland, it was headed for the Rouge River area of Detroit, MI. It didn't signal that that they were having problems. The last message from the Fitz was that they had a slight list, but they were holding their own. And they were more than 15 miles from Whitefish point (the bay where freighters would wait for passage through the Soo Locks and into Lake Huron), there's no information on the cook mentioning to the crew of not being able to feed them. All songwriter's license, but it doesn't take anything away from the story that is being told.
Gordo was the real deal: studied music composition, understood theory, and a true poet. Check out his Canadian Railroad Trilogy.