"Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?", has to be the most powerful lyric ever written...Gordon Lightfoot is a master!
I read a story a couple years ago that the bell from the ship was brought up, but that most of the families wanted the bell to remain below with the ship.
@@ElenaAshe yup its on display in the greatlakes shipwreck museum up by whitefish point. I saw it in person when i was a kid, probably 15-20 years ago. Seeing that and the old mariners graveyards in that area is a spooky sight.
Bob Dylan was once asked what it was like being the greatest songwriter of all time. His response? "I don't know. Ask Gordon Lightfoot". RIP Legend. 5/1//2023
My family thanks you Gordon Lightfoot for keeping the memory of the Edmond Fitzgerald, my uncle and all 29 men alive in our hearts. I hope all 29 greeted you at the pearly gates.
I'm sure they will as I wouldn't have never know about this tragedy if it weren't this song. Rest in peace sailers. I also learned the chords on the guitar so this song has been played many times in my head. It never looses its meaning.
Indeed. I imagine that when Mr. Lightfoot arrived, all of them stood next to St. Peter and said, "Um, yeah, you don't need to check him, he's the reason folks still remember us on Earth."
I'm a 66 year old irish man I've never been to the usa or canada but when i hear this song i feel like i knew the crew on the edmund fitzgerald Gordon you were a genius
@@triciac1019 me too! 🇮🇪 I did switch planes at the airport in Ireland, but that's as close as I got. I can tell you flying over Ireland was astounding! Easy to see why it's called the emerald Isle. ☘️
You are absolutely right!! I hear this song as a story rather than a song every time I hear it. I picture the "Images" unfolding and the faces of the ill-fated crew.
gabrielle dormuth "He is unquestionably one of the best story tellers of all time" --- I agree. I had a friend at work who loved his upbeat songs but if you really listen to them, even songs that sound uplifting, aren't. Great stories but the lyrics, in my opinion, always tend to be depressing. Still, I absolutely love his songs.
He sang out this story and he had to consider it one of his finest songwriting achievements. A lot of songs can't quite do it, but Lightfoot crafted a crystal-clear image of the Fitzgerald Tragedy in all our minds.
@davidholton9667 everytime I listen to this song, A Tear nearly escapes my eye. He was a true Master Craftsman as a singer-songwriter. He honoured the Dead.
If you grew up in the Great Lakes region, especially Michigan, this song is engrained into as much as apple pie is to America. RIP, Gordon…you gave dignity and homage to the crew of the Fitzgerald
My stepdad had a cabin right off of Lake Michigan. And I remember as kids most nights when we visited in the summer huge storms off in the distance all night long. Monster lightning bolts none stop. Not the same lake but makes those memories very haunting.
A finer musical tribute to tragedy has never been penned. If this doesn't touch deep in your heart & soul, then you don't have any. RIP Mr. Troubadour, RIP.
@@jimwilliams5788 Let's just say they both are/were tremendous storytellers and not try to rank them. (I know you didn't, just looking to forestall an argument developing!)
I joined the US Navy the year after the wreck, my first ship was an oiler. This song haunted me for a couple of years into my sea time. I did 30 years, different business than the crew of this ship, but we are all sailors and I identify with the song intensely even now. I always say, if you think you are in charge of things, go to sea during a storm. RIP the 29 shipmates.
Holy, holy. It was 29 dead. 29 brave souls facing their gruesome fate on a stormy night in frigid waters, no help anywhere. This song affected me so strongly, it still feels like 200 lost their lives that November night.
I got to talk to a ex navy and current maritime sailor. He told me ,, F the great lakes he'd rather be on the high seas! I'm just repeating what he said!
For those of us from Michigan, we remember the day it happened and this song with reverence. A musician with class and intelligence. A great one is gone.
This has to be one of the greatest songs ever written. Who tells stories nowadays? The music is as haunting.That guitar riff. Oh my God. And this song was nominated for a song of the year Grammy and didn't win. What a travesty! The Academy defintetly got this one wrong.
I love that little lick after “Superior sings, in the rooms of her ice water mansion” As a guy who is blessed to lives pretty near the Big Lake, this is easily my favorite song ever.
@PinchTheBarb I grew up in Chicago, sailing on Lake Michigan first with a friends family, then with the Sea Scouts. When the wreck happened, I was in high school. We, the Sea Scouts, did a whole research project on the wreck. Our conclusions were different than the official one, but I think we were on to something.
I was a high school senior living in Duluth when the storm that sunk the Fitz went through. We knew it was bad. We learned about the ship's fate a little later. I remember thinking of the crew and their loved ones. Mr. Lightfoot appeared in Duluth at a concert after the song was released and I remember how I felt at the event when he announced that all the proceeds of the single were to be donated to the families of crew. RIP, brave men!
Was in Duluth in the early 80s for the Grandmas Marathon.I wenton a lake cruise and we went passed a lake freighter which I think was called a thousand footer.Huge and i believe the Edmund Fitz was the same side.Whenever I hear this song I crank it up.
😢❤ I lived in the area that the Fitzgerald sank. I was at a friends house, we were right across the road from the beach. We were scared (young..5th grade) because the waves were big and the wind just pushing up those waves right up over the Freeway! We actually saw them as they were passing. The next morning we girls found out what had happened. We didn’t believe the adults at first. I later found out that two of my friends had lost a family member. One lost her father and the other her oldest brother. I will never forget that storm and what it took with it. This song always makes me cry. Thank you for keeping their memories alive! Rest in Peace Sir ❤😢
Bullsh*t. Freeway? Only one man from Michigan was lost on the Fitz. Most of the rest were from Ohio (14) and Wisconsin (8). And the ship went down in Canadian waters far from Michigan shores.
@@user-lf4ux7dm7gI don't think you understood what she wrote. She said the waves were high near her. That they saw the ship go by near them. In fact the Edmund Fitzgerald did sink 17 miles from the Michigan shore. Look it up An uncle can live in a different state. You were not there.
Well now I must know the other 9 songs as I agree this is nearly a perfect song. Its so beautiful and haunting and serves as an absolutely perfect tribute to the poor souls who lost their lives that evening.
@@gravitywaves2796 Fire and Rain, The Chain, Stairway to Heaven, Roundabout, Neal's Fandango, Five o'Clock World, Shambala, Blackbird, Dreams I'll Never See
Very sad to hear of Gordon’s death today. He was a Canadian icon and a wonderful story teller. This song and the Canadian Railroad Trilogy are amongst my favourites.
Every time I hear this song, I feel like Lightfoot's taken on the character of a scruffy old sailor in some seedy port tavern, telling the tale of a doomed ship and it's crew. Facts be damned, it's a near- perfect, cinematic tale, with big drums banging with the awful cadence of a giant steam engine, relentlessly driving a ship of brave men toward their terrible fate. The stabbing electric guitar is the lightning, and the steel guitar dips, soars and wails like a banshee wind. The incredible lyrics...each line a poem...can easily stand shoulder to shoulder with any of the great nautical storytellers, from Hemmingway to Melville. At over six minutes, it's a very long song, but in the end, like any masterpiece, it leaves you wanting even more. Godspeed Mr. Lightfoot. You'll be missed.
So well said! And it is the exact picture I got. Leaves you wanting more is exactly true! My husband fishes the great lakes and I've more than once been worried for his safety when an unexpected storm blew up. My heart goes out to the wives and families of those who lost their lives, I can't imagine the suffering both the sailors and families went through!
My father and Grandfather helped build that boat growing up in River Rouge Michigan. I was thirteen when we lost 29 good men and a special boat. Thank you Gordon Lightfoot and Family. RIP. TAB. Down River Michigan born there and will die there.
Possibly the soul-fullest song of the 1970s. Comprehensively epic, heartfelt, and the best sea shanty ever written. RIP to the lost crew of a ship made legend full circle in song.
I can't believe this song has only 529K views. I remember the day this hit the radio, The DJ's couldn't keep up too many requests I know because I was one of them. They use to say I can't play that right now it's too Long! I get goose bumps every time. Gordon is the best!!!
How do you pen this, then have the ability to sing this song and not cry whilst doing such? Gordon Lightfoot is and will always be a global treasure. Long live the Edmund Fitzgerald, the lost crew, and Gordon Lightfoot 💪💪💪💪💪🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻
I spent a lot of time as a teen living in northern Michigan. This song gets played on a almost daily basis up there. It's a timeless classic and never gets old. Everyone who lives up there knows the story. Thank you.
Thank you GORDON for sharing this bright light of talent making our long cold Canadian winters brighter with music and a voice that was undeniably CANADIAN. Your contribution to our countires history will forever be heard and enjoyed. One of greatest 🇨🇦 Ambassadors. RIP GORDON LIGHTFOOT....... SAFE JOURNEY TO PARADISE.
Such an epic and iconic song . The line " the wind in the wires made a tattletale sound" conjured up so much to me, there wasn't a better songwriter than Gordon Lightfoot.
It gives you images of the wind ripping at the ship and the rain beating against the hull as the sailors hunkered down inside and waited for the end, of the storm or of them.
Remembering my Mom listening on the ham radio to the search 43 years ago tonight. This song always brings me to tears. I've lived in northern Wisconsin within minutes of Lake Superior since I was 4 (1967) so this is even more special to me.
I’ve lived around the Great Lakes for a good portion of my life. My cousins had a cottage on Huron that we used to visit and it was really pleasant swimming and sailing in the summertime. There are 5 Great Lakes, all different from each other, however, I don’t believe any of them are the size of England, although I’ve never checked. Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world and it’s extremely deep and very cold. Cold enough to kill you in minutes. My understanding is that there were ships near the Fitzgerald, by near I mean 10-15 minutes away, but that was too far and the crew of the Fitzgerald had probably died from exposure or drowning before the ships could reach them. There were survival suits made that might have saved them, but most ship owners didn’t have them because of the cost. I lived in Cleveland, Ohio, for 2 yrs, right after this song was released, so it’s particularly poignant for me. Cleveland is on Lake Erie (the shallowest of the 5, at no more than 200 feet deep, and probably the most polluted) and is one of the other ends of the shipping lanes. The ships would go to Superior and pick up iron ore and then bring it back to the steel mills. I lived for awhile with a couple of sailors who worked the ore boats. I remember one of them saying that he put his arm in Superior one time to see how long he could keep it there and he lasted only a few minutes before he had to pull it out it was so cold. My understanding is the hold of the ships contain the iron ore, and if it becomes very windy, the ore will start to shift and then to slide back-and-forth and can tip the ship over eventually. I can’t imagine what it must be like in a storm on one of those ships. They are incredible lakes. I grew up in eastern Indiana Indiana has a small portion of Lake Michigan. And every year people die in Lake Michigan because they don’t understand the power of the water in that lake. They are not affected by your not. I don’t lakes pet the way Michigan can turn up and suck you down. It’s just I think it’s almost like 50. I’ve never lived on the street but it seems like it would be.
Total respect from a Canadian to our American neighbours, A true tribute and the proceeds of the song when to the families of the 29 sailors. Amazing. huge loss today with his passing. One song of many great ballads
@@rodsnyder7585 God, I hope so.... The stuff that is out on the radio and on UA-cam? Is absolute no talent ass clown garbage. The 70s 80s and 90s where the last good periods of music in my opinion.
I love when he says at 1:59 "gales of November came slashing" and the hi-hats open up and close real quick. He's not only a great songwriter but his band was amazing as well. R. I. P. To the 29 men on the Big Fitz. "Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms", my God, excellent songwriting....
I remember hearing this song for the first time in a Boston pub in the late 1980s. I might have been exposed to it before, but if so I don't remember. The crowd went wild when the singer started! I loved the song and sought it out after that. Only years later did I learn that the wreck happened in the 1970s and I was alive, though way too young to be watching the news, at the time. For some reason it gave the air of being about a wreck from the 19th century, maybe early 20th. Anyway, it remains one of my favorites. RIP to a great singer-songwriter and icon.
Such heartbreaking news. Rest in peace kind Sir. Your music and legacy will live on forever. A deep thinker, a poet, a masterful storyteller, a phenomenal singer that touched your soul, and a warm beacon of shining light in a rough world. Thank you. 🥀🕊💔😢🙏
Rest in heaven sir, we always play this song for the Edmondfitzgerald anniversary. I'm an hour north of where it sank. This song has ALWAYS made my hair stand up and given me goosebumps. Thank you for the tribute to those brave men lost in waves.
This song is the shortest six minutes in recording history! Gordon Lightfoot and his folk songs have a way to enter your soul where time just does not exist.💕🇨🇦
This is an absolute Masterpiece. This was the first Gordon Lightfoot song I ever heard. I was a little girl. It won't be the last. I'll see him in concert finally while he's touring the US in 2022.
Did you see him last year? What was it like? This song is all that people here say it is: "haunting", "a masterpiece", "a story". I yearn one day to visit the Great Lakes.
Beautiful beautiful beautiful. God rest those souls. Bless all those lost and families. I was a child when this happened. I recall tearing up for the first time I heard this song. I play this song 3-4 times a week. Beautiful music lyrics and timing. Never will it be off my playlist. God rest your soul as well Gordon Lightfoot.
This song is for all that lost loved ones not only on the lakes but ours that disappeared on the Ocean. ❤❤❤❤❤ this song is a comfort to us !!! Thank you Mr.lightfoot
I saw him live in '95 at the Starlight Theater in Kansas City. He had a stiff case of laryngitis, and could barely speak in between the songs, but you couldn't even tell while he was singing. Hearing him sing all my favorite songs when he was in obvious distress, let us all know what a trooper he was. It was one of my favorite concerts I ever attended. The man was AMAZING!
I was fortunate enough to see this genius in concert several years ago in Michigan. If one were to look up the definition of troubadour in a dictionary, I believe there would be a picture of Gordon... RIP
My heart is hurting. RIP to the songwriter whose songs take up the most space in my heart. I was blessed to see him twice but would have loved one more listen 🙏💔
I feel so incredibly lucky to have seen Gordon perform a few years back. Even in his 80s, his voice was still clear and mesmerizing. Whenever I'm up at Gitchee Gumee I can hear his dirge on the crash of the waves against the shore.
You were so darn lucky, wish I’d seen him too! Bet it’s a surreal feeling to see~experience the ambience there, what a sad tale. Felt the same way about seeing Kris Kristofferson when he was 80, the singing poet sent 30 songs that landed straight into my ♥️ & the audience disappeared…
This is song storytelling at its quintessential finest. His haunting voice gives powerful poignancy to this classic. As a lyricist, Lightfoot ranked in the top echelons of all time--a true master and a Canadian treasure.
RIP Mr. Lightfoot and thank you for all the great music. This song makes me think of my father who worked on Great Lakes freighters from 1937-1950. He had stories of how rough the weather could get on the lakes.
In my teens my girlfriends mother played him constantly (70's so vinyl of course) and I learned most of his music and it stuck with me since. I was a rock and roller at the time but his style sucked me in. I was also taking guitar lessons, learning to strum and I learned a lot from listening to his ballads. I've lived in New England my whole life and I don't know if he toured but never got a chance to see him, To me he was the greatest storyteller with a guitar and a voice ever. RIP old friend. JM Vernont
Not long after this song came out, I visited the mariners' church in Detroit and read the plaques listing the dead from shipwrecks. I lingered over the plaque for the Edmund Fitzgerald, Mr. Lightfoot's song resonating in my head.
Have been to Whitefish Pt. many times. My sister has cottage 7 miles away. In January a friend sent pictures of 3 iron ore freighters taking shelter in Whitefish bay from very heavy storms. Brings it all back.The Edmund Fitzgerald sank 13 miles from shelter. Bless all of those who work on the Great Lakes.
Such an amazing song - pulls you in like a classic novel when he sings it, like you are actually there. You will be missed Gordon - thanks for your contribution to the music world.
I found this song haunting when I first heard it but had no idea it was a story of an actual shipwreck. The song gives me the chills as I think of the plight of the men as the ship went down in that cold cold water.
Same with me. I first heard it around 1990 when I went to a bar in Boston with some friends. Everyone there seemed to know it, except, me. I had lived all my life one the East Coast of the US. I was mesmerized, and thought was about a 19th century shipwreck. I was so stunned to hear it had happened less than 20 years earlier! A haunting, memorable, exceptional song. It has remained one of my favorites.
One of the best song ever written from a great man from Ontario, Canada. We will see you down the road my friend, and thank you for all the joy you brought to this great world.
I lived in the open sea as a young man on a commercial fishing boat with my father for three summer years and I can tell you this song runs a chill up my spine every time I see Gordon perform it. The sea is the most unforgiving thing than space maybe. Those sailors left a lot behind with little to no explanation
As a man who grew up in southern Minnesota , I always knew the big lakes of the north held magical stories, be it the stories on the reservations, Lake of the Woods, with it's world class fishing. Both Red lakes , the list is endless, but Lake Supieor and all the late season dashes to get product to the east has been the subject of more than one song Thank you Gordon L. A tune that never gets old
I got to stay a week at Lake of the Woods as a teenager from Mississippi back in the 90's. We had never fished up North but caught on quick., Small mouth, walleye, pike were no match with the same lures we use down South! That was the best fishing week I've had in my life!
@@JamesJones-cx5pk Northern woods of my first birth, set to gales of Mother's tales, so Ortonville, my worth, snowfall on call, so I am glad to hear so many Owl's tales, as Hiawatha leans my way, the paddle or sail, my Father upheld, all of those Storms until we all moved somewhere elsewhere!
RIP to a Canadian icon. Thank you. Your music and spirit will live on forever!!!! Mr. Lightfoot was 84. This one hits hard.
RIP 💔
like Gord Downey death was hard as well .
Amen yes it does.
😢 He was a good one Rip Sir big respect!!
That it does. He's been a favorite since the 70's
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?", has to be the most powerful lyric ever written...Gordon Lightfoot is a master!
I agree %110. That line is amazing. I wish I had written it, lol.
I agree ! Brilliant!
I’d say Lord Huron has some lyrics that are incredibly powerful but man just Imagine what it really must have been like on that ship
@@jackiespies3145 On that ship, you're knowing you got to let go.
The phrase is a gut punch for sure.
Sums up what the men must have been feeling that night 47 years ago
Who's listening in 2024? ... from Fort Worth, Texas
The mariner's church rang the bell 30 times, 29 for the crew and one for Mr. Lightfoot. A fitting tribute.
I read a story a couple years ago that the bell from the ship was brought up, but that most of the families wanted the bell to remain below with the ship.
good one....
@@ElenaAshe yup its on display in the greatlakes shipwreck museum up by whitefish point. I saw it in person when i was a kid, probably 15-20 years ago. Seeing that and the old mariners graveyards in that area is a spooky sight.
ok
ok
Bob Dylan was once asked what it was like being the greatest songwriter of all time.
His response?
"I don't know. Ask Gordon Lightfoot".
RIP Legend. 5/1//2023
Wow!! What a complement!!
Yes, indeed
WOW !
Apparently they were good buddies.
wow
My family thanks you Gordon Lightfoot for keeping the memory of the Edmond Fitzgerald, my uncle and all 29 men alive in our hearts. I hope all 29 greeted you at the pearly gates.
Hello So sorry for the infringe on your privacy. Beautiful song
I'm sure they will as I wouldn't have never know about this tragedy if it weren't this song. Rest in peace sailers. I also learned the chords on the guitar so this song has been played many times in my head. It never looses its meaning.
She went down on my tenth birthday nov 10th, this song and the event itself will always be a part of me , god bless to fitz"s crew and mr. Lightfoot
Indeed. I imagine that when Mr. Lightfoot arrived, all of them stood next to St. Peter and said, "Um, yeah, you don't need to check him, he's the reason folks still remember us on Earth."
Cindy my heart goes out every time hear I it. Keep your Uncle's memory close
I'm a 66 year old irish man I've never been to the usa or canada but when i hear this song i feel like i knew the crew on the edmund fitzgerald Gordon you were a genius
🍀😀👍 and I cry with carrickfergus
@@lindabaron4584 did you listen to the Bryan Ferry version it's on UA-cam
@@gerryheery1388 I haven't, but I will now 👍 I just listened to it!! Thank you for the recommendation, it was lovely. 💖
I am from the U.S. and ancestors from Ireland. I would love to go and visit.
@@triciac1019 me too! 🇮🇪 I did switch planes at the airport in Ireland, but that's as close as I got. I can tell you flying over Ireland was astounding! Easy to see why it's called the emerald Isle. ☘️
One of the most haunting songs ever written. Evokes sadness and imagery like few songs do.
Gordon wrote was actually asked to write this song. He did it within a few days of this horrible tragedy
❤❤❤❤
His voice was perfect for this song. Nobody else could do it justice.
You are absolutely right!! I hear this song as a story rather than a song every time I hear it. I picture the "Images" unfolding and the faces of the ill-fated crew.
well said.
He is unquestionably one of the best story tellers of all time
gabrielle dormuth "He is unquestionably one of the best story tellers of all time" --- I agree. I had a friend at work who loved his upbeat songs but if you really listen to them, even songs that sound uplifting, aren't. Great stories but the lyrics, in my opinion, always tend to be depressing. Still, I absolutely love his songs.
Yes legend
Mark Knopfler is the best one for sure ;)
He sang out this story and he had to consider it one of his finest songwriting achievements.
A lot of songs can't quite do it, but Lightfoot crafted a crystal-clear image of the Fitzgerald Tragedy in all our minds.
I don’t know I would have to say Marty Robbins is right there with him
RIP Gordon Lightfoot. Huge loss. Thank you for everything you gave us.
Heaven's gain - our loss.
I listen to the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald every November and think of those poor souls. Love Gordon Lightfoot! Class act. ⭐
Wow.
Wow from me too
No one like him
I don't think ive ever heard a true story told through a song as great as this. What a tribute
No matter how many times I've heard this song, I still get goosebumps and glassy eyes. RIP to a true Canadian legend.
Hello So sorry for the infringe on your privacy. Beautiful song
Many do..makes me think of all the fishermen and women we've lost offshore of New England over the years..I knew a few that were lost at sea
Me too - I'm crying now.
Same such a powerful song
@davidholton9667 everytime I listen to this song, A Tear nearly escapes my eye. He was a true Master Craftsman as a singer-songwriter. He honoured the Dead.
If you grew up in the Great Lakes region, especially Michigan, this song is engrained into as much as apple pie is to America. RIP, Gordon…you gave dignity and homage to the crew of the Fitzgerald
"The ship was the pride of the American side,"....
My stepdad had a cabin right off of Lake Michigan. And I remember as kids most nights when we visited in the summer huge storms off in the distance all night long. Monster lightning bolts none stop. Not the same lake but makes those memories very haunting.
Powerful in Wisconsin too ❤
Chicago radio plays this religiously in November.
Big in and around Duluth, too. :(
A finer musical tribute to tragedy has never been penned. If this doesn't touch deep in your heart & soul, then you don't have any. RIP Mr. Troubadour, RIP.
RIP Gord. Thank you for being part of the soundtrack of my life. The legend lives on.....
Back when songs told a story. Gordon Lightfoot was a master at it. Those were the days of great music.
GL and Stan Rogers--no greater story tellers than this!
@@markhamersly1664 goggles g))gh
@@markhamersly1664 Harry Chapin - one of the best
Not only do Lightfoot's songs have great lyrics; he respects them by singing so them carefully. Has always been a delight to listen to his music.
@@jimwilliams5788 Let's just say they both are/were tremendous storytellers and not try to rank them. (I know you didn't, just looking to forestall an argument developing!)
I joined the US Navy the year after the wreck, my first ship was an oiler. This song haunted me for a couple of years into my sea time. I did 30 years, different business than the crew of this ship, but we are all sailors and I identify with the song intensely even now. I always say, if you think you are in charge of things, go to sea during a storm. RIP the 29 shipmates.
Thank you for your service
Holy, holy. It was 29 dead. 29 brave souls facing their gruesome fate on a stormy night in frigid waters, no help anywhere.
This song affected me so strongly, it still feels like 200 lost their lives that November night.
Well said
I’m retired navy. I can just hear the ship and the wind in this song. I can feel the 46 degree rolls in rough waters. A masterpiece.
I got to talk to a ex navy and current maritime sailor. He told me ,, F the great lakes he'd rather be on the high seas! I'm just repeating what he said!
For those of us from Michigan, we remember the day it happened and this song with reverence. A musician with class and intelligence. A great one is gone.
This has to be one of the greatest songs ever written. Who tells stories nowadays? The music is as haunting.That guitar riff. Oh my God. And this song was nominated for a song of the year Grammy and didn't win. What a travesty! The Academy defintetly got this one wrong.
THE BEST SONG
They were called troubadours. They would go to towns, castles, pubs to sing poetry.
And he did the research to make sure he got it right!
I love that little lick after “Superior sings, in the rooms of her ice water mansion”
As a guy who is blessed to
lives pretty near the Big Lake, this is easily my favorite song ever.
@PinchTheBarb I grew up in Chicago, sailing on Lake Michigan first with a friends family, then with the Sea Scouts. When the wreck happened, I was in high school. We, the Sea Scouts, did a whole research project on the wreck. Our conclusions were different than the official one, but I think we were on to something.
RIP Gordon Lightfoot!
This song is an absolute classic.
An incredible tribute to the lost Men.
Gordon owned the airwaves with this classic RIP GORDON
I was a high school senior living in Duluth when the storm that sunk the Fitz went through. We knew it was bad. We learned about the ship's fate a little later. I remember thinking of the crew and their loved ones. Mr. Lightfoot appeared in Duluth at a concert after the song was released and I remember how I felt at the event when he announced that all the proceeds of the single were to be donated to the families of crew. RIP, brave men!
Was in Duluth in the early 80s for the Grandmas Marathon.I wenton a lake cruise and we went passed a lake freighter which I think was called a thousand footer.Huge and i believe the Edmund Fitz was the same side.Whenever I hear this song I crank it up.
He is a class act thanks
@@heywoodjerbloume ,The Fitz was 730' approx.
I believe the Edmond Fitzgerald was scheduled to be lengthened out to 1000 ft .but sadly sank before that happened
Name. Another. Artist that has done this
😢❤ I lived in the area that the Fitzgerald sank. I was at a friends house, we were right across the road from the beach. We were scared (young..5th grade) because the waves were big and the wind just pushing up those waves right up over the Freeway! We actually saw them as they were passing. The next morning we girls found out what had happened. We didn’t believe the adults at first.
I later found out that two of my friends had lost a family member. One lost her father and the other her oldest brother.
I will never forget that storm and what it took with it.
This song always makes me cry. Thank you for keeping their memories alive!
Rest in Peace Sir ❤😢
Bullsh*t. Freeway? Only one man from Michigan was lost on the Fitz. Most of the rest were from Ohio (14) and Wisconsin (8). And the ship went down in Canadian waters far from Michigan shores.
What a privilege and curse to have that connection to the event and song.
Oh wow, how sad and scary. Thank you for sharing!
@@user-lf4ux7dm7gI don't think you understood what she wrote. She said the waves were high near her. That they saw the ship go by near them. In fact the Edmund Fitzgerald did sink 17 miles from the Michigan shore. Look it up An uncle can live in a different state. You were not there.
A true Canadian legend and we were so lucky to have him for so many years. RIP dear Gordon 🙏
This haunting song gets me every time. Growing up by the Great Lakes, it has special meaning. Remembering the 29 men who lost their lives that night.
Same here.
Oh, thanks had no idea what the song was about.
@@Jeaniesunshine-fb5rk Gordie was a great story teller.
I grew up around 2 of the Great Lakes, Michigan and Ontario. Lived a year near Lake Erie. This song carries my heart, always.
I'm form Michigan
This is one of 10 perfect songs. The story,, tne music and the overall excellence of Gordon Lightfoot is amazing.
Well now I must know the other 9 songs as I agree this is nearly a perfect song. Its so beautiful and haunting and serves as an absolutely perfect tribute to the poor souls who lost their lives that evening.
The Gambler. Another of the ten storyteller greats.
This is my favorite song by him. There is just something so haunting about it but so open at the same time.
@@gravitywaves2796 I'd like to hear the other 9 as well.
@@gravitywaves2796 Fire and Rain, The Chain, Stairway to Heaven, Roundabout, Neal's Fandango, Five o'Clock World, Shambala, Blackbird, Dreams I'll Never See
RIP😢 What a beautiful song. Ring the bell 29 times for the brave crew and once for Mr. Lightfoot who helped keep them all in our memories!
His music will NEVER be forgotten!
RIP Gordon Lightfoot, 1938-2023. You will always be an icon to us Canadians. Love from NL, Canada.
Very sad to hear of Gordon’s death today. He was a Canadian icon and a wonderful story teller. This song and the Canadian Railroad Trilogy are amongst my favourites.
Absolutely, agree! I also have a fondness for Cotton Ginny. Thanks
Wow! Don't believe I've ever heard a live version of a recording that sounded so perfect.
Every time I hear this song, I feel like Lightfoot's taken on the character of a scruffy old sailor in some seedy port tavern, telling the tale of a doomed ship and it's crew. Facts be damned, it's a near- perfect, cinematic tale, with big drums banging with the awful cadence of a giant steam engine, relentlessly driving a ship of brave men toward their terrible fate. The stabbing electric guitar is the lightning, and the steel guitar dips, soars and wails like a banshee wind. The incredible lyrics...each line a poem...can easily stand shoulder to shoulder with any of the great nautical storytellers, from Hemmingway to Melville. At over six minutes, it's a very long song, but in the end, like any masterpiece, it leaves you wanting even more. Godspeed Mr. Lightfoot. You'll be missed.
So well said! And it is the exact picture I got. Leaves you wanting more is exactly true! My husband fishes the great lakes and I've more than once been worried for his safety when an unexpected storm blew up. My heart goes out to the wives and families of those who lost their lives, I can't imagine the suffering both the sailors and families went through!
Precisely!
I also find it's one of the few songs that consistently sounds as good live as it did on the album.
I wish I could write as good as you. My late wife could though. Well done.
Exactly how I felt, wish I'd seen him perform live.
Farewell to Canada's true, formidable musician, so many beautiful songs he created and so much enjoyment through the years. Thank you Gordon!
Hard to believe it’s been a year without him. His music will always live on. Gone, but never forgotten. Rest easy, Gordon.
How fortunate we are to have had this man touch our hearts
Best balladeer ever. Rest In Peace, Gordon Lightfoot.
A dollar a day and a place for my head
A drink to the livin', a toast to the dead
I Toast to that,cheers Gordon Lightfoot!!!❤️🍻
Something "magical" about the song when he sang it Live.
R.I.P. Gordon. Thanks for sharing your talent.
You will be missed but never forgotten.
My father and Grandfather helped build that boat growing up in River Rouge Michigan. I was thirteen when we lost 29 good men and a special boat. Thank you Gordon Lightfoot and Family. RIP. TAB. Down River Michigan born there and will die there.
God bless them both - And you my friend !!!!
Possibly the soul-fullest song of the 1970s. Comprehensively epic, heartfelt, and the best sea shanty ever written.
RIP to the lost crew of a ship made legend full circle in song.
Thank you for your music, Gordon Lightfoot. Rest in Peace. You will be missed!
I can't believe this song has only 529K views. I remember the day this hit the radio, The DJ's couldn't keep up too many requests I know because I was one of them. They use to say I can't play that right now it's too Long! I get goose bumps every time. Gordon is the best!!!
RIP
Just this one....there are tons of other uploads with way more views....put them all together :)
I cry every time, but i watched today in honor of Gordon and the 29 sailors he can now talk to
And the things that get the most "views" these days are downright scary. Sad.
There are dozens and dozens of videos of this song on UA-cam - hundreds, maybe. This is one of many.
How do you pen this, then have the ability to sing this song and not cry whilst doing such? Gordon Lightfoot is and will always be a global treasure. Long live the Edmund Fitzgerald, the lost crew, and Gordon Lightfoot 💪💪💪💪💪🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻
I spent a lot of time as a teen living in northern Michigan. This song gets played on a almost daily basis up there. It's a timeless classic and never gets old. Everyone who lives up there knows the story. Thank you.
Thank you GORDON for sharing this bright light of talent making our long cold Canadian winters brighter with music and a voice that was undeniably CANADIAN.
Your contribution to our countires history will forever be heard and enjoyed.
One of greatest 🇨🇦 Ambassadors.
RIP GORDON LIGHTFOOT.......
SAFE JOURNEY TO PARADISE.
RIP Mr Lightfoot, one of the best singers/ song writers ever.....respect from the desert's of central Australia 🇦🇺
Without question, his best story telling song of tragedy. May Gordon Lightfoot rest peacefully in God's Glorious Kingdom.
Such an epic and iconic song . The line " the wind in the wires made a tattletale sound" conjured up so much to me, there wasn't a better songwriter than Gordon Lightfoot.
It gives you images of the wind ripping at the ship and the rain beating against the hull as the sailors hunkered down inside and waited for the end, of the storm or of them.
With a broken heart I have to tell you that Gordon Lightfoot at age 84 has passed on. (May 1,2023) Rest in peace, you will be remembered always.
Remembering my Mom listening on the ham radio to the search 43 years ago tonight. This song always brings me to tears. I've lived in northern Wisconsin within minutes of Lake Superior since I was 4 (1967) so this is even more special to me.
Wow, unbelievable, my condolences!
So sad, to lose family members like that, but Gordon wrote this song in remembrance of those lost.❤
Are the lakes big? Being in the uk I think they’re as big as England
I’ve lived around the Great Lakes for a good portion of my life. My cousins had a cottage on Huron that we used to visit and it was really pleasant swimming and sailing in the summertime. There are 5 Great Lakes, all different from each other, however, I don’t believe any of them are the size of England, although I’ve never checked. Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world and it’s extremely deep and very cold. Cold enough to kill you in minutes. My understanding is that there were ships near the Fitzgerald, by near I mean 10-15 minutes away, but that was too far and the crew of the Fitzgerald had probably died from exposure or drowning before the ships could reach them. There were survival suits made that might have saved them, but most ship owners didn’t have them because of the cost. I lived in Cleveland, Ohio, for 2 yrs, right after this song was released, so it’s particularly poignant for me. Cleveland is on Lake Erie (the shallowest of the 5, at no more than 200 feet deep, and probably the most polluted) and is one of the other ends of the shipping lanes. The ships would go to Superior and pick up iron ore and then bring it back to the steel mills. I lived for awhile with a couple of sailors who worked the ore boats. I remember one of them saying that he put his arm in Superior one time to see how long he could keep it there and he lasted only a few minutes before he had to pull it out it was so cold. My understanding is the hold of the ships contain the iron ore, and if it becomes very windy, the ore will start to shift and then to slide back-and-forth and can tip the ship over eventually. I can’t imagine what it must be like in a storm on one of those ships. They are incredible lakes. I grew up in eastern Indiana Indiana has a small portion of Lake Michigan. And every year people die in Lake Michigan because they don’t understand the power of the water in that lake. They are not affected by your not. I don’t lakes pet the way Michigan can turn up and suck you down. It’s just I think it’s almost like 50. I’ve never lived on the street but it seems like it would be.
This song brings tears every time.
Back when a song told a story… ❤
A true and sad story 😂
A very sad story!
@@denisemcguire6645 true… but to be fair a lot of old songs were taken from tragedy…
All music tells some kind of story
@zac-1 not really. If you can make a whole song around @$$, tits, and money, there really is not much substance there....
I’ll say it always
Our true Canadian treasure 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Rip sir, you will never be forgotten
Total respect from a Canadian to our American neighbours, A true tribute and the proceeds of the song when to the families of the 29 sailors. Amazing. huge loss today with his passing. One song of many great ballads
Haunting, epic and a masterpiece all in one. We won't ever see the likes of GL or others like him again.
The current rap music crapola, will ensure these great songs will fade away quickly, and be re-discovered sometime in the distant future?
True
@@rodsnyder7585 God, I hope so.... The stuff that is out on the radio and on UA-cam? Is absolute no talent ass clown garbage. The 70s 80s and 90s where the last good periods of music in my opinion.
I love when he says at 1:59 "gales of November came slashing" and the hi-hats open up and close real quick. He's not only a great songwriter but his band was amazing as well. R. I. P. To the 29 men on the Big Fitz.
"Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms", my God, excellent songwriting....
So true.
I remember hearing this song for the first time in a Boston pub in the late 1980s. I might have been exposed to it before, but if so I don't remember. The crowd went wild when the singer started! I loved the song and sought it out after that. Only years later did I learn that the wreck happened in the 1970s and I was alive, though way too young to be watching the news, at the time. For some reason it gave the air of being about a wreck from the 19th century, maybe early 20th. Anyway, it remains one of my favorites. RIP to a great singer-songwriter and icon.
Hello So sorry for the infringe on your privacy. Beautiful song
Such heartbreaking news. Rest in peace kind Sir. Your music and legacy will live on forever. A deep thinker, a poet, a masterful storyteller, a phenomenal singer that touched your soul, and a warm beacon of shining light in a rough world. Thank you. 🥀🕊💔😢🙏
it t' tis such heart breaking
Any time you want you can come sneaking around my back door. RIP our friend. Dave S
Rest in heaven sir, we always play this song for the Edmondfitzgerald anniversary. I'm an hour north of where it sank. This song has ALWAYS made my hair stand up and given me goosebumps. Thank you for the tribute to those brave men lost in waves.
Hello So sorry for the infringe on your privacy. Beautiful song
Gordon Lightfoot Always Loved, Never Forgotten, Forever missed.❤❤Thank You for giving the world your beautiful songs.
They asked Bob Dylan about who he thought was the best singer/songwriter. He told them without hesitation, "Gordon Lightfoot".
This song is the shortest six minutes in recording history!
Gordon Lightfoot and his folk songs have a way to enter your soul where time just does not exist.💕🇨🇦
This is an absolute Masterpiece. This was the first Gordon Lightfoot song I ever heard. I was a little girl. It won't be the last. I'll see him in concert finally while he's touring the US in 2022.
I got so see him in 1983 in Seattle and seeing him performing this song live in haunting
Did you see him last year? What was it like? This song is all that people here say it is: "haunting", "a masterpiece", "a story". I yearn one day to visit the Great Lakes.
@@peterbuckmaster581 I saw him in 1983. I lived on the western shore of Lake Michigan near the Great Lakes Naval Base from February 1977 to June 1980.
I truly hope that you managed to see him in '22. He stayed great
@@ericlegere7097 I was honored to see him at the Opera House in Seattle in 1983
May Gordon Lightfoot and the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald rest in peace and glory.
This crippling song put me on the floor the first time I heard it 50 years ago. Still tears me apart today
Beautiful beautiful beautiful. God rest those souls. Bless all those lost and families. I was a child when this happened. I recall tearing up for the first time I heard this song. I play this song 3-4 times a week. Beautiful music lyrics and timing. Never will it be off my playlist. God rest your soul as well Gordon Lightfoot.
That song still gives me chills after all these years.
REST EASY GORDON, thanks for keeping us remembering the boys of the Fitz.
This song is for all that lost loved ones not only on the lakes but ours that disappeared on the Ocean. ❤❤❤❤❤ this song is a comfort to us !!! Thank you Mr.lightfoot
REST IN PEACE MR LIGHTFOOT. THE CREW HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU. YOU, AND THEY WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. SAIL ON SAILORS
A priceless masterpiece that puts goosebumps on goosebumps..
I saw him live in '95 at the Starlight Theater in Kansas City. He had a stiff case of laryngitis, and could barely speak in between the songs, but you couldn't even tell while he was singing. Hearing him sing all my favorite songs when he was in obvious distress, let us all know what a trooper he was. It was one of my favorite concerts I ever attended. The man was AMAZING!
I've listened to this many times and still get chills all over. I wonder if the crew listens to it from the other side? I think they do. RIP, Gordon
Dead is dead.
I was fortunate enough to see this genius in concert several years ago in Michigan. If one were to look up the definition of troubadour in a dictionary, I believe there would be a picture of Gordon... RIP
My grandfather died in Lake Michigan, so this song has extensive meaning
Deep respect 🙏
My heart is hurting. RIP to the songwriter whose songs take up the most space in my heart. I was blessed to see him twice but would have loved one more listen 🙏💔
One of the most SUPREME ARTIST on mother Earth there ever was!! RIP Mr. Lightfoot, your music will live on!
The Native American cadence is so amazing and haunting
I agree with that perspective...it's ceremonial and solemn
Hes gotta be part native american with that last name
I heard him say he's entirely Scottish. I thought he was native, too, tho.
He looks Scottish.
❤@@samdog8087
This song tells of how fragile and precious life is.
I feel so incredibly lucky to have seen Gordon perform a few years back. Even in his 80s, his voice was still clear and mesmerizing. Whenever I'm up at Gitchee Gumee I can hear his dirge on the crash of the waves against the shore.
You were so darn lucky, wish I’d seen him too! Bet it’s a surreal feeling to see~experience the ambience there, what a sad tale. Felt the same way about seeing Kris Kristofferson when he was 80, the singing poet sent 30 songs that landed straight into my ♥️ & the audience disappeared…
Still listening in 2024.
I have not forgotten.
one of the most powerful songs ever written and sung
RIP Gordon, thank you for the memorial tribute to the Edmond Fitzgerald
This is song storytelling at its quintessential finest. His haunting voice gives powerful poignancy to this classic. As a lyricist, Lightfoot ranked in the top echelons of all time--a true master and a Canadian treasure.
RIP Mr. Lightfoot and thank you for all the great music. This song makes me think of my father who worked on Great Lakes freighters from 1937-1950. He had stories of how rough the weather could get on the lakes.
RIP Gordon. Such a great songwriter. 💔
@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?
For centuries bards have kept history alive this way. The crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald will live on forever because of this outstanding song.
1979 I was 19 and had been a fan of his songs for a long time. I still sing his songs to myself today when I walk.
In my teens my girlfriends mother played him constantly (70's so vinyl of course) and I learned most of his music and it stuck with me since. I was a rock and roller at the time but his style sucked me in. I was also taking guitar lessons, learning to strum and I learned a lot from listening to his ballads. I've lived in New England my whole life and I don't know if he toured but never got a chance to see him, To me he was the greatest storyteller with a guitar and a voice ever. RIP old friend.
JM Vernont
The great Gordon has died so I am back. Anyone else here because he’s passed on? What a Canadian legend
This is why Lightfoot is one of the great Singer Songwriters of our time.
Of all time.
“He was put on this Earth to write that song cause nobody else would”- my dad
Not long after this song came out, I visited the mariners' church in Detroit and read the plaques listing the dead from shipwrecks. I lingered over the plaque for the Edmund Fitzgerald, Mr. Lightfoot's song resonating in my head.
Have been to Whitefish Pt. many times. My sister has cottage 7 miles away. In January a friend sent pictures of 3 iron ore freighters taking shelter in Whitefish bay from very heavy storms. Brings it all back.The Edmund Fitzgerald sank 13 miles from shelter. Bless all of those who work on the Great Lakes.
Canada will never be the same without Gordon. Godspeed good sir.
Such an amazing song - pulls you in like a classic novel when he sings it, like you are actually there. You will be missed Gordon - thanks for your contribution to the music world.
RIP Gordon Lightfoot. Your music will live on forever! 🍀
RIP Mr. Lightfoot. You were a tremendous talent.
I found this song haunting when I first heard it but had no idea it was a story of an actual shipwreck. The song gives me the chills as I think of the plight of the men as the ship went down in that cold cold water.
It's such a tear jerker of a song. Beautiful.
I saw a special on Discovery Channel I think it was the whole story and it was devastating to see
I saw a great " In Search of History " episode on this story.
Same with me. I first heard it around 1990 when I went to a bar in Boston with some friends. Everyone there seemed to know it, except, me. I had lived all my life one the East Coast of the US. I was mesmerized, and thought was about a 19th century shipwreck. I was so stunned to hear it had happened less than 20 years earlier! A haunting, memorable, exceptional song. It has remained one of my favorites.
One of the best song ever written from a great man from Ontario, Canada. We will see you down the road my friend, and thank you for all the joy you brought to this great world.
❤Rest in Peace Gordon Lightfoot. Thanks for all of your music over the years!
@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?
I lived in the open sea as a young man on a commercial fishing boat with my father for three summer years and I can tell you this song runs a chill up my spine every time I see Gordon perform it. The sea is the most unforgiving thing than space maybe. Those sailors left a lot behind with little to no explanation
Gordo had what it took with his songwriting & singing to make those chills run up & down your spine for sure. Still love Gordo.
As a man who grew up in southern Minnesota , I always knew the big lakes of the north held magical stories, be it the stories on the reservations, Lake of the Woods, with it's world class fishing. Both Red lakes , the list is endless, but Lake Supieor and all the late season dashes to get product to the east has been the subject of more than one song Thank you Gordon L. A tune that never gets old
Also from So. MN.
I got to stay a week at Lake of the Woods as a teenager from Mississippi back in the 90's. We had never fished up North but caught on quick., Small mouth, walleye, pike were no match with the same lures we use down South! That was the best fishing week I've had in my life!
@@JamesJones-cx5pk Northern woods of my first birth, set to gales of Mother's tales, so Ortonville, my worth, snowfall on call, so I am glad to hear so many Owl's tales, as Hiawatha leans my way, the paddle or sail, my Father upheld, all of those Storms until we all moved somewhere elsewhere!
@@ronward3949 "I heard the owl call my name" ??