It's my understanding that Mr. Lightfoot set up a fund for the families of the lost crew members, and that all of the royalties of the song are donated to that fund. He has given concerts, also, and donated large sums to award scholarships in honor of members of the crew. I'm sure there is much more that he does that goes unpublicized. He's a gentleman. A good man.
I’m Canadian and live in Ontario. Americns who have seen these lakes will agree with me. When you fist come upon them a see them you will think that you are looking at the ocean. Especially during a storm. Love to the lost crew and their families. And god bless Gordon Lightfoot. RIP.
They ring the bell every year for those lost in the tragedy. This year they rang them 30 times, including a ring for Gordon who passed away earlier this year. ♥
A sad but beautiful song to honor the 29 people whom died November the 10th, 1975 in the wreck of the American freighter Edmund Fitzgerald. It breaks my heart when he sings: “ Does any one know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours? The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay if they'd put fifteen more miles behind her. They might have split up or they might have capsized. They may have broke deep and took water And all that remains is the faces and the names of the wives and the sons and the daughters.” The 29 times the bell rings every November the 10th is a very nice way to honor them.
That shop was a freighter. It was delivering iron ore pellets to Cleveland when they encountered that terrible storm. It brought her down to the bottom of Lake Superior on the Canadian side of the border. That's where Gordon is from, and so am I. I live in the province of Ontario, in the Niagara peninsula. Yes, it was a tragedy, except they often happened. After the grieving comes to an end, it's time to continue living until it's your turn to leave this planet. Gordon didn't bring in any money for that song because he wanted to give it to the wives, sons, and daughters of those 29 victims of that sinking of the Edmond Fitzgerald. That was quite noble of him. He saw that he he wrote it wrong in a couple of places, so in a couple of the concerts he sang in, he changed two words of two sentences from it. He wanted to do that song to honor those sailors who had their life come to an end. Yes, there is a place we're people go to have their loved one to pray for. Gordon sang it was in a musty old hall in Detroit, which is in the state of Michigan.
I believe all of the proceeds from this song were donated to the surviving family members of the men who died in this tragedy. Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian treasure. Hugely talented and a wonderful human being. 🌺✌️
I’m from Superior WI, lost my gramps, never met him. My dad was 10 years old…years later that same Taconite facility of BNSF, my dad worked for for 30 years….many MANY unseen pictures! She’s terrifying, gorgeous, always respect her! The bell rang 30 times last November, it’ll always ring 30 times now🩷 They’re still down there, fully intact. God bless you Gordon, my grandfather and the rest of the crew of 28 (counting my gramps)
The ship is a "living cemetery" since the water where it went down STAYS at 32°F (freezing) 24/7/365 - thus the corpses don't deteriorate. No wonder the families have fought so hard to make sure NO ONE can dive this ship...
We toll the bells 29 times every single year 10Nov in Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin to honor this crew. I remember this day. Very tragic and sad, and Gordon wrote about and released this song almost a year later.
They ring it 30 times now. When Gordon Lightfoot died this year they honored him as one of the crew and will ring it 30 times now. What a fantastic tribute he did for them and now they repay it by honoring him as a crewmember forevermore. Well deserved.
One of the greatest tributes to a real tragedy ever recorded IMO. This is like Canada's second national anthem because Gordon Lightfoot is a national treasure to them. And he dedicated it to a freighter from America - "the ship was the pride of the American side". There are a couple documentaries on the real tragedy itself, and it's a shame because most of those lost were in their early 20's. The part "Superior it is said never gives up her dead" is because the water is so freezing cold that time of year that bodies freeze like icecycles and sink to the bottom, and it's a very deep lake. About the guitar; Everybody has their own opinion and interpretation - but I think of it as mourning when I hear it. Gordon is such a fantastic storyteller and his baritone voice gives the song a feeling of such depth. And has been said, "Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" is heart-wrenching. Great reaction guys, thank you.
was just 13 when this happened, I'm in my late 50's now and this still flushes my eyes whenever I hear Gordon's forlorn voice retelling this tragic tale. Good reaction guys
The thing about this song is that it compels the listener to imagine the scene and terror these men must have felt. The rhythm has us rocking back and forth as if we, too, are on the ship or a boat. It is sublime storytelling.
I worked on the lake freighters for 10 years in the late 70’s and the 80’s. This song captures the essence of the lonely beauty and terrifying power that lives in the lakes.
The Great Lakes are some of the most dangerous waters in the world to sail because of the confined spaces when storms hit. I was a kid when this happened and when the song came out. I still get moved when I hear it.
The reason Superior never gives up her dead is because this lake's waters are incredibly cold all year long. For that reason, bodies in the lake don't decompose and don't float to the surface. All 29 bodies are forever entombed in the wreck of the ship as a result. The Edmund Fitz wasn't a fighter ship. It was a freighter that carried iron ore across the Great Lakes.
Fact. It's the growth of bacteria that emits gasses, which get trapped within the body cavity, which then cause a body to float to the surface. Lake Superior is too cold year-round to allow bacteria to grow. No bacteria, no floating corpse.
“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” is such a haunting song and I’m glad to see a reaction video from you guys. I’ve been a fan of Gordon Lightfoot since 1970, saw him in concert in 1971. (Great concert BTW and he was a very handsome guy back in the day). In the U.S. he was always somewhat under-appreciated and I wanted so badly for him to get more recognition here. I guess it’s that desire most music lovers have to share a song that stirs their soul. That was long before the internet & social media so he never received much attention. I’m still annoyed that this beautiful song lost out on a Grammy to a Barry Manilow song
It’s funny your playing this today. I live in Toronto Canada. We have a music venue that has been closed for 3 years while they renovated it. The last person to play there was Gordon Lightfoot. He is playing there tonight for the first night it reopens. The mayor of Toronto made this Gordon Lightfoot Day.
Yes song was written about this ship and 29 crew members who went down Nov. 10, 1975. Ship and crew are still 531ft down in Lake Superior. They have a memorial every yr to pay tribute to them and all mertime sailors who have been lost!!!!!
Thank you both for reacting to the solemnity of this song. It was tragic, and he did a lot of research before he wrote it. I read they rang the bell 30 times this year, one more for Gordon, who had died.❤
Gordon Lightfoot. Fantastic singer/songwriter. Beautiful voice. A Canadian treasure. My mom, a Canadian loved this song and Gordon Lightfoot. Me too. God bless the crew.
As someone from Michigan, I remember when this happened. It’s amazing how violent our inland lakes can get. There’s a museum at the Whitefish Point of the Great Lakes shipwrecks. They have the bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald that they brought up from the ship - sobering.
Gordon Lightfoot is a brilliant storyteller. There is an Edmund Fitzgerald museum on the shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. When I visited there I saw the yellowing newspapers from that day in glass cases. It is quite clear that Lightfoot took his lyrics right from those news stories. The Great Lakes, our inland seas, are every bit as treacherous as any saltwater ocean. I think that every navigable lake & river on the continent has its tragic shipwreck story. I know of others, but this one is the most famous because of this haunting song. I can't listen to it without breaking down in tears. Thank you for your reaction.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was a giant at 728 Feet long, though by 1975 it was no longer the biggest ship in the fleet. That day they left on their last voyage it was warm and sunny, what's known as an Indian Summer but two weather systems converged over Superior, causing waves high enough to flood the deck. The Arthur M. Anderson, another ore freighter that was about 15 miles behind the Fitz reported two Rogue waves between 30 and 35 feet shortly before the Fitz went missing.
American Indian tribes in that area had names for it- The Ojibwe name for the lake is gichi-gami (in syllabics: ᑭᒋᑲᒥ, pronounced gitchi-gami or kitchi-gami in different dialects), meaning "great sea". Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote this name as "Gitche Gumee" in the poem The Song of Hiawatha, as did Gordon Lightfoot in his song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"
These lakes are some of the most notorious for ship wrecks, and that is not even counting the small boats. There is a couple hundred ship wrecks dotting all 5 lakes over the 400+ years since Europeans have been in the region. I heard this song on the radio the night before I left to work on a processing ship in the Bering Sea in January of 1991. There were several storms that had 100+ knot winds with 20 to 40 foot swells during my three months up there... I cannot fathom spending an entire career working and living in those conditions. Truly scary stuff...
They never found even one body. "Never gives up her dead." Powerful song. Gordon was reading the entire story in the paper, not long after the tragedy, and decided to write a song about it.
As a native Minnesotan, I always appreciate when someone reacts to this song. It means a lot to those of us who were around when the Fitz went down. I agree with so many comments already posted. Mariners still ring their ship bells 29 times when they sail past the site of the wreck, now an underwater tomb. On a side note, the indigenous people of the area, the Ojibwe, are also referred to as Chippewa because the French voyageurs that came to the area to trade furs in the 1600's could not pronounce it correctly. With their heavy accents, Ojibwe came out sounding like Chippewa.
Our uncle had a home on Lake Superior that we visited many summers from Chicago in the 70's. We swam in Lake Michigan all the time. Never once did we swim in Superior....it's that cold. I think of that cold water whenever I hear this sad song.
I'm born and raised in Minnesota, been to Duluth many, many times. When you see the size of these freighters pulling into the harbor, it is so hard to imagine that there could be waves large enough on a LAKE to sink a ship.
Nature is unforgiving: Without remorse, without feeling, without compassion; so remarkably beautiful, awe-inspiring, harsh and terrifying all at once. "Nature is indifferent to our love, but never unfaithful." - Edward Abbey
I live in the great state of Michigan,and the Great Lakes are truly a sight to see! Some say that they are inland seas! They are beautiful and dangerous! I have seen storms just pop up out of nowhere scary as hell!!!! Thank you for your reaction!
This is a beautiful tribute by one of the best Canadian singer songwriters. This is based on a true story & the lyrics tell the sad tale of the sinking of the ship & loss of lives in 1975. Gordon Lightfoot has had many hits through his long career such as "If You Could Read My Mind", "Sundown", "Carefree Highway", "Rainy Day People", Canadian Railroad Trilogy" & many more.
Fitz was caring iron ore to a steel firm/mill like the one my father in-law worked at. I’ve flown over those lakes and some of the Great Lakes are huge. Many a ship and boats rest in her ice water mansion.
I actually don't know how many years / decades I have played this track. I bought the album on vinyl and love his songs. His voice is like velvet. If you like him you should give Neil Diamond a try. "I am I said" - "Holly Holy" - "Love on the Rocks" The list is endless. I've listened to his music since I was 13 years old in '69. I may be old but I love my Pink Floyd / Led Zeppelin / Moody Blues / Nazareth etc as well as these wonderful singer songwriters.....Shouldn't really be a surprise as I grew up from the age of 9, loving The Beatles. ..... Great reaction guys to a very poignant song.
I live in Michigan and have been to Whitefish Bay. Lake Superior is the scariest body of water I’ve ever seen. I believe it has gigantic teeth. The museum has the ship’s bell and twisted lifeboats from the Fitzgerald. It’s quite an emotional experience. Great song by Gordon
A beautiful sad history lesson this is. The Edmund Fitzgerald was a freighter hauling ore, rocks, across Lake Superior in America when she sank in a massive storm in 1975. Lake Superior is one of the Great Lakes, so it is like being on the ocean. All the men, the whole crew, perished that night. Gordon Lightfoot is a great storyteller. So glad you two reacted to this.
I’m Canadian, and have been on 4 of the 5 Great Lakes, just never been on Michigan, and Lake Superior is terrifyingly huge. You can’t swim in it because it is cold year round.
@@kgunitkeese17 Wow you've been on 4 of the 5 great lakes. That's cool. I've only been on Lake Michigan, the one you haven't been on. I could not believe how huge it was!
@@spazimdam ya Monte , Canada and the US share the Great lakes...Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake entirely in the U S...an international boundary line splits Lake Ontario... , Lake Erie , Lake Huron and of course Lake Superior basically down the middle but both countries are charged with keeping these beautiful inland oceans free from pollution..
Thanks to Gordon Lightfoot, a Canadian national treasure, the whole world knows about the Edmund Fitzgerald and she and her crew will never be forgotten.
There are a few songs where I remember so completely the day I first heard them. It was the Wed before Thanksgiving and our school let out at noon. I walked home, had some lunch, helped around the house a bit, then laid down for a nap. It was dark out when I woke up. Reached over to turn on my radio. Another song was finishing up and the DJ said, :Here's a new one from Gordon Lightfoot." I don't remember sitting up, just having the song end and I'm sitting on the edge of my bed crying. And I wanted that album! I was frustrated that I'd have to wait to Friday when the record store was open again.
When you say the song had a positive vibe, I think I understand what you mean...It sounds to me like a sea shanty that sailors would sing in a bar in remembrance and acceptance of how random the sea can be...
No words. Thank you for reacting to this. Been listening to it since I was twelve and is one of my all time favorite songs. Gordon Lightfoot, what an incredible storytelling artist.
My son is a mariner, merchant Marine, AKA a Maritime sailor and ever time he goes out to sea it fills me with anxiety, but I know he does what he❤️&being a sailor on the water makes him happy So I support him all the way!😁🙏❤️
The song is sad, but it's a good memorial helping to keep the memory of the victims of The Edmund Fitzgerald alive. It was a cargo ship, hauling iron ore to make steel if I'm not mistaken.
You guys would enjoy hearing another side of Gordon - a world class love song writer. Some of the best ones I’ve ever heard include “Beautiful” and “Song For A Winter’s Night”.
@@dggydddy59 Thanks for the reminder. I gave that one another listen and was again impressed with how poetic it is. He has so many good ones that it’s impossible to say one is better than another !
the wreck is still there. there's controversy about divers wanting to explore the wreckage, but the family of the crew feel it is desecrating the graves. there's a great video on Ask a Mortician about it - The Lake that Never Gives Up Her Dead
I was a teenager back in the seventies and I got my dad to take me to a Gordon Lightfoot concert. It was wonderful. Such a great memory of time spent with my dad.
There is another video of this song that has a picture of each of the men who perished that day .. I can not think of any other song that brings tears to my eyes .. Back in 1984, I supervised a off-loading deck on a fish processor. We were in the Behring Sea .. as far North as Nome, Alaska. We went thru ice beds, passed by extremely large icebergs and battled 30+ foot waves. Until one actually steps foot onto a ship of any kind and sails away from shore .. it can be difficult to explain to that person the vulnerability that washes over oneself.
I can't begin to imagine. I do know that all of my life, the last thing I have ever wanted to do is get on a huge ship. I've jumped out of planes, repelled off cliffs, built and rode my own Harley. I've been on a fishing boat in Florida but it never left the bay. I just don't want to not be able to see land. What you've done is HUGE. I'm so glad I read your comment. You have a lot to be proud of and I hope you are.
@@tammieparrishmiller3669 .. I am. My mom used to work at the Employment Security Office (long before it was changed to 'Work Source'). This was back in the days when job notices were handwritten on index cards and pinned to a cork board. We also had to "beat the pavement" (actually go knock on doors for a job) .. Anyway .. I was 20 when I went up to Alaska. I seemed to be the only one that could count on the boat so I was offered the position to supervise off-loading the fish (salmon and herring) over to the Korean and Japanese trampers (large cargo fridge ships). I was there for 6 months. I wanted to go back but the company I worked for closed .. Bummer! You say you like to "be able to see land" .. Funny! .. I can't imagine jumping out of a perfectly good airplane! 😎 .. I'm impressed you built your own Harley. Do you still have and ride it?
@@lisar.6670 I love that you're a go getter chick! I don't still ride. I've got back problems but for the last couple of years I've been longing for that feeling again and thinking about just getting a smaller bike. My beautiful Superglide was stolen. That was back in the days when you didn't have to have insurance and I'll be honest, there were some issues with my title so I couldn't do anything about it anyway. That's what I get. I don't fly on that side of the road anymore if you know what I mean. We fished for Mullet with nets. It was some of the best fun I've ever had. OH...I had help building the bike but it was an experience I'm always gonna be able to say I had. I hope you're still getting all you can out of life! You're a hell of a lady!
@@tammieparrishmiller3669 .. Deal with neck and back pain also. I am caring for my 86 y/o mom who was diagnosed w/dementia back in 2014. It can be very stressful because you are dealing w/a family member .. but mom is fortunate that I have 20 years experience working as a CNA/RA (restorative aid w/PT, OT and Speech therapy) .. Those are the cards God dealt me and we are doing the best we can. Promised mom and dad they would never be put in a home if I could help it. Dad passed away Sept. 2005 .. Anyway .. hope you do get a new bike. If possible, don't let a little back pain stop ya. You could always get a 'soft tail' to help cushion the ride.
@@lisar.6670 We have some things in common. My very dear friend, the one who helped me build my bike and my first hotrod was diagnosed with dementia in 2014 as well. I know how hard it is to see someone you love disappear until they no longer know you. He passed this last Christmas eve. I promised my Grandmother she would never go to a nursing home. She raised me and I cared for her to the end. Lisa, You are one strong woman. The kind of person I would be proud to call friend. I know life is hard right now. I hope you have support. Hah, listen to me telling you of all people. I'm sure you have a ton of support. Btw, I've been caring for my in-laws since 2015. We bought a duplex so they could move in but we all still have our privacy. She just passed a month ago. My father in law is 90 and doing very well for his age. He did finally stop driving. Retirement comes in 6 yrs. and we have some dreams and a bike might fit in there somewhere. We are going to England for a few months to live on a narrowboat and travel the canals and visit all the historical quaint towns. Once we are home we are going to travel while living off grid. Not exactly sure what that's going to look like yet. It could be a van or a travel trailer. We have animals we will need to keep cool and warm but we have been planning for some years. I hope this world gives you all the good things that you desire. You deserve it! Take good care!!!
I remember when this tragic accident happened. I grew up in Minnesota, Lake Superior's West & North West Shores bordered Minnesota. Even though this ship traveled between Wisconsin and Michigan on this day, it was all over the news. This is a beautiful song honoring the 29 lives that passed that November 10, 1975 (I was 15). The 46th anniversary just passed. Love your reaction, thank you for reacting to this song.
I listened to this in the dark pretty loud. He sang that song so flawlessly I wanted to put on a life preserver. A Masterpiece for the ages. Well done Mr Lightfoot. What a legacy.
So, so powerful. I was 11 when this happened. Being from Minnesota, it has particular significance due to us sharing a shore of Superior. November 10, 1975. I will never forget.
Yes, I remember this well and I listen to it every November. I lived along the shores of Lake Erie near Cleveland where this boat was headed. I used to watch the big iron ore boats go by on their way to the steel mill. It was a great tragedy.
I agree that the “song for a winters night” will blow you away. It is just truly beautiful and we don’t get enough of that in this life. Studio version is the one to listen to
Its very eerie watching documentaries that show the Edmond Fitzgerald at the bottom of the lake after knowing the story from the news and this great song all my life. I see one of them in the thumbnails I will check out. "Edmund Fitzgerald Tribute: New Information" (29 minutes)
I remember this event well. I was almost 18, and living in Michigan. We were glued to the TV for days hoping for survivors. Lightfoot gave the profits from this song to the families of the lost.
the instrumentals has that eerie sound and gordon's voice seems to tie it all together. the Fitzgerald sank in November 1975. the song came out on the radio in december of 1975. the album came out a few month later. this tragedy hit a chord with people who are old enough to remember that night. i was 11 years old, the night that the "fitz" sank. it was a nasty storm. but i found it to be fascinating to watch the lightening and thunder from my porch a couple of miles inland from lake superior. even then i couldn't imagine being on a ship on lake superior that night. there's speculation that there were rogue waves of 35 feet that had hit the ore ship. gordon lightfoot not only do justice to the situation, but was very respectful to the crew and family.
It sank on November 10, 1975. And the event is still remembered and a the ringing of the church bell still rings every year for the sailors. It is tradition that ships passing over the wreck also ring their bell 29 times in remembrance as well. Gordon Lightfoot gave all the money from this song to the families of the sailors who died in the wreck. He is invited every year to the church where the memorial is. That same church in the first memorial took place & as far as I know has never missed one. He is personally invited by the family members who are left behind.
They called the depths an "Ice water mansion" for a reason, nearly every man on the ship is perfectly preserved in a waxy film emitted from their dying bodies, which insulates them against decay. It is now considered a burial ground, and no one is allowed to go down or remove anything from the ship; INCLUDING the dead.
This was an iron oar ship, moving oar from Wisconsin to the steel mills in Cleveland Ohio. All the Great Lakes are connected, they are basically huge inland freshwater seas. One side is the USA and the other is Canada. Superior is the western most , coldest and the deepest of them all. When cold wind comes down out of Canada in the fall storms can get bad and that is what the song is referring to, ( a hurricane west wind). Winds do get hurricane strength. There are some videos on RU-vid showing storms on the Great Lakes especially Lake Superior.
Never gives up her dead... the water is so cold the bodies never float to the top due to lack of bacteria. I remember when this happened, although I lived in the south when it happened. A true tragedy. They were so close to safe harbor.
Great reaction guys yes I remember this tragedy I believe like 1976 or something like that but what the great lakes are they are land locked seas and get extremely nailed by the weather, I tell you there's A-line in that song that is every sailor's biggest fear and nightmare being X navy Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours Great reaction guys thanks for taking the time to doing this one keep spreading the musics.
Gordon gave all the money from this song to the families of the sailors on the Edmond Fitzgerald. He also rereleased it when the wreck was found. It is a great song. Most of his songs are about real events or his own personal experiences. He also has a very unique voice and great story telling abilities.
The wreckage is actually in Canadian waters. It is now a sacred grave site. There are signal buoys around the site that send alarms to the coast guard if anyone passes over or attempts to dive without permission. There are still iron boats that travel this route, they will still ring their bells 29 times as they pass by.
I’m from Michigan and live very near Lake Huron. Just last night, we had a big ship lose steering and run ashore in town. These lakes are huge and rough. I remember this wreck. I’ve heard this song a hundred times, at least. It never gets old. Love it. Thank you.
The line "The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead...." Is a real thing. The water is so cold (near freezing in November) that natural decomposition cannot occur, so the body doesnt float....
I was at Whitefish Point a month ago at The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The first thing you see when you walk into the building is the bell from Edmund Fitzgerald. This song was playing quietly overhead as we entered. It literally sent a chill down my spine. I'll never forget that moment. I learned that Lake Superior holds 10% of ALL of planet Earths' fresh water. Lake Superior holds enough water to cover North AND South America in water 1 foot deep! It truly is an amazing place. And what a great job by Gordon Lightfoot to honor the ship/crew/families with such a beautiful, respectful song, telling their story.
The Great Lakes are so wildly unpredictable. We were camping on the shore of Canadian side of Lake Huron once and woke up to the distant sound of thunder. A storm was coming across the lake. That storm didn’t hit until twelve hours later and with a ferocity that I’d never seen before. Tornadoes were produced in that storm. Another time and in the same area, we were at the beach one summer’s day when out of nowhere a huge shelf cloud came barreling in off the lake. Literally, in a matter of minutes it went from sunny and clear to dark and ominous. Anyone who knows the nature of shelf clouds knows that when the edge of the cloud passes over, there is literally a wall of wind that accompanies it. Us and about 50 other people all sat in the protection of our cars and watched as a couple who couldn’t make it into shore fast enough in their sailboat were overcome by the storm. They literally disappeared from view behind the wall of wind, rain and waves. Everyone knew this couple was in deep trouble. We waited, and after a minute or two, they emerged into view, still upright. Everyone cheered. For a minute or two, we all thought we were watching that couple die. Superior is said to be far worse. I couldn’t imagine the absolute terror these poor gentlemen must have been feeling in their last hours and minutes.
The youngest of the crew was only 20. Also to put into context to how bad the storm really was, The captain of the Freighter Arthur M Anderson that was maybe a mile or 2 behind the Fitz reported the waves were going over the wheelhouse which is the structure on the front with that being said the waves would be about 30 to 35 feet tall.
The drums were played by Barry Keane, Toronto's top session drummer of the time who played on many Canadian hit records. His playing is part of the story-telling. When the ship sinks, he plays a huge fill on the tom-toms and a cymbal crash that sounds like the ship being hit by the wave and sinking. At the start of each verse, the thud of his snare drum on the backbeat has a grim foreboding sound to it.
