SUCH POETIC LYRICS! First Time Hearing Gordon Lightfoot - Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald Reaction 

"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" Best line ever imo

The Church in the song is called Mariner’s Church in Detroit which was built in 1849. After Gordon Lightfoot died, the church bells rang 30 times, 29 for each life on the Edmund Fitzgerald and once for Gordon Lightfoot.

"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes into hours" is probably the greatest line in all of popular music.

When Gordon Lightfoot died, The bell rang 30 times adding him as an honorary member to be remembered because he wrote the song for the lost men. He felt it was too important to be covered so lightly and incorrectly by media at the time and wanted the whole story to come out. All the money he made from that song was donated to the families of those sailors, his goal being all their kids could go to college.

When Gordon passed they rang the bell 30 times for Gordon not 29 😪

When Gordon Lightfoot passed away they rang the bells at the Maritime Sailors Cathedral 30 times. 29 times for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald and one time for Gordon. Amazing .

I don’t care how many times I have listened to this song it brings a tear to my eye

It's difficult to believe that there are people who have never heard of this tragedy or this song. I'm old.

Here’s the history behind the song: “Gitchee Gumee” is the Objibwe word for “Great Sea” and it is used to refer to Lake Superior, which is known as an inland sea because of its size and conditions. They say it never gives up its dead because bodies at the bottom of the lake don’t float to the top or even decompose because of the low temperature and lack of oxygen down there. The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald was a freighter. According to one of the victims’ nephews (who’s also in the shipping industry), if someone was chosen to be a crew member on the ship, they had a lot of seniority, experience, and a good reputation. This is reflected in the fact that most of the victims were in their 40s, 50s, and 60s and had decades of experience. The captain, Ernest McSorley, had over 40 years of experience alone. He planned to retire after the voyage. On November 9, 1975, the ship left Wisconsin with 26-27,000 tons of taconite iron ore pellets. It was an unseasonably warm, sunny day. The ship was headed for Zug Island in Detroit to drop off the iron ore, then on to Cleveland to harbor for the winter (Gordon took a bit of poetic license with this). By the morning of November 10, the weather had shifted on Lake Superior. It was raining with high winds and high waves. It steadily got worse as the day went on. The weather knocked out both of the ship’s radars, and the Whitefish Point lighthouse and beacon were not working properly, so the ship was essentially sailing blind. They stuck close to another ship, the Arthur Anderson, who tried to help the Fitzgerald navigate. The two ships planned to sail to Whitefish Bay and shelter from the storm there. At some point in the afternoon, the two ships passed a shoal (an area of shallow water that can be dangerous for ships). It is believed that the Fitzgerald ran aground on it (likely not seeing it), suffered structural damage to the bottom of the ship, and began taking on water from the bottom. By this time, the weather was also freezing rain, which combined with the wind and high waves made the ship top heavy. The Fitzgerald began listing to one side and water went on deck too, which only got worse as the storm continued. They informed the Arthur Anderson of their predicament and the two ships continued towards Whitefish Bay. At about 7:10 pm, the Arthur Anderson radioed the Fitzgerald and asked how they were holding up. Captain McSorley said the Fitzgerald was “holding its own.” Those were the last words heard from the Edmund Fitzgerald. Within the next 5-10 minutes, the Arthur Anderson lost the Fitzgerald on radar and couldn’t physically see it either. By this point, the ship had already sank. No one knows for sure what happened, but it happened so fast the Fitzgerald didn’t even have time to send a distress signal. A common theory is that a rogue (much higher than normal) wave came up and took them under, which can happen without warning. Because the ship was weighed down by the water on deck, the iron ore inside of it, and the water from the bottom, it simply did not come back up. The ship and all 29 crewmen were lost. They were only 15 miles away from the safety of Whitefish Bay, which probably would have taken only a couple more hours at the rate they were going. The Arthur Anderson safely made it to Whitefish Point, but actually went back out into the storm a few hours later to look for wreckage and survivors. They found nothing. The Coast Guard said the crewmen failed to secure the hatches (an unlikely mistake for a crew that experienced at that time of year). In 2010, it was found that human error did not cause the sinking. In live performances, Gordon changed the line to reflect this new development. The crewmen are all still down there. In the 1990s, divers went down to the wreckage, brought up the ship’s bell, and placed a replica with the engraved names of the crewmen. The real bell is now in the Whitefish Point museum. The families did not want the crewmen recovered, seeing the wreckage as their final resting place. Every year, memorials are held for the crew members. Ships will also stop and ring their bells 29 times when passing the wreck site. In a lot of the memorials this year, the bell also rang a 30th time for Gordon Lightfoot himself. The reason this song is so beloved is because of how factually accurate it is, and Gordon even changed the lyrics over the years to reflect new findings about the wreck. The reason he wrote the song in the first place was because he was upset about the careless news coverage of the sinking (a news article even misspelled the ship’s name). He also donated the money from the song to the families of the crewmen, and anyone who wanted to use the song had to get permission from the families too.

Each year, they ring the bell 29 times at the Mariner's Church (what Gordon called the Maritime Sailors Cathedral). The proceeds for this song went to the sailor's charity. We must remember that in the 70s, there were no social media outlets, no GoFundMe, and nothing like that. If you needed to raise money for a cause or a need, it needed to be in the print media (newspapers/magazines), television, or radio. Through the decades after this song, Mr. Lightfoot stayed connected to the Maritime Church and the lost sailors' families. When he passed, the Maritime Church rang the bells for him.

I was at his 1st concert after releasing this song in Traverse City, MI. It was absolutely haunting. The audience was dead silent.

I was 10 years old, on November 10, 1975 being raised in Southern Michigan. I remember everything about the storm and its enormous winds, rain, hail and finally snow from the night before and the beautiful sunshine and crisp fall air of the following day when it was announced that the Edmund Fitzgerald was lost with all hands. I was naturalist even at this age and this song moved me to dream about going to Superior. I wanted to feel the legend of Superior and all it's power and majesty. I met my soulmate at age 15 and a few years later after college, we moved very close to Lake Superior. So many times in the past 30 years, when the wind whips up and a storm starts roaring on the big lake, we make our way to Whitefish Point where simply standing upright can be a struggle and the noise from the wind sounds as if you are standing inside a rocket at takeoff. We look out into the lake seeing exactly where this ship went down and exactly where it needed to get to reach safety and think just how close they were. Two days from now, another "blow" will happen, and again we will make our way to nature's temple and pay our respects to Superior and to the people that call its icy depths home. And once again, we will turn the page.

Nov 10th, 1975. I was working at Great Lakes Steel on Zug Island in Detroit. We were asked to stay overtime, as we were expecting a large shipment of Ore & materials. After 2 hours our foreman told us the Edmund was running late due to bad weather & we left for the day. The next morning we heard on the local news that the ship was missing, maybe throw so far off course & possibly capsized. Layer that day we were advised the ship went down. We all knew several of the men on the Edmund. R.I.P.

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

People would dive down to the wreak but when they found that the bodies were still down there they made it a grave site. It's ice cold fresh water, she truly never gives up her dead. Haunting lyrics.

I turned ten years old a week after this happened. My stepdad's family had a cabin up at paradise which is a few miles from whitefish point. We were up there snowmobiling over Christmas break. On a snowmobiling night trip we stopped on the edge of a cliff overlooking Lake superior by white fish point and I remember the adults talking about what had happened. They then pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniel's, pasted it around and poured the rest over the edge of the cliff and told me it was in honor of sailors on the ship. I'm 58 now and it still brings me to tears every time I hear this song and remember that night.

Gordon Lightfoot ~ “If You Could Read My Mind” has always been one of my favorite songs…beautiful! I think you will love it too! Gordon is a bit like Bob Seger…fantastic catalogues! RIP Gordo…you will always be missed!

"If You Could Read My Mind " and "Sundown" are another two of his hits. But he has many more songs than I can sit here and name.

I don't think most folks appreciate the size of this "Lake." The area of this lake is greater than the COMBINED areas of Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. I used to live up there and got to see some of these storms... amazing power! This "Lake" contains 10% of the World's fresh water and if you poured it out, it would cover all of North and South America to a depth of about one foot.

One of the greatest story tellers I’ve ever listened too, he was a Canadian icon

Gordon was such a selfless man. He not only donated proceeds to the family members of those who perished, he also gave of his time and visited family members for many years. He wrote the song because it bothered him that the news coverage of the tragedy was minimal. He certainly kept the story of the tragedy in the hearts and minds of people through his beautiful songwriting and recording. Well done Gordon. R.I.P. 💔

Look at the size of that Ship! .... And a Storm on one of the Great Lakes just Chewed it Up! Most folks have no Idea how huge the Great Lakes are!

Gorden Lightfoot is a saint on any shore of Lake Superior. The old timers up here say that this winter has been the mildest of any since 1938. But not so tonight. As I sit here, I can see where the Ontonagon River flows into Superior...And she is worked up tonight. There is a 60 MPH wind coming off the lake, and a 20 foot tide. My well build house is shaking and covered with ice...I can only imagine what it is like out there!

I'm a retired Navy man and I love this song. I've seen up close and personal how powerful mother nature can be and it is frightening how destructive water can be in a storm when you're on a ship off shore. Gordon had a wonderful way of telling stories like this.

As a former sailor I don't know any person that worked on ships that doesn't get a tear in their eye listening to this song. Thanks for what you two do. I always enjoy tuning in.

I'm a former Navy sailor, and did my basic training on the shores of Lake Michigan just fifteen years after the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. This song gives me chills down my spine and a lump in my throat, to this day.

He gave all of the proceeds from this song to the grieving families!!!

"If You could read my mind", "Sundown". ;) S.C. American here that gives respect to not forget.

the only thing more popular than Gordon in Canada, maybe hockey. he was a national treasure, great writer, singer, have all he did, love it all and am American.

Great song but he has so many great tunes.. He is one of the great songwriters of all time. Sundown and If You Could Read My Mind are both amazing songs.

I remember the first time I heard this song. Listening to WLS late at night on my AM clock radio. I was 14 and I loved this song the first time, and each and every time I hear it, it's a haunting memorial to to a grave tragedy and mark's a very memorable point of time in my life. R.I.P. all who bravely gave their lives on the Edmund Fitzgerald. Also, to Mr. Gordon Lightfoot, who memorialized it in a beautifully told story, R.I.P. sir.

We were at the Whitefish point maritime museum watching a live feed when the raised the bell from the shipwreck. There wasn't a dry eye in the entire place. The bell is now at the museum along with pieces of the wreckage. Also.. on a good day, 15 miles can take a freighter an hour. Much longer with storm waves and headwinds. Lake Superior can have waves up to 30 feet high during storms. Just this past Dec. There were waves engulfing 40ft cliffs at the pictured rocks shoreline.

Not only was Gordon Lightfoot a great writer and singing artist, he was a great humanitarian. He is definitely missed, but never to be forgotten.

I remember seeing this in the News when she went missing. It was many years before they found the wreck. They brought up the ships bell. These ships don't travel very fast. Gordon donated all the money from this song to the families of those who went down with the ship. Another Gordon song I like is "Sundown".

We live in Minnesota and weekend along Lake Superior a few times each year. The lake is special to us and so are all the freighters we see leaving and arriving at the Duluth/Superior ports. When we heard about this and then heard the song on the radio, it really moved us. Our daughter's birthday is Nov. 10th, so it had special meaning to her also. Love the song. Thanks for your reaction and thoughts.

My Dad was on the Anderson that evening . He remembered the storm , and said it wasn’t abnormal for that time of season . Was surprised the Fitz succumbed to the weather and waves , as they had been through many before on the Great Lakes . Many of the crew lost were friends , but my Dad said it was part of the job , and you just carry on . Told me the song always brought back memories of working on those ships , and not specifically the Fitz .

Being from Michigan, I've always been fascinated by this story. I watched a documentary on the Edmund Fitzgerald. Captain McSorely's son recounted how the shipping company modified the Fitz, removing a bulkhead to allow for greater carrying capacity. He said his father commented that he wouldn't want to be caught in rough seas in that ship......kind of half joking. Then Captain McSorely was in a rotation of captains to fill in for one another when another captain was taking vacation. McSorely was selected to captain the Fitz temporarily, even as he was nearing his final voyages approaching retirement. Talk about FATE - the confluences of all these seemingly random, individual occurances, coming together in one tragic moment. I cry every time I hear this song. Gordon was a beautiful talent. Try "If I Could Read Your Mind" for another lyrically brilliant, emotional song.

He could paint a picture with the lyrics of his songs . A proud Canadian . Note the line " and it rang 29 times each man .... at the request of the families the bell now rings 30 times to include Gordon .

Lightfoot wrote the song, walked into the studio, and handed their parts to each member of the band, told them what he wanted, and without rehearsal they played and recorded it in one take. Amazing. The bodies of the crew are still in the ship because the lack of oxygen and the cold means that the bodies do not decay. There is a 500 meter exclusion zone around the wreck and it is a grave site at the request of the families. There is a park and bench so they can go site and look over the water that holds their menfolk. Lightfoot donated the profits from the song to the families. When the ship went down the whole world held its breath for days as the search for the ship was conducted, and hopes faded for finding any survivors.

He is simply.....the great poet. RIP Gordon.

One of my grandfather's friends was a crewman on the Edmund Fitzgerald. I grew up in a small town near Mackinaw, Michigan and grew up hearing stories about this tragedy 😢 Rest in Peace to all those lost souls 🌹Rest in Peace Gordon 😢

Gordon Lightfoot’s style is Gordon Lightfoot. Like no other.

All 29 crew perished in the wreck. Just last year, when Mr. Lightfoot passed, the Maritime Church in Detroit chimed the church bells 30 times... I am sure I was not the only one with tears in my eyes when that happened, though I get choked up everytime I listen to this song..

I've teared up every time I have heard this song for the last 40 years, including this time.

I have always considered this song as the most moving and beautiful eulogy I have ever heard.

For a freighter, 15 miles is significant. For example, if the ship could make 5 knots in these storm conditions (EDIT: the common, calm sea, speed for Great Lakes freighters is 10.4 knots (12 miles an hour)), it would still be 3 hours to cover the distance. Edit was inspired by gnar's comment.

There wasn't a Canadian growing up that didn't hear this growing up. Many generations grew up with this as sing-along, parents taught their kids music and history through lyrics by this great Man.

One of the crewman told his family that if anything had happened, that it would be quick, because the lake is so cold and they didn't have time to put on any of their life saving gear, meaning their dry suits or anything. That's how fast this happened. I was 10 years old when the mighty Fitz (the Edmond Fitzgerald) sank. The ship was known as the mighty Fitz. Lake Superior is the coldest of the Great Lakes. In summertime it warms to about 50 degrees or so. It's a spring fed lake and it's 1,333 feet deep. It's the deepest of the 5 Great Lakes.

Gordon said had they put just 15 more miles behind them before the storm hit, they would have escaped the worst part of the storm and likely survived as just a normal delivery, probably not knowing how close they had come to disaster. I grew up in Michigan and there are shorelines where you'd swear you were at an ocean, not a lake. Lake Michigan is 118 miles wide at its widest point and you can't see the distant shore. They are fresh water lakes, very deep and very, very cold at the bottom. Some ships that sunk in the 1800s have been discovered still in a pristine, and preserved condition. This is because there's no salt to rust the metal and few fresh water fish that deep to feed off of it. Yes, this song honors those lost on the Fitz but I think it also praises all the unsung heroes lost to dangerous jobs. "The Perfect Storm" is the true story about a swordfishing boat named the Andrea Gail and how it, and the crew from Gloucester, Massachusetts, was lost in storm that had 100 foot waves. It gives a little insight into what the Fitz's crew may have gone through. It has a stellar cast and is well worth watching.

I grew up hearing this on the radio daily. He gave his poignant lyrics the perfect cadence between stanzas to allow the listener to process the weight of them. A perfect delivery of such a story.

What is crazy is that crews that have gone down to see the wreck, have seen some of the dead sailors and they are preserved and look ageless. RIP, to those who died on that fateful night! God bless them and their Families!!!

Thank You for sharing this... It meant a lot. Especially for the families that will never be able to forget 😢

The highest wave recorded was a height of 29 feet (8.8 meters) on October 24, 2017 on 'Lake Superior' just north of Marquette, Michigan. ” “Most storms over the oceans of the world can produce average wave heights of 30 feet. But, 'Lake Huron' was hit by the worst storm ever to hit one of the Great Lakes on November 3, 1913. The storm produced wind gusts of 90 mph (145 kph) and ocean-like waves of more than 35 feet. The storm lasted 16 hours, sank 10 ships, and killed 235 seamen. They called it the "The Big Blow!"

As a child, this was my first memory of community tragedy. We had just moved to Duluth, Minnesota. I was in kindergarten. Those bells were haunting. The easels set up with the pictures in memoriam in our school & at church. It's strange to see adults tear up at that age. This never fails to make me teary now.

My Dad (88 years old) and I still crank this song top volume for the neighborhood while grilling Johnsonville Brats with a cocktail or beer or both.😊❤

Gordon stated in interviews that he read many different papers that published the tragedy, he said "I felt like I was being drawn to honor men lost without any hope, they never went down, nor did they drown, I am still here". The odd thing about this story was the west wind was a very small corridor. There were ships 5 miles from their port that were okay & rushed to call their emergency, but the ship had sunk before they arrived. They just so happened to have left either too early or too late on the fateful date of November, 10, 1975, twas the jet stream curvature that caused the deaths. If they had the current technology, they would have never left the mill port, which would have made it had they waited an hour & 5 minutes, they would have been okay. Lake Superior has some 350 recorded shipwrecks, accounting for some 10,000+ lives lost. That is why he included the lyrics, "It never gives up her dead". As he recollected the history of even the natives lost sailing the lake.

You need only to know the quote from Bob Dylan...."I love any song written by Gordon Lightfoot "...... I saw him in concert around 1976, shortly after he released the Edmond Fitzgerald. Great concert!

You can listen to this song in Miami in August and STILL feel a chill. Lightfoot makes you feel like you're right there.

Michael E. Armagost, 37, Third Mate Fred J. Beetcher, 56, Porter Thomas D. Bentsen, 23, Oiler Edward F. Bindon, 47, First Asst. Engineer Thomas D. Borgeson, 41, Maintenance Oliver J. Champeau, 41, Third Asst. Engineer Nolan S. Church, 55, Porter Ransom E. Cundy, 53, Watchman Thomas E. Edwards, 50, Second Asst. Engineer Russell G. Haskell, 40, Second Asst. Engineer George J. Holl, 60, Chief Engineer Bruce L. Hudson, 22, Deck Hand Allen G. Kalmon, 43, Second Cook Gordon F. MacLellan, 30, Wiper Joseph W. Mazes, 59, Special Maintenance Man John H. McCarthy, 62, First Mate Ernest M. McSorley, 63, Captain Eugene W. O'Brien, 50, Wheelsman Karl A. Peckol, 20, Watchman John J. Poviach, 59, Wheelsman James A. Pratt, 44, Second Mate Robert C. Rafferty, 62, Steward Paul M. Riippa, 22, Deck Hand John D. Simmons, 63, Wheelsman William J. Spengler, 59, Watchman Mark A. Thomas, 21, Deck Hand Ralph G. Walton, 58, Oiler David E. Weiss, 22, Cadet Blaine H. Wilhelm, 52, Oiler

29 died.. . And when he died, the bell in Mariners Church in Detroit rang 30 times... 29 fir the crew and one for Gordon Lightfoot

I’ve loved this song as a kid in the 70’s. I actually looked up the history of the Edmund Fitzgerald in the Encyclopedia Brittanica’s Book of the Year (now inherited and on my shelf) after first hearing the song (yes, that’s what we did before in the Internet).

The Edmund Fitzgerald was found in two pieces. As Gordon mentioned, it was a big ship. If it became suspended between two large ("rogue") waves, one at the bough and one at the stern with nothing supporting the middle, the stress would be too much and the boat would collapse from its own weight. This seems to be what happened. The crew had no chance. This song came out when I was in elementary school and I had NO IDEA that this was 'current events'. Gordon's storytelling style made the tale seem ancient and timeless, as if handed down through generations.

I was born in 68 and was a kid when this first came out. My older brothers listened to this on the radio. Folk music was common but not necessarily pop. It was easy to understand and follow. When I became a young adult and went to college, I was re-exposed to this music and found that is was better than most. it came out in the era of Disco and Rock and so didn't make it big at the time. Music that tell stories will last forever.

I haven't heard this in a minute. Thanks for the memories man👌🎸😎 RIP Gordon.😇 1975

This was recorded in one take, but what maoes it even more amazing is that the band was playing it for the very first time. Lightfoot talks about it in the documentary about him called "If You Could Read My Mind".

Gordon came to know many of the families of those who died. He continued to meet with them for decades afterwards, maintaining strong friendships until he died. That's the kind of man Gordon was.

The music is so haunting. Gordon created a sound that is like nothing ever heard before.

Gordon was traveling and read a story one morning in a motel/hotel and it made a huge impact on him, He inquired approval from each of the 29 families before he released his recording of the tragedy. He donated all his profits of the song through the years that followed to the families, because it touched him so deeply.

I've probably listened to this song over a hundred times over the years. Still get chills listening to it.

Michigander here. I was young when this happened but I clearly remember how big of a deal this was. I’ve listened to the song too many times to count. I still get chills. RIP Gordo, Capt. McSorley, and the 28 other crewmembers.

All the money and contributions was donated to the families of the lost ones , Gordon was a true Canadian legend ,❤❤🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦with this song

A lyrical and musical masterpiece.

I was a little kid living along the northern Lake Michigan shoreline the night the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in November of 1975. My mother recalled recently that this particular evening was very stormy and blustery, big waves on the lake. This ship went down very quickly and disappeared from radar, leading some to believe that it essentially torpedoed into a giant wave and never came up. The windows on the bridge were all found to be smashed-in. Captain McSorely's last transmission was "we're holding our own".

'If You Could Read My Mind', is another great example of his poetic skills!❤

As someone born in Superior Wisconsin. This song is a tribute and a taboo in that city, many family members of the departed still reside there and love/hate this song. It's a duel edge sword.... a tribute and reminder of what was lost.

The story is real, as Gordan always was. ❤

Gordon's voice reached far across the seas. On the other side of the Atlantic there is a lot of love for him, total package singer-songwriter. And there is plenty more.

I remember watching the news coverage of the Fitzgerald's loss as a child and this ballad has remained a favorite of mine over the decades. I am pleased to see this new generation, thanks to RU-vid reactions, becoming familiar with the event.

In addition to the brilliant storytelling and the poetic lyrical flow, I just love how it all comes together with the cadence and dynamic instrumentation to make you feel like you're rolling on the waves right along with the Edmund Fitzgerald. R.I.P. to the crew and to Gordon Lightfoot 😞🙏

Best folk song ever, and the word I always use to describe it is ‘haunting’. Beautiful melody, unforgettable story, impeccable lyrics - everything works together. There will never be another song like this.

There is a light house in Minnesota along the shore of Lake Superior that still holds a memorial service each year on the anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Nov 10. They ring a bell once for each person who died, i.e., 29 times. Last year (2023) when Gordon Lightfoot passed away, they rang the bell one extra time for him.

After Gordon passed away .. The church bell rang 30 times .. Once more in honor of Lightfoot. RIP G.L.

Goosebumps every single time.

Brings a tear to my eye every November when this is played each year.

In 5th or 6th grade, we learned about the Edmond Fitzgerald in our state history class (from Wisconsin), and we listened to the song, too. I already knew and liked the song, so that part of class was like a treat.

Being born in 1960, I grew up listening to Gordon Lightfoot. This is one of my favorite songs. He has a large catalog of music, but a few of my favorites are "If You Could Read My Mind", "Sundown", and "Carefree Highway". I saw him in concert in the late 90's when he was around 60 and he sounded exactly the same as he did from the 60's & 70's. RIP Gordon - you are missed.

Dang!!! What a powerful song, man.

Great job y'all! Gordon was a lyrical story teller without peer. IMO, one of the most moving lines in the song is "Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours." It never fails to give me goosebumps. Keep up the great work.

He was an amazing songwriter. Try to imagine what this song would sound like if it were written today... Very different. Most artists would try to vocalize a lot more emotion at the climax of the story, but that would have been too much. He maintains the tone and cadence throughout, so you're hooked by the lyrics and lets the words convey the emotion, not the voice singing the words. So even though you know how the story ends, it still kinda sneaks up on you. The guitar was phenomenal.

Great reaction! The line, the lake never gives up her dead refers to the water is so cold that the bodies don't decompose. Those 29 men are still down there. A life raft and two 2 ton bouys dropped as markers are in a museum in the soo michigan, they are extremely bent and twisted up. Rip Gordon and thoe sailors from the Fitz. Peace from Northern Michigan.

I grew up, and still live and work in the Cleveland area. About a year ago, one of my co-workers retired. I remember him telling us a story about when he graduated high school. He and his friend applied to Cleveland Cliffs to work on the freighters. He was rejected, but his friend was accepted. His friend was Bruce Hudson who went down on the Edmund Fitzgerald. He still has the rejection letter, and brought it in to show us. On a separate note, before my current job I worked at steel mill. One of my co-workers there also had a connection to the ship. His wife's uncle was on it when it went down. I have always loved this song, and Lightfoot's ability to tell such wonderful stories through his songs. Lightfoot became friends with Bruce's mother because of this song, and would visit her every time he was in the area until she passed.

I'm from Michigan, this is a part of our shared memories here, i wasn't even born yet when it happened, but i sang this song in school. 1975 is when the Edmund Fitzgerald sank

There’s a museum in Whitefish Point Michigan that pays tribute to the MANY ships that have sunk trying to navigate the Great Lakes in the fall, the Fitzgerald is only one of them. Most people don’t realize how bad the weather is on the Great Lakes in the Fall and Winter.

"Early Morning Rain" will always epitomize Gordon Lightfoot for me. His ability to paint a mood and state of mind with lyrics is unmatched in my opinion. It's in my top 3 favourite songs period from anyone. I recommend checking it out if you get a chance.

A new song to me - absolutely great mix of music and fabulous lyrics - another one to get for my collection. Thanks for showing this!

This is a true story. It didn't get as much recognition as it should've so Gordon wrote this song. 👍🏼

The whole song is haunting, but every time I listen to it, especially the old cook saying "It's too rough to feed ya," and, later "Fellas, it's been good to know you" I get chills. I get chills a few times from this one, really.

1975 I was 10 this song still makes my arm hair stand up what a chill after all these years ❤❤❤❤

I have always loved the way he wrote about the weight of the cargo. "With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighted empty..." Such a neat turn of a phrase. He was one of my favorite singers. Got the chance to see him right before the pandemic closed everything. RIP Mr. Lightfoot.

This song is indeed remarkable --- it is very beautiful and wonderfully composed. In fact, this song was so appealing and memorable when it came out that it is the sole reason that so many people initially became interested in the Edmund Fitzgerald and wanted to learn about it, explore the wreck to determine what had caused it to sink, and so on.