About the song
Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” is a haunting ballad that recounts one of the most tragic maritime disasters in the Great Lakes. Released in 1976 as a part of Lightfoot’s album “Summertime Dream,” the song has become one of his most beloved and enduring works, earning a place in the pantheon of great storytelling through music.
Gordon Lightfoot, a Canadian singer-songwriter known for his evocative lyrics and distinctive voice, composed “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” as a tribute to the 29 men who perished when the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. The ship was the largest freighter on the Great Lakes at the time, and its sudden and mysterious demise captured the public’s imagination.
The song meticulously details the final voyage of the Edmund Fitzgerald, from its departure to its tragic end. Lightfoot’s lyrics are both poignant and vivid, painting a somber picture of the ship’s struggle against the brutal storm that ultimately led to its sinking. The refrain, “The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead when the skies of November turn gloomy,” resonates deeply, reflecting the perilous nature of Great Lakes shipping and the profound loss felt by the families of the crew.
“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” achieved significant commercial success, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States and number 1 on the RPM National Singles Chart in Canada. Its success was not merely a result of its compelling narrative but also Lightfoot’s masterful composition and delivery, which brought the story to life with a sense of gravity and respect.
The album “Summertime Dream,” produced by Lenny Waronker and Joseph Wissert, was a critical and commercial triumph, with “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” standing out as a centerpiece. The song’s minimalist arrangement, featuring Lightfoot’s signature acoustic guitar and haunting melodies, allows the tragic story to take center stage, ensuring that the memory of the Edmund Fitzgerald and her crew is preserved in the hearts of listeners.
Lightfoot’s ability to transform historical events into moving musical narratives has solidified his place as one of the great troubadours of our time. “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” is not just a song but a solemn homage to those lost at sea, a testament to Lightfoot’s talent for blending fact and artistry to create a lasting tribute.
As we listen to “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” we are reminded of the power of music to convey the depths of human experience and the enduring impact of history on our collective consciousness. Gordon Lightfoot’s poignant ballad ensures that the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald will not be forgotten, continuing to touch the hearts of new generations with its timeless and haunting melody.
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Lyrics
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early
The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ship’s bell rang
Could it be the north wind they’d been feelin’?
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the captain did too
T’was the witch of November come stealin’
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of November came slashin’
When afternoon came it was freezin’ rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind
When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin’
“Fellas, it’s too rough to feed ya”
At 7 PM, a main hatchway caved in, he said
“Fellas, it’s been good to know ya”
The captain wired in he had water comin’ in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went outta sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
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
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man’s dreams
The islands and bays are for sportsmen
And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the gales of November remembered
In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
In the maritime sailors’ cathedral
The church bell chimed ’til it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early