"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." - Gordon Lightfoot (b. 1938): "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" Released August 1976, Peaked at #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart (11/20/76)
This November 10th marks the 35th Anniversary of the actual wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior on her way to Detroit, which was then supposed to dock for the Winter of 75-76 in Cleveland. She never made it, and the crew of 29 all perished and were never recovered. The song speaks of bravery, courage and sheer determination, in only a way that Gordon Lighfoot could achieve. Theories abound that the bulk carrier was split in two (much like the Titanic), but that fact is still disputed today. Lake Superior is extremely deep, and "it never gives up her dead." How true.
Courage and Bravery are terms we like to bestow upon our men and women fighting for our freedom, but we also witness these traits with those facing life-threatening situations and debilitating diseases. Only a few songs have immortalized those traits, the other famous song that comes to mind is Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler's rendition of "The Ballad of the Green Berets," reaching number 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 for 5 weeks in 1966. This was a time of great courage for all fighting in the War in Vietnam, as it was a very unpopular war here in the mainland.
Those traits of valor and raw courage could be used again in our mainland, and we should recognize it when we witness it, much like the 1 Billion estimated audience who witnessed the rescue of the miners in Chile two days ago. This sums up the "Pinheads and Patriots" audio book that I have just finished, penned by Bill O'Reilly. What a great way to finish up the blog work week about "P and P," as I believe that everyone involved in the Chile rescue are indeed Patriots, just as I feel that the 29 souls on the Edmund Fitzgerald did not die in vain. It should be noted that Lightfoot changed one of the verses in March of 2010 when evidence came to light that the crew WAS NOT in error, so he corrected the by changing that verse. Below are the actual lyrics produced in 1976 (one of my top 5 favorite songs of all time), with the change in parenthesis that was edited in 2010. He found out about the new findings when the History Channel approached him for permission to use the soon in a March 31, 2010 special about the Edmund Fitzgerald. Enjoy.
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 - 26,000 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 the 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 ships bell rang
Could it be the North Wind they'd been feeling.
The wind in the wires made a tattletale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the Captain did, too,
T'was the witch of November come stealing.
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of November came slashing
When afternoon came it was freezing rain
In the face of a hurricane West Wind
When supper time came the old cook came on deck
Saying fellows it's too rough to feed ya
At 7PM a main hatchway caved in (At 7PM, it grew dark, it was then he said) - changed 3/2010
He said fellas it's been good to know ya.
The Captain wired in he had water coming in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went out of sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Does anyone 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 ruins 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 29 times (actually, it rang 30 times - 1 more for all who perished, a maritime tradition)
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 say, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early.
© 1976 Moose Music, Inc
Think about it . . .
Yogi: 10/15/2010 10:13AM CDT
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