January 8, 2015

Boomer Anthems: "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"

He said, "Fellas, it's been good to know you."

Posted by gerardvanderleun at January 8, 2015 8:27 AM
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One of my all time favorite songs. The first album I ever owned was this one and its full of great music. The music is haunting and sad while not being maudlin, and its probably the best folk song of all time.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at January 8, 2015 9:10 AM

I'll never forget the night it happened, Nov. 10, 1975. I was in college in Upper Michigan, and the weather was exactly as Lightfoot described it. I had never seen Lake Superior rougher, with waves crashing well over the seawall, nor experienced stronger winds. My lightly-built roommate was actually blown off the sidewalk when walking back from class. We heard about the presumed sinking the next morning. The song still gets to me as well.

Posted by: waltj at January 8, 2015 9:37 AM

Yeah waltj, it was a wild night. At the time, my brother and I were working in the iron mines NW of Marquette and were returning from a downstate visit the day the Fitzgerald went down. At almost the same time she went down, we were crossing the Mackinac bridge where a semi had been blown over onto its side in the southbound lanes by hurricane force wind. The bridge was closed shortly thereafter. I don't think the song is particularly a "boomer" anthem but was made popular by Americans and Canadians that are taken by the mystique of the Great Lakes. In fact, my brother, who still lives up there, just sent me some photos of a couple of freighters currently at the Marquette ore docks.

Posted by: JimBobElrod at January 8, 2015 2:21 PM

People who haven't been around the Great Lakes have no idea of their immensity and power. They aren't the Great Salt Lake, or Lake Tahoe. You cannot possibly see across Lake Erie to Canada, for example. And Superior is much bigger than that Erie.

The storms can be horrendous. But when the weather is fine, there is no better part of the country — I've been all around; I live in California now, but I would move back to that area in a minute if Mrs. Smokey OK'd it.

Posted by: Smokey at January 8, 2015 8:12 PM

Lightfoot was born in Orillia Ontario and I got to know of him when I was working at a foundry there.
He knows the Great Lakes and "Wreck" captures the power of those waters.
He has been honored by Canada and has international fame.

Posted by: chasmatic at January 9, 2015 5:46 AM

I can never get past "...the wives, the sons, and the daughters...." bit w/o um...uh...something getting in my eye

Posted by: CaptDMO at January 9, 2015 10:47 AM

The power of Lightfoot's song hit me hard and straight to the heart in August of 2005. I was on my first trip to the U.P. and spent hours in the Maritime Museum at Whitefish. It was a full immersion into the lore and history of vessels and cargo that Lake Superior took. Being a downstate IL gal who lived near the Mississippi River, I hadn't a clue about the power and importance of Superior.

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