Hadnt heard it in a long time so I downloaded it from itunes.

I am young for a Lightfoot fan at 35.  I grew up on his music living in Oregon in the 80's.  Always liked his music.  Saw him some years back at the Brady Theatre in Tulsa which is a 1920's era building that barely needs a sound system for good acoustical shows.

Yup, a truly great song and an honor to those that were lost. I always figured that if it weren't for that song, most people would never even know of the ship or her crew.



Twenty-nine brave men lost their lives on November 10, 1975.  Their names, ages, occupations, and hometowns are listed below.

Michael E. Armagost
37
Third Mate
Iron River, Wisconsin

Fred J. Beetcher
56
Porter
Superior, Wisconsin

Thomas D. Bentsen
23
Oiler
St. Joseph, Michigan

Edward F. Bindon
47
First Asst. Engineer
Fairport Harbor, Ohio

Thomas D. Borgeson
41
Maintenance Man
Duluth, Minnesota

Oliver J. Champeau
41
Third Asst. Engineer
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

Nolan S. Church
55
Porter
Silver Bay, Minnesota

Ransom E. Cundy
53
Watchman
Superior, Wisconsin

Thomas E. Edwards
50
Second Asst. Engineer
Oregon, Ohio

Russell G. Haskell
40
Second Asst. Engineer
Millbury, Ohio

George J. Holl
60
Chief Engineer
Cabot, Pennsylvania

Bruce L. Hudson
22
Deck Hand
North Olmsted, Ohio

Allen G. Kalmon
43
Second Cook
Washburn, Wisconsin

Gordon F. MacLellan
30
Wiper
Clearwater, Florida

Joseph W. Mazes
59
Special Maintenance Man
Ashland, Wisconsin

John H. McCarthy
62
First Mate
Bay Village, Ohio

Ernest M. McSorley
63
Captain
Toledo, Ohio

Eugene W. O'Brien
50
Wheelsman
Toledo, Ohio

Karl A. Peckol
20
Watchman
Ashtabula, Ohio

John J. Poviach
59
Wheelsman
Bradenton, Florida

James A. Pratt
44
Second Mate
Lakewood, Ohio

Robert C. Rafferty
62
Steward
Toledo, Ohio

Paul M. Riippa
22
Deck Hand
Ashtabula, Ohio

John D. Simmons
63
Wheelsman
Ashland, Wisconsin

William J. Spengler
59
Watchman
Toledo, Ohio

Mark A. Thomas
21
Deck Hand
Richmond Heights, Ohio

Ralph G. Walton
58
Oiler
Fremont, Ohio

David E. Weiss
22
Cadet
Agoura, California

Blaine H. Wilhelm
52
Oiler
Moquah, Wisconsin

Every year on the anniversary of the sinking, I have to play the song.

CheapTrickFan said:

Twenty-nine brave men lost their lives on November 10, 1975. Their names, ages, occupations, and hometowns are listed below. ...


Yours is an infinitely better memorial to these men than an overlong ballad by a whiney manic depressive.

Quoted: I am young for a Lightfoot fan at 35.  I grew up on his music living in Oregon in the 80's.  Always liked his music.  Saw him some years back at the Brady Theatre in Tulsa which is a 1920's era building that barely needs a sound system for good acoustical shows.

+1 for the Old Lady on Brady!!!!!

Download "Sundown" too.

Both great tunes. "Fitzgerald" has a haunting quality to it. Songs like that aren't often recorded these days.

Quoted: Quoted: I am young for a Lightfoot fan at 35.  I grew up on his music living in Oregon in the 80's.  Always liked his music.  Saw him some years back at the Brady Theatre in Tulsa which is a 1920's era building that barely needs a sound system for good acoustical shows. +1 for the Old Lady on Brady!!!!!

You in Tulsa?  I am from there but in Iraq at the moment.  Used to hang out with the stage manager of the Brady.  

Quoted: You in Tulsa?  I am from there but in Iraq at the moment.  Used to hang out with the stage manager of the Brady.

I'm pretty close.....I work in Owasso and live in Skiatook.

Quoted: Quoted: You in Tulsa?  I am from there but in Iraq at the moment.  Used to hang out with the stage manager of the Brady.   I'm pretty close.....I work in Owasso and live in Skiatook.

Too coool.  I was living on Riverside, but am storing everything at my Fiance's place on Keystone lake til I get back.  Just good to hear from people from my part of the state.

To avoid furthering the hijack, check your IM's CitizenSoldier

Awesome song..

The entire album "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" was on is incredible.   Gordon Lightfoot's "Summertime Dream".

Lightfoot's great..."Sundown" is another great song by him..

I can remember that day, I was still in Wisconsin and it was in the news there.

Did you see the Discovery Channel (or TLC) special on her?  When they recovered the Fitzgerald’s bell and rang it at the Memorial Service I about choked.

Quoted: Every year on the anniversary of the sinking, I have to play the song.

This thread is either 9 months too early, or 3 months too late.

I was about 9 when it sank and it was big, big news in my 4th grade class in Minnesota.

Quoted: Quoted: Every year on the anniversary of the sinking, I have to play the song. This thread is either 9 months too early, or 3 months too late.

+1

For a Canadian lib he wrote good music!

Quoted: I was about 9 when it sank and it was big, big news in my 4th grade class in Minnesota.

I was almost 15.  It was big news here in northern Ohio, as well.

I told that boatswains mate that a cork waasn't going to work.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Every year on the anniversary of the sinking, I have to play the song. This thread is either 9 months too early, or 3 months too late. +1 For a Canadian lib he wrote good music!

Some friends of mine and I were walking by the Fox Theatre in Detroit, and I saw he was playing. My friends didn't know who he was. I was aghast that life long residents of MI didn't know. I pointed out that the bell wasn't far from where we were.

Quoted: I told that boatswains mate that a cork waasn't going to work.

Ain't a cork big enough when a main hatchway caves in.

Quoted: Hadnt heard it in a long time so I downloaded it from itunes.

That must've taken most of the day.

Great tune.

Quoted: Great tune.

.......speaking of Canadians.....

Quoted: I can remember that day, I was still in Wisconsin and it was in the news there. Did you see the Discovery Channel (or TLC) special on her?  When they recovered the Fitzgerald’s bell and rang it at the Memorial Service I about choked.

I saw that program and had the same reaction.  

I keep lurking around those channels hoping to catch it again.

Quoted: Quoted: Great tune. .......speaking of Canadians.....

Sure enough...that has no bearing on my like for the tune though!  

Quoted: Quoted: Hadnt heard it in a long time so I downloaded it from itunes. That must've taken most of the day.

no, about 30 seconds like they always do.

The song is cool, very much so .

But not that accurate overall.  Some is right some is not .   I don't mean to leave that hangibg , but It is true.

+1 on that being a great song. I always liked it.

My step brother in law was in the Merchant Marines for a number of years on ocean going freighters. He once told me that he and his shipmates used to make fun of Great Lakes sailors, like it was minor league compared to the major leagues that he was in.

He told me the first time he sailed on Lake Superior was the last time he made fun of Great Lakes sailors.

He told me the first time he sailed on Lake Superior was the last time he made fun of Great Lakes sailors.

yeah they believe the ship was simply swamped over with a giant wave, they did a computer animated thing about how it happened and it looks scary.

Quoted: That song irritates the shit out of me! There is no verse verse chorus or any kind of structure to it. Its just DA DA DA DA DA...DA DA DA DA DA DA...DA DA DA DA..DA DA DA... DA DA DA! DA DA DA DA DA...DA DA DA DA DA DA...DA DA DA DA..DA DA DA... DA DA DA! DA DA DA DA DA...DA DA DA DA DA DA...DA DA DA DA..DA DA DA... DA DA DA! DA DA DA DA DA...DA DA DA DA DA DA...DA DA DA DA..DA DA DA... DA DA DA! And over and over and over Then the same little instrumental thing from the beginning takes it out. BORING! ETA I may have one too many DA's in there but you get my drift.

I have to agree with you on this.

Personally I didn't want to say that the song lacked any melodic merit for fear of being a insensitive douche.

But the song is the same 4-5 bars played over and over again without a chorus.

I'm not sure why this song is such a hit.

However, if you want the thoughts from an insensitive douche, it's because bashing the song would be taboo. Much like bashing any song that is a tribute to 9\11 or a patriotic toby keith song.

it's a song where the words have some meaning that has something to do with it in my opinion.

Quoted: The song is cool, very much so . But not that accurate overall.  Some is right some is not .   I don't mean to leave that hangibg , but It is true.

You have to remember Lightfoot made this song a LONG time before any serious investigation on the actual wreck was done.  I think most of what he sings is made up or based on theories.

I think the song demonstrates the power of a simple melody.  Yeah, it's repetitive and not very creative, but it still grabs you and makes you want to listen to it.  It's one of the very few songs I have ever heard that I liked the first time I heard it.

Damned good song! Remember,those ships were HEAVY with iron ore for the steel factories.Amazing how manueverable those ships are,seen them go up the Rouge and Cayoga rivers.