32 years ago today

“came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald as immortalized in song by Gordon Lightfoot.

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 Wisconson
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
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 words turn the minutes to hours
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd 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
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.”

“And that's why you'll never catch me trying to kayak to Isle Royale!”

“well that was underwhelming. i was expecting some announcement of some major anniversary”

“Well, it certainly is under water.

Cat gotchyer goomie, Crashie?”

“You, crak bong, are the underwhelmer. A pathetic little man you be.


Thanks, ym.
I'm no major Lightfoot fan, but that song has always been one of my faves.”

“My dad lost some high school buddies when she went down that day. He still weeps decades later when he talks about the loss. Thanks for the reminder to call him today.”

“

That's alot of wrecks!
last edited: 11/10/07 9:53:38 AM”

“Yeah, and that's just on the lake. You should see the wrecks on dry land, especially in that drunken state of Michigan:)”

“LOL @ Nimblefoot! Yeah, there are lots of wrecks in the Great Lakes. My family is orginally from Duluth, MN. My grandfather used to be a captain on one of those huge taconite (sp?)ships.”

“You did good, taconite it is. Sailing the lakes was a childhood dream. Oddly enough, I sailed a lot of seas, but never the Great Lakes.

Another topic: a friend shot an 8 point buck on my property this morning...legal too.”

“8 points. Good grief! I hope you got a steak or two out of the deal.”

“At least. I'll get mine during the week, while those weekend hunters are back at work.”

“Lightfoot wrote all kinds of good stuff ---

"If You Could Read My Mind"
"Rainy Day People"
etc.

”

“I know the son of the first mate. He had a huge argument with dad the day before he left on this trip.”

“Sundown, ya better take care
If I find you been creepin' down my back stair”