50th Anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald Sinking

[CycloneRulzzz]

Today marks 50 years since the Edmund Fitzgerald sank. Obviously most know the famous song which thankfully I got to see Gordon sing in person before he passed, but story has fascinated me as much as Titanic does.

Both were state of the art ships and manned by famous captains, but with the Edmund Fitzgerald there were no survivors so what caused it is still debated today.

Below is the song and a documentary about the ship.

 

[wxman1]

Been seeing a lot of memorials and history on the tragedy 50 years ago today. If I remember right someone on the board was up in the UP or something that evening and spoke of how crazy the storm was.

 

[Bret44]

Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours...

 

[cayin]

This one just came out. It is the best one I have seen so far. Very detailed.

 

[NWICY]

Yo mods merge this with the thread Rulzzz started. TIA.
@Angie @Mr Janny

 

[cyfan964]

The (inland) sea was angry that day my friends!!!!

 

[wxman1]

Yo mods merge this with the thread Rulzzz started. TIA.
@Angie @Mr Janny

My apologies to the GOAT @CycloneRulzzz not paying attention yet on this Monday morning.

 

[kentkel]

I loved G Lightfoot's song that commemorated this story. Here is a version of that song by an acapella group Home Free:

 

[psycln11]

Saw one of those 1000-foot Lakers coming into port in Silver Bay, MN this summer.

 

[Sigmapolis]

We just don't have lyrics like these ones in modern pop music.

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake, they called Gitche Gumee

When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'
"Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya"
At seven p.m., a main hatchway caved in, he said
"Fellas, it's been good to know ya"

Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?

Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion

The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald

Wow.

RIP to the 29 men and Mr. Lightfoot.

 

[Cyclonsin]

Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?

This is one of my all time favorite lines in any song ever written. Chilling.

 

[besserheimerphat]

I'm not saying Gordon Lightfoot sunk the Edmond Fitzgerald, just that he seems to know an AWFUL LOT about how it went down...

 

[Sigmapolis]

This is one of my all time favorite lines in any song ever written. Chilling.

I've also always found the final radio call from Capt. McSorley chilling.

Edmund Fitzgerald previously reported being in significant difficulty to the Swedish vessel Avafors: "I have a bad list, lost both radars. And am taking heavy seas over the deck. One of the worst seas I've ever been in."

However, no distress signals were sent before she sank; Captain McSorley's last (7:10 p.m.) message to Arthur M. Anderson was,

"We are holding our own."

 

[JP4CY]

We just don't have lyrics like these ones in modern pop music.

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake, they called Gitche Gumee

When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'
"Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya"
At seven p.m., a main hatchway caved in, he said
"Fellas, it's been good to know ya"

Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?

Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion

The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald

Wow.

RIP to the 29 men and Mr. Lightfoot.

One of those songs you read and you start singing/doing the tempo in your head.

 

[ruxCYtable]

I've gone through periods of borderline obsession with this wreck.

 

[Acylum]

Today marks 50 years since the Edmund Fitzgerald sank. Obviously most know the famous song which thankfully I got to see Gordon sing in person before he passed, but story has fascinated me as much as Titanic does.

Both were state of the art ships and manned by famous captains, but with the Edmund Fitzgerald there were no survivors so what caused it is still debated today.

Below is the song and a documentary about the ship.

Watched the Part Time Explorer vid this weekend. Easily the best documentary I’ve seen on the Fitz. Here’s another good one done recently with some interesting information about the song. Apparently the recording is from the first take.

 

[bawbie]

I'm not saying Gordon Lightfoot sunk the Edmond Fitzgerald, just that he seems to know an AWFUL LOT about how it went down...

The story of how he was obsessed with the wreck just after it happened and painstakingly researched every detail is really amazing. I heard (I don't know the accuracy) that he was struggling to get it into lyrics and one of his band members told him to "just tell the story like Mark Twain would", and I think that definitely comes through.

He even changed the lyrics to the "at 7PM the main hatchway gave in" line later in his life because he didn't feel it ended up being accurate.

 

[Acylum]

One of the most courageous acts I’ve ever heard of; when Capt. Jesse Cooper finally got the Arthur M. Anderson to safely, the USCG asked him to go back out into the storm to look for the Fitz. He replied if he went back out they’d be looking for two ships the next day. Then left port and went back out.

 

[ruxCYtable]

The story of how he was obsessed with the wreck just after it happened and painstakingly researched every detail is really amazing. I heard (I don't know the accuracy) that he was struggling to get it into lyrics and one of his band members told him to "just tell the story like Mark Twain would", and I think that definitely comes through.

He even changed the lyrics to the "at 7PM the main hatchway gave in" line later in his life because he didn't feel it ended up being accurate.

"At 7 p.m. it grew dark, it was then he said, fellas it's been good to know ya".

 

[NWICY]

Went up to Duluth many yrs ago for labor day did the lake drive thing 1st 2 days were gorgeous last day. Not enough clothes in your suitcase to keep you warm, waves crashing over the pier at canal park by 6 to 8 ft. The conditions the Edmond Fitzgerald went down in are hard for a land lubber like me to fathom, but I certainly believe Superior can turn that quick.