The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald

[Swede]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzMyodfiD0U

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.


©

[opiate69]

1. Damn, Swede.. you're quickly becoming my fav poster tonight

great choices all the way 'round.

[SPKrazy]

2. You Keep Bringing Me Back In Time!

I'm going to wake up younger tomorrow!

;-)

[Quantess]

3. Gordon Lightfoot is my #1 guilty pleasure.

I know all the lyrics to Gordon Lightfoot songs, thanks to the same sister who sung "Greensleeves" while playing acoustic guitar.

It's emotional.

[SPKrazy]

4. Sundown

is my favorite

I can see her lying...


:evilgrin:

[Quantess]

5. ...there in her faded dress.

When she's doin what I'm doing what I dont confess
(Great song! Obviously I fudged on the lyrics, but I'm sure I'm close!)

[Quantess]

7. ..there in her faded jeans and she's doin' what she's doin' when she's really mean...

Oh, I don't know the song verbatim! But I do really like the song!
How do you know the wreck of the Gordon Lightfoot?

[Lasher]

8. Sundown

I can see her lyin back in her satin dress
In a room where ya do what ya dont confess
Sundown ya better take care
If I find you been creepin round my back stairs
Sundown ya better take care
If I find you been creepin round my back stairs
Shes been lookin like a queen in a sailors dream
And she dont always say what she really means
Sometimes I think its a shame
When I get feelin better when Im feelin no pain
Sometimes I think its a shame
When I get feelin better when Im feelin no pain

I can picture every move that a man could make
Getting lost in her lovin is your first mistake
Sundown ya better take care
If I find you been creepin round my back stairs
Sometimes I think its a sin
When I feel like Im winnin when Im losin again

I can see her lookin fast in her faded jeans
Shes a hard lovin woman, got me feelin mean
Sometimes I think its a shame
When I get feelin better when Im feelin no pain
Sundown ya better take care
If I find you been creepin round my back stairs
Sundown ya better take care
If I find you been creepin round my back stairs
Sometimes I think its a sin
When I feel like Im winnin when Im losin again

[ironflange]

16. This is Gord's only song to hit #1 in the US

[Manifestor_of_Light]

6. nominated

by me as the most depressing pop song I've ever heard on the radio.

[Quantess]

9. If you could read my mind, love, what a tale my thoughts could tell.

Just like...

[Quantess]

10. Just like a paperback novel,

like a ghost from a wishing well
from a castle dark, and a fortress strong,
the hero would be me, but heroes often fail

[WritingIsMyReligion]

13. Just like an old-time movie 'bout a ghost from a wishing well.

Favorite GL song. :hi:

[purji]

11. I had that song on a 45

I told my kids that ,they don't know what a 45 is.
I had to pull out an old album and explain records to them.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

12. Damn, I fucking hate that song.

:grr:

So boring.

Give me "If You Could Read My Mind, Love" or "Sundown" instead. :P

[ironflange]

14. Then you probably hate Canadian Railroad Trilogy

It's about the Canadian Pacific, but change a couple of words and it would work for the Union Pacific or whatever.

There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run
When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun
Long before the white man and long before the wheel
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
But time has no beginnings and histry has no bounds
As to this verdant country they came from all around
They sailed upon her waterways and they walked the forests tall
And they built the mines the mills and the factories for the good of us all

And when the young mans fancy was turnin to the spring
The railroad men grew restless for to hear the hammers ring
Their minds were overflowing with the visions of their day
And many a fortune lost and won and many a debt to pay

For they looked in the future and what did they see
They saw an iron road runnin from sea to the sea
Bringin the goods to a young growin land
All up through the seaports and into their hands

Look away said they across this mighty land
From the eastern shore to the western strand
Bring in the workers and bring up the rails
We gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails
Open er heart let the life blood flow
Gotta get on our way cause were movin too slow

Bring in the workers and bring up the rails
Were gonna lay down the tracks and tear up the trails
Open er heart let the life blood flow
Gotta get on our way cause were movin too slow
Get on our way cause were movin too slow

Behind the blue rockies the sun is declinin
The stars, they come stealin at the close of the day
Across the wide prairie our loved ones lie sleeping
Beyond the dark oceans in a place far away

We are the navvies who work upon the railway
Swingin our hammers in the bright blazin sun
Livin on stew and drinkin bad whiskey
Bendin our old backs til the long days are done

We are the navvies who work upon the railway
Swingin our hammers in the bright blazin sun
Layin down track and buildin the bridges
Bendin our old backs til the railroad is done

So over the mountains and over the plains
Into the muskeg and into the rain
Up the st. lawrence all the way to gaspe
Swingin our hammers and drawin our pay
Drivin em in and tyin em down
Away to the bunkhouse and into the town
A dollar a day and a place for my head
A drink to the livin and a toast to the dead

Oh the song of the future has been sung
All the battles have been won
Oer the mountain tops we stand
All the world at our command
We have opened up the soil
With our teardrops and our toil

For there was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run
When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun
Long before the white man and long before the wheel
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
And many are the dead men too silent to be real

[ironflange]

15. I just came across my old copy of Don Quixote

So I slapped it on the ol' turntable, I still love that album. Title track, Alberta Bound, Beautiful, Christian Island, so many great tracks on it. I gotta transfer it to CD for the car.