WRECK OF THE EDMUND FITZGERALD
“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” is a song written, composed, and performed by
Gordon Lightfoot in commemoration of the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund
Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. It was inspired by the Newsweek
article on the event, “The Cruelest Month,” which appeared in the issue of November 24,
1975. The song originally appeared on Lightfoot’s 1976 album, “Summertime Dream”,
and was later released as a single.
The song contains a few historical and stylistic errors. These may all be attributed to
artistic licenses that Lightfoot took in writing the lyrics. The song mentions that
Fitzgerald was fully loaded and headed for Cleveland; she was in fact headed for Detroit,
but was to dock in Cleveland for the rest of the winter. The song refers to the Fitzgerald
consistently as a ship; historical and current Great Lakes parlance refers to all Lake
vessels, from the smallest dinghy to thousand-foot freighters such as the Fitzgerald was,
as “boats.” “The “Maritime Sailors Cathedral” Lightfoot refers to in the song is actually
called “The Mariners‘ Church of Detroit.” Capt. Ernest McSorley stated over the radio,
until the boat sank, that they were “holding our own.” What the cook or any other crew
member did or did not say will never be known. Calling for help, unless the boat was
actually known to be sinking, was considered verboten in the very machismo-driven
Great Lakes shipping culture of the middle 1970s. Furthermore, even if the boat had in
fact called for help, it is doubtful, under the actual conditions of the gale, whether
neighboring vessels would have been able to render any real assistance.
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called Gitchee 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 Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good 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 ship’s bell rang
Could it be the north wind they’d been feelin’
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