If you know Gordon Lightfoot’s name it’s likely that you also know the song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” The song chronicles the real world sinking of an ore carrier in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. The hit put an international spotlight on the tragedy and the annual noting of the sinking means the song never loses its relevance — a tough trick with a topical folk song. Lots of topical folks songs have beeen inspired by daily headlines and that’s why a lot of that genre written in the 1960′s and 1970′s no longer connects with contemporary audiences. Lightfoot’s song was inspired by an article about the wreck that was published in Newsweek. In this short news documentary Lightfoot revisits the song’s origins and reflects on his storied career…
If you grew up in Michigan, the yearly remembrance of the wreck was always accompanied by the song’s ubiquity on the radio, and in news broadcasts. I haven’t lived in Michigan for more than 20 years, but November still reminds me about Thanksgiving, my cousin Jeff’s birthday, deer season, and the Edmund Fitzgerald.
“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” can be found on Gordon Lightfoot’s 1976 album, Summertime Dream. I found this on vinyl at a nearby flea market, but if you don’t get so lucky listen to the whole record here…
Stay Awake!
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