In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed In the maritime sailors’ cathedral The church bell chimed ’til it rang twenty-nine times For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
On the hit family show “Last Man Standing,” doting dad and hard-working executive Mike Baxter, played by actor Tim Allen, once mentioned the four people who impress him most. His daughter, Eve, made the cut and came in last place.But his top three?
He said his “hierarchy” went from former president Ronald Reagan, to former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway, and to singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot.
Lightfoot, a Canada native, has long garnered the respect of Americans and people all over the world. He penned songs filled with stories of the sea, love and loss, and charting one’s own path. His music captured the attention of audiences across generations.
Titanic of the Great Lakes
On the afternoon of Nov. 9, 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a cargo ship long known for transporting a form of iron ore, set sail from a port in Superior, Wisconsin, and headed for its destination near Detroit. The National Weather Service (NWS) forecasted the ship could encounter a storm near Lake Superior during the early morning hours the following day, so Captain Ernest M. McSorley chose a route he thought would protect his men from the weather’s worst.The NWS soon updated its forecast. Now, a much stronger storm with gale force winds was expected to pass directly over Lake Superior. Captain McSorley attempted to dodge the worst of it by charting a path towards the waters off the Ontario shore. The crew encountered stormy conditions along their new route as well.
Overnight, conditions continued to worsen. For hours the Edmund Fitzgerald battled winds close to hurricane strength. The ship was believed to have faced waves up to 35 feet and rogue waves up to 55 feet. The November 1975 storm remains one of the worst Lake Superior ever experienced.
By the next afternoon, the ship began taking on water. Despite the captain and crew’s best efforts to navigate out of the storm, they never reached their destination.
Around 7 p.m., another ship that had been sailing the same course, the SS Arthur M. Anderson, radioed Captain McSorley to see how he and his men were faring. McSorley replied, “We are holding our own.” That was the last anyone heard from the cargo ship. Ten minutes later, the Arthur M. Anderson wasn’t able to get in touch with the captain, and the Edmund Fitzgerald was no longer detectable on radar. No distress signal was ever given, and some reports suggest it was because the ship sank suddenly and quickly.
There were 29 crew members on board. None survived.
The Edmund Fitzgerald had sailed the seas for many years, departing on her maiden voyage in 1958. Since then, she had garnered several nicknames including The Mighty Fitz, Pride of the American Side, and Toledo Express. After her final trip, another name was given to her to signify her fate, the Titanic of the Great Lakes.
A Midwest Anthem
Two weeks after the Edmund Fitzgerald sank, musician Gordon Lightfoot scanned the Newsweek paper to catch up on the latest headlines. An article covering the shipwreck stuck with him.
Lightfoot was no stranger to the water. He was a highly skilled sailor who often traveled the Great Lakes by boat. His nautical knowledge helped him form lyrics as a new song took shape.
Before he learned about the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, he had been playing around with an old folk melody from Ireland. This melodic style paired well with his own acoustic, folksy sound. He realized the lyrics he was working on meshed with the Irish melody.
‘Tell a Story’
As Lightfoot researched the details of the shipwreck, he gathered as much accurate information as possible. He didn’t want to commercialize the tragedy. Rather, he wanted to pay his respects. A website chronicling the history of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald states that regarding those the crew left behind, Lightfoot “is very protective of this song and the wishes of the family members.”According to the website, he wrote the song “as a commemoration to the wreck and to the men.”
An Unlikely Hit
When “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” was released late in the summer of 1976, Lightfoot didn’t think it was hit material. The composition is known as a “story song,” and the single version clocks in at almost six minutes. Rather than the tried-and-true verse, pre-chorus, chorus pattern most popular tunes follow, this track has a narrative focus. Seven verses tell the tale of the infamous ship.
“While many people believe that a song is supposed to say as much as possible in as few words as necessary, there’s no reason for that to be a rule. Proust and Hugo certainly never let word limits stop them in their novels. This song was intended to be art first and commerce second, if at all.”
Sea shanties have always been popular among sailors. For centuries, crew members sang them in unison aboard ships to keep time and foster camaraderie. In the style of traditional folk songs, Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” has all the qualities of a modern sea shanty.
The single received heavy radio airplay. It climbed all the way to No. 1 on Canada’s RPM singles chart. In America, it reached the second spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
Though he took great pains to remain as accurate as possible with the song’s story, he did take some liberties with the lyrics. For example, in the song he says the ship was headed for Cleveland, when its ultimate destination was close to Detroit. Another verse mentions the ship’s cook saying, “Fellas, it’s too rough to feed ya.” This lyric was born solely from Lightfoot’s imagination. He also continued to update the lyrics for his live performances over the years as new information became available.
For a long time, Lightfoot sang, “At 7 p.m., a main hatchway caved in, he said/ ‘Fellas, it’s been good to know ya’.”
However, when a new 2010 examination by documentary series “Dive Detectives” showed hatches were properly secured, they suggested rogue waves could be to blame for the ship’s demise. With this new information, he changed the lyrics to, “At 7 p.m. it grew dark, it was then, he said/ ‘Fellas it’s been good to know ya’.”
Lightfoot was relieved when he was able to change the lyric to highlight new evidence showing that crew error wasn’t to blame.
Keeping the Crew’s Memory Alive
“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” single was released nine months after the ship’s final voyage. After its release, Lightfoot grew close with the family members of the late crew. They remain appreciative of his ability to honor their loved ones with dignity and beauty that the song exudes.
Over the years, the singer-songwriter has invited family members to his shows and hosted them backstage. Lightfoot also attended the cargo ship’s anniversary memorial services.
With the birth of his trademark tune and a string of other hits, Lightfoot reached international fame. But he remained a serious songwriter despite his growing notoriety.
The serious nature of his songwriting can be summed up in a quote regarding the legacy of the Edmund Fitzgerald which he helped immortalize with his signature single. Before he passed in 2023, he spoke about the song’s cultural influence and the families he’s grown to care for over the years while performing the impactful piece:
“It gives me a responsibility, and I try to live up to that responsibility as much as I can.”
November 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the ship’s final voyage. As the song written in its honor continues its own journey, it’s safe to say Lightfoot bore the responsibility well.
