The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is a song that was written, composed, and performed by Canadian Gordon Lightfoot in commemoration of the sinking of the bulk carrier S.S. 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 single reached #2 on the Billboard pop chart in November 1976, making it Lightfoot's second most successful single (in terms of chart position), following "Sundown," which reached number one in 1974. "Wreck" peaked at number 40 in the UK Singles Chart.

One unusual aspect of the song is that it is written in Dorian mode.

Artistic license

The song contains a few artistic omissions and paraphrases.

• Historically, the Fitzgerald was headed for Detroit, but was to dock in Cleveland for the rest of the winter - the song only states that the Fitzgerald was fully loaded and headed for Cleveland.
• Lightfoot refers to "The Mariners' Church of Detroit" as "The Maritime Sailors' Cathedral" in the lyrics.
• 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; however, it is customary for folk music to include artistic renderings of a crew's final moments or speech, especially if unknown. As well, it is doubtful, under the actual conditions of the gale, whether neighbouring vessels would have been able to render any real assistance if the ship was heard calling for help, or if they managed to send out an SOS at all.
• Lightfoot says that the bell was rung 29 times, once for each crew member aboard the ship. Internet sources often incorrectly claim that the bell was also rung once more in honour of those who had lost their lives at sea, for a total of 30 times rung. Reverend Ingalls of the Mariners' Church of Detroit, Michigan tolled the bell 29 times, not 30 times. The practice of tolling a bell a 30th time for all lives lost at sea started in November 10 memorial services following 1975.

Chart performance

Chart (1976)	Peak position
Canadian RPM Top Singles	1
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks	1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	2
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	9
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	50

Cultural references

Covers

• The tune and rhyming structure were used in the Irish folk song "Back Home in Derry", words by Bobby Sands, a version of which was done in 1984 by Christy Moore.
• It was covered as an 8:45 epic by the Rheostatics in 1991 on their album Melville and then later included on the live album Double Live.
• The song was covered by Tony Rice on his album Church Street Blues.
• The song was covered twice by The Dandy Warhols, on their albums Come On Feel The Dandy Warhols and The Black Album. The version on Come On Feel is very similar in style to the original, whereas the version on The Black Album (simply titled "The Wreck") has more of a psychedelic rock feel to it. Courtney Taylor-Taylor, the Dandy Warhols' lead singer, was the cousin of Michael E. Armagost, Third Mate on the Fitzgerald, who, of course, drowned during the sinking of the boat.
• Michael Angelo (not to be confused with Michael Angelo Batio) covered it in a 7:15 long acoustic version recorded live at The Depot, in Minneapolis. It was released on the album Michael Angelo Live: The Crossings of Mackinaw. "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is the second song on the CD.
• Texas country artist Brian Burns covered the song on his album Heavy Weather. This version includes a recreation of the annual Mariners' Church memorial, with all 29 crew member names being read as a bell is tolled.
• Heavy metal band Jag Panzer recorded a cover of this song and released it as a 7" vinyl limited to 500 copies that was sold exclusively at festivals and through the band and Century Media. It was also available as a free download on their homepage. To date it has not appeared on any of their other albums and is not currently available for download on the band's website.
• The Canadian band The Tragically Hip covered the song during their encore performance of a show in Cleveland. It has not been released in any of their albums, but the song can be found on-line, as fans bootlegged the live performance, and it has been made available for download on various sites.
• Electric violinist and vocalist Nash the Slash recorded the song for his 2008 covers release, In-A-Gadda-Da-Nash.
• Laura Cantrell performs the song on her 2008 covers album Trains and Boats and Planes.
• Canadian band Clay covered the song on their full album debut Marigold and Zenia.
• Paul Gross intended to use the song for the Due South episode Mountie on the Bounty; Lightfoot granted permission on the condition the families of the sailors agree. But reluctant to cause the families additional pain, Gross and Jay Semko instead wrote and composed "32 Down on the Robert Mackenzie" for the episode.
• Julia Ecklar created a version, found on Minus Ten and Counting, about the Apollo 13 Lunar mission, titled Ballad of Apollo XIII.

Parodies

• The musical political satire group The Capitol Steps recorded a parody called "The Wreck of the Walter Fritz Mondale" following the 1984 election. The song appeared on their first album.
• Camille West wrote a parody of the song, The Nervous Wreck of Edna Fitzgerald, which appears on Four Bitchin' Babes's album "Gabby Road."
• The Gorgo episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" features a scene where a ship survives a terrible storm (against all reason). Crow references the song with his lyric "They got into port / Everyone was okay / They went out and had lunch and felt better." During a scene in which the ship is being tossed about, Crow also complains, "Yeah, it's rough, but is it really too rough to feed us?"
• Boston radio station WROR-FM/105.7 featured "The Rectum of Edmund Fitzgerald" as a "Tom's Townie Tune" by Tom Doyle.
• Comedian Tim Hawkins reduces the song to one verse because of its length as originally written and composed.
• Comedian singer John Valby performs a parody of the song on the 1994 album "Double D CD." The tune has strong adult lyrics.

In the media

• Comedian Richard Jeni used to reference the song in his standup monologues, insisting that the sad lyrics were useful for getting party guests who have overstayed their welcome to go home.
• In the movie High Fidelity, the character Dick (Todd Louiso) puts the song in the number five spot of the list "Top 5 songs about death. A Laura's Dad tribute list." Aspiring musician Barry (Jack Black) remarks "that song is so good, it should have been mine!"
• In the Seinfeld episode "The 'Andrea Doria'" Jerry and George are discussing the Andrea Doria before Elaine interposes with the erroneous belief that the song is written about the sinking of the Andrea Doria. After being corrected she goes on to say she loves Edmund Fitzgerald's voice and that Gordon Lightfoot was the ship that sunk. Jerry sarcastically responds that perhaps "it was rammed by the Cat Stevens," another folk singer of the 1970s.
• Radio talk show host T.D. Mischke had an interview with an expert on the tragedy, but opted to sing his questions to the tune of the song. This was done without any warning to the person interviewed, who nonetheless answered back in a straightforward manner. Details of his interview made national media, including The Atlantic Monthly.
• On alternative rock band Weezer's sixth album "The Red Album," the song is referenced in "Heart Songs."
• In "Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs" (1997), a book based on a survey the columnist ran, the song earns this entry: "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," by Gordon Lightfoot—Talk about your party tunes! Just put this song on the stereo and crank up the volume; then sit back and watch as your guests suddenly realize it's time to leave! Survey participant Jennifer Loehlin, speaking for many, gave this reason for selecting this song as the worst ever: "Because it features, in addition to general sappiness and bad rhymes, the immortal line, 'As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most.'"
• Bean from Kevin and Bean is obsessed with the song, which he mentions whenever he can and plays on the anniversary of the wreck.
• Boston Bruins' flamboyant play-by-play announcer Jack Edwards noted in the final seconds of the April 26, 2010 NHL playoff series clinching victory over the Buffalo Sabres "... the Sabres' hopes sleep with the Edmund Fitzgerald at the bottom of Gitche Gumee."

See also

• Canadian rock
• Music of Canada