Lyric Changes For Song “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald”

November 10th, 1975, forty years ago today, The Freighter Edmund Fitzgerald, sank in Lake Superior, during a terrible storm, killing all 29 men aboard the ship.

One year after the shipwreck, singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, released a song entitled, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." The terrible accident was blamed on "The Witch of November," when the seasons shift towards winter, it creates hazardous conditions for anyone traveling the seas of The Great Lakes.

Gordon's song went number 1 in Canada, and reached number 2 in the United States. The album went platinuum in both countries. He showed his appreciation for the songs success by setting up a scholarship fund, which is still active today, for the maritime students at Northwestern Michigan College.

The GRAMMYS/Youtube

Gordon Lightfoots 1976 Hit, included a verse that said:

At 7 pm, a main hatchway caved in. He said, "fellas, it's been good to know ya."

Gordon Lightfoot changed the lyrics after a canadian documentary claimed to prove that it wasn't the hatchway's that caused the problem. It was supposedly a huge, powerful wave that caused the wreck.

Gordon since has changed the lyrics in his live performances to:

"At 7 pm it grew dark, it was then he said, "Fellas, it's been to know ya."

The film, "Edmund Fitzgerald," aired on the premiere episode of "Dive Detectives" on the History Channel.

concertkid/ Youtube

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