Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: singer-songwriter
Song Meaning of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald – Live” by Gordon Lightfoot
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is a timeless folk song by Gordon Lightfoot. The song tells the sad story of the Edmund Fitzgerald – a huge freighter that sank in Lake Superior with all 29 of its crew members on board. The song talks about the possible causes of the tragedy and unites the listener with the crew as they face their ultimate fate. It is a song of loss and longing, leaving the listener feeling empathy for the victims of this catastrophe.
The opening line “the legend lives on from the Chippewa on down” sets the tone for the song, invoking the legendary and almost mythic status of this tragedy and hinting at the possibility of a loss that will never be forgotten. Lightfoot then goes on to tell us of the Edmund Fitzgerald and its journey, with a vivid description of the winds and the waves that it faced on Lake Superior.
The chorus is haunting, as it memorializes the tragedy and speaks to the bravery of those on board the great vessel. The line “Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours” in particular speaks to the devastating power of the sea and the loneliness of those aboard the Fitzgerald as they awaited an uncertain fate.