FACTOID # 156: Tax makes up half of the of Gross Domestic Product in Denmark and Sweden. In Japan and the United States, it makes up less than 30%.
 
 Home   Encyclopedia   Statistics   Countries A-Z   Flags   Maps   Education   Forum   FAQ   About 
 
WHAT'S NEW
RECENT ARTICLES
More Recent Articles »
 

FACTS & STATISTICS    Simple view

  1. Select countries to view: (hold down Control key and click to select several)

     

     

    Compare:

     

     
  1. Select fact or statistic: (* = graphable)

     

     

     

  2. (OPTIONAL) Compare to statistic: (both need to be graphable)

     

     

     

  3. View result as:

     

       
(OR) SEARCH ALL encyclopedia, stats & forums:   

Encyclopedia > The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"
"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" cover
Single by Gordon Lightfoot
from the album Summertime Dream
Released August, 1976
Format 7" 45
Recorded November, 1975
Genre Folk
Length 6:32 (Single-5:57)
Label Reprise Records
Writer Gordon Lightfoot
Producer Lenny Waronker & Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Lightfoot singles chronology
"Rainy Day People"
1975		 "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"
1976		 "Race Among the Ruins"
1976

"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is a song written and performed by Gordon Lightfoot in commemoration of the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on November 10, 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 charts in November 1976, making it Lightfoot's second most successful (in terms of chart position) single, with "Sundown" reaching number one in 1974. Image File history File linksMetadata WreckEdmundFitzgerald. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. ... Summertime Dream is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoots 12th original album, released on the Reprise Records label in 1976. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Folk music can have a number of different meanings, including: Traditional music: The original meaning of the term folk music was synonymous with the term Traditional music, also often including World Music and Roots music; the term Traditional music was given its more specific meaning to distinguish it from the... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Reprise Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group, operated through Warner Bros. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. ... Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. ... Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. ... Main article: Merchant ship A bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship used to transport unpackaged bulk cargo such as cereals, coal, ore, and cement. ... SS Edmund Fitzgerald (nicknamed Mighty Fitz, The Fitz or The Big Fitz) was a lake freighter that sank suddenly during a gale storm on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. ... For the the Quebec municipality, see Lac-Supérieur. ... is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Summertime Dream is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoots 12th original album, released on the Reprise Records label in 1976. ... Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ...

Contents

Artistic license taken

The song contains historical error. The song mentions that Fitzgerald was fully loaded and headed for Cleveland; she was in fact headed for Detroit, but was to dock in Cleveland for the rest of the winter. Lightfoot may be excused on account of artistic licence; the verse needed a trochaic foot at this point (CLEVE-land), rather than an iambic foot (De-TROIT). However, in other popular songs, "Detroit Rock City" by Kiss, for instance, Detroit has more than once been pronounced trochaically (DE-troit), which would have worked in "Wreck..." Cleveland redirects here. ... “Detroit” redirects here. ... The Death of General Wolfe (Benjamin West. ... A trochee is a metrical foot used in formal poetry. ... An iamb or iambus is a metrical foot used in various types of poetry. ...


The song refers to the Fitzgerald consistently as a ship; historical and current Great Lakes parlance refers to all Lake vessels, from the smallest dinghy to thousand-foot freighters, as "boats."


The "Maritime Sailors Cathedral" in the song is actually called "The Mariners' Church of Detroit". Mariners Church of Detroit (Free and Independent) is a congregation in the Anglican tradition but not attached to any denomination. ...


Lightfoot says the ship sailed into "the face of a hurricane west wind". The storm was, in fact, no stronger than a gale, with winds below 60 miles an hour.


The song refers to the "old cook." The cook who was supposed to be on board for the boat's fateful voyage was actually a young man, Richard Bishop, but Bishop was laid up with stomach ulcers. Therefore Robert Rafferty was enlisted to replace him. Rafferty was the "old cook" the song refers to. Bishop is considered by some as the sole survivor of the wreck.


Capt. Ernest McSorley stated over the radio, until the ship sank, that they were "holding our own." What the cook or any other crew member did or didn't say will never be known. Calling for help unless the ship was actually known to be sinking was considered verboten in the very machismo-driven Great Lakes shipping culture of the time, however, and even if Captain McSorley had been seriously worried for his charge, it would have been a severe embarrassment at the end of his long career for him to call for help. Furthermore, even if the boat had in fact called for help, it is doubtful under the actual conditions of the gale whether neighboring vessels would have been able to render any real assistance. Captain Ernest M. McSorley Ernest Michael McSorley (September 29, 1912 – November 10, 1975) was the last captain of the ill-fated Laker-type freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald. ... Mayday is an emergency code word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications, derived from the French maider, meaning help me. ... A common sign found in public places meaning Access is forbidden for those not employed here Verboten is the German equivalent of forbidden or prohibited. ...

This section does not cite any references or sources.
Please improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (tagged since June 2007)

Cultural references

Covers

  • The tune and rhyming structure were borrowed in 1984 by Christy Moore for his song, "I Wish I Were Back Home in Derry", which is itself an adaptation of Bobby Sands' poem, "The Voyage".
  • 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") is much more harsh.
  • It was covered as an 8:45 epic by the Rheostatics on 1991 on their album Melville.
  • 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.

Christopher Andrew Christy Moore (born on May 7, 1945, in Newbridge, County Kildare) is a very popular Irish folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist. ... Robert Gerard Sands (Irish: [1][2]), commonly known as Bobby Sands, (9 March 1954 – 5 May 1981), was a Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer and member of the UK parliament who died on hunger strike whilst in HM Prison Maze (also known as Long Kesh) for the possession of firearms. ... Tony Rice Tony Rice (born June 8, 1951 in Danville, Virginia) is an influential bluegrass guitarist. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Come On Feel The Dandy Warhols is a b-sides compilation by American alternative rock band The Dandy Warhols. ... The Black Album was originally recorded in 1995 by The Dandy Warhols. ... Rheostatics are a Canadian indie rock band. ... Melville is a 1991 album by Rheostatics. ... Michael Angelo Batio (IPA: ) is an American instrumental rock/heavy metal guitarist and columnist from Chicago, Illinois. ...

Parodies

  • Paul Gross intended to use the song for the Due South crazy episode Mountie on the Bounty; Lightfoot granted permission on the condition the families of the sailors agree. Reluctant to cause the families additional pain, Gross and Jay Semko instead wrote "32 Down on the Robert Mackenzie" for the episode.[1]
  • The producers of The Simpsons originally wanted Homer to sing "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" in the episode "Radio Bart" as opposed to the song "Convoy", which was used in the final version. In the DVD Commentary for the episode, Matt Groening said the reason the song was not used was because Lightfoot had made it so that in order to clear the song, they would have to get okays from the families of all 29 victims who died on the ship.
  • 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 and everyone was okay/ They went out to lunch and felt better."

Paul Michael Gross (born 30 April 1959), is a Canadian actor, producer, director, singer and writer born in Calgary, Alberta. ... Due South is an award winning Canadian television police drama created by Paul Haggis and produced by Alliance Communications (now part of Alliance Atlantis), first aired in 1994. ... Jay Semko, from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, produced the theme music to Due South. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Radio Bart is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons third season. ... Convoy is a 1975 novelty song performed by C.W. McCall (pseudonym of Bill Fries) that became a number-one hit in the USA and helped start a worldwide craze for citizens band (CB) radio. ... Matthew Abram Groening (born February 15, 1954[2] in Portland, Oregon;[1] his family name is pronounced , rhymes with raining) is an Emmy Award-winning American cartoonist and the creator of The Simpsons, Futurama and the weekly comic strip Life in Hell. ... The Capitol Steps are a popular American political satire group. ... Walter Frederick Fritz Mondale (born January 5, 1928) is an American politician and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (largely established by former Vice President Hubert Humphrey). ... Camille West is a satirical folk singer/songwriter. ... In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... The Four Bitchin Babes lineup as of 2006. ... Gorgo is a 1961 British science fiction variation on Godzilla (with hints of King Kong). ... Mystery Science Theater 3000, often abbreviated MST3K, is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc. ...

In the media

  • Comedian Richard Jeni referenced the song in his standup monologues, insisting that the sad lyrics are 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".
  • In the Seinfeld episode The Andrea Doria, Jerry and Elaine discuss the song. Elaine believes that Edmund Fitzgerald wrote the song and that Gordon Lightfoot was the ship that sunk. Jerry sarcastically responds that perhaps "it was driven by the Cat Stevens" (another folk singer of the 1970s).
  • Minnesota radio personality Tommy 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 the commentary for the third season DVDs of The Simpsons on the episode entitled "Radio Bart", the show's producers claim that the tune used to advertise the prank microphone, "Convoy" was meant to be "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," but that due to the fact that Gordon Lightfoot willed the rights and royalties of the song to the survivors of the accident in question, its use presented a logistical impossibility of gathering permission from so many sources.

Richard John Colangelo (April 14, 1957[1] – March 10, 2007), better known by the stage name of Richard Jeni,[2] was an American stand-up comedian and actor. ... High Fidelity is a 2000 film directed by Stephen Frears, starring John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Jack Black, Todd Louiso, Tim Robbins, Lisa Bonet, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Joan Cusack, Joelle Carter, and Lili Taylor. ... Todd Louiso (born 1970 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American film actor best known for his role as timid record store clerk Dick in High Fidelity, opposite Jack Black and John Cusack. ... The Andrea Doria is the 144th episode of the hit sitcom Seinfeld. ... Yusuf Islam[2] (born Steven Demetre Georgiou on 21 July 1948 in London), who was known as Cat Stevens from 1966 to 1978, is an English musician, singer-songwriter, educator, philanthropist and prominent convert to Islam. ... Mischke at work Tom T.D. Mischke (born September 19, 1962) is a radio talk show host at the St. ... The Atlantic redirects here; for the ocean, see Atlantic Ocean. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Radio Bart is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons third season. ... Convoy is a 1975 novelty song performed by C.W. McCall (pseudonym of Bill Fries) that became a number-one hit in the USA and helped start a worldwide craze for citizens band (CB) radio. ...

References

  1. ^ http://www.paulgross.org/music.htm

External links

Gordon Lightfoot discography
Main albums: Lightfoot! (1966) | The Way I Feel (1967) | Did She Mention My Name (1968) | Back Here on Earth (1968) | Sunday Concert (1969) | Sit Down Young Stranger (1970) | Summer Side of Life (1971) | Don Quixote (1972) | Old Dan's Records (1972) | Sundown (1974) | Cold on the Shoulder (1975) | Summertime Dream (1976) | Endless Wire (1978) | Dream Street Rose (1980) | Shadows (1982) | Salute (1983) | East of Midnight (1986) | Waiting for You (1993) | A Painter Passing Through (1998) | Harmony (2004)
Main Compilations: Gord's Gold (1975) | Gord's Gold, Vol. 2 (1988) | Songbook (1999) | Complete Greatest Hits (2002)
Notable Singles: "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" (1967) | "If You Could Read My Mind" (1970) | "Sundown" (1974) | "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (1976)

  Results from FactBites:
 
Gordon Lightfoot - The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald (941 words)
9 KB The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald 2
48 KB The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald 3
58 KB The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald 4
SS Edmund Fitzgerald - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2285 words)
SS Edmund Fitzgerald was a lake freighter that sank suddenly during a gale storm on November 10, 1975, while on Lake Superior.
As per the investigation, it was theorized that the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was badly battered by the first two waves, further damaging the dual radar (which shared a common antenna) and the hatch covers.
The concerto The Edmund Fitzgerald, written by American composer Geoffrey Peterson [2] in 2002, was premiered by the Sault Symphony Orchestra in Sault Ste.
  More results at FactBites »


 

COMMENTARY     


Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here
Your name
Your comments
Please enter the 5-letter protection code

Want to know more?
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:
 


Lesson Plans | Student Area | Student FAQ | Reviews | Press Releases |  Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.