RIP Gordon Lightfoot

[Uncle Rico]

What a songwriter

[The Sultan]

Sundown you better take care.

[Herman Cain]

Had listened to a lot of his songs recently

The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald was a classic

[21Jumpstreet]

Had listened to a lot of his songs recently

The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald was a classic

Used to drink $.80 Busch Light Drafts and listen to this on the jukebox at Listwan's back in the day. Good memories

[tower912]

An old Irish melody.   Also used for 'Back Home in Derry'.

[Lennys Tap]

Sundown you better take care.

Song was about Cathy Smith, a famous groupie of sorts back in the day. She was in the bungalow with Belushi the day he died - may have been the one who concocted the 8 ball that killed him.

[Uncle Rico]

Song was about Cathy Smith, a famous groupie of sorts back in the day. She was in the bungalow with Belushi the day he died - may have been the one who concocted the 8 ball that killed him.

She went to jail for it

[lawdog77]

She went to jail for it

And then deported, and now dead

[Scoop Snoop]

Had listened to a lot of his songs recently

The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald was a classic

I thought it was a nice tribute, but I knew well a guy who worked in the Great Lakes shipping business at the time. He said the families of the men from the Fitzgerald were very upset about the song.

[Uncle Rico]

I thought it was a nice tribute, but I knew well a guy who worked in the Great Lakes shipping business at the time. He said the families of the men from the Fitzgerald were very upset about the song.

I believe he gave proceeds to the families from the song

[Scoop Snoop]

I believe he gave proceeds to the families from the song

If so, glad to hear that. I was simply passing along what I heard from a guy in a position to know that there were families upset about the song.

[Uncle Rico]

If so, glad to hear that. I was simply passing along what I heard from a guy in a position to know that there were families upset about the song.

I can see that and it would be difficult to hear that song

In some ways, profiting off the tragedy in song is questionable, though based on his songwriting, it certainly wasn't meant to be

[Scoop Snoop]

I can see that and it would be difficult to hear that song

In some ways, profiting off the tragedy in song is questionable, though based on his songwriting, it certainly wasn't meant to be

I think you nailed it. Lightfoot, I would guess, was probably surprised by the reaction.

My source worked on a number of Great Lake ships as an engineer involved with maintenance and repairs and was on the Fitzgerald a number of times, so I'm sure it hit him hard also, but light years away from level of the families' grief.

[The Sultan]

The line between "profiting off a tragedy" and "using art to tell a story" is a thin one I guess.  Because there are countless examples of the latter that have not been described as the former.

[Scoop Snoop]

The line between "profiting off a tragedy" and "using art to tell a story" is a thin one I guess.  Because there are countless examples of the latter that have not been described as the former.

Just going from memory, but what I heard was that what the families found objectionable primarily was hearing the popular song being played on the radio. I do not recall objections about the profits, but that does not mean that was not also objectionable.

[The Sultan]

Maybe because it was released so soon after the tragedy. The ship sank in November 1975 and the song hit the airwaves in the summer of 1976.

[MU1in77]

I sure hope when he meets Ann in the after-life that he recalls her face.

[Sir Lawrence]

An old Irish melody.   Also used for 'Back Home in Derry'.

I know "Back Home in Derry" uses the same melody, but are you saying that Lightfoot copied an Irish melody?  If so, please share.  Not challenging, just curious.  By the way, "Say Nothing" is a fabulous book about the troubles if you want a fresh easy read on the subject.

[tower912]

I know "Back Home in Derry" uses the same melody, but are you saying that Lightfoot copied an Irish melody?  If so, please share.  Not challenging, just curious.  By the way, "Say Nothing" is a fabulous book about the troubles if you want a fresh easy read on the subject.

https://secondhandsongs.com/topic/77094?offset=0#m211951

Mr. Lightfoot claims it is.

https://www.awesomemitten.com/edmund-fitzgerald-song/

[Sir Lawrence]

Thank you tower.