the wreck of the edmund fitzgerald

the legend lives on from the chippewa on down

of the big lake they call gitche gumee

the lake

it is said

never gives up her dead

when the skies of november turn gloomy

with a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more

than the edmund fitzgerald weighed empty

that good ship and true was a bone to be chewed

that good ship and crew was a bone to be chewed

when the gales of november came early

the ship was the pride of the american side

coming back from some mill in wisconsin

as the big freighters go

it was bigger than most

with a crew and good captain well seasoned

concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms

when they left fully loaded for cleveland

then later that night when the ship's bell rang

could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?

the wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound

when the wave broke over the railing

and every man knew

as the captain did too

'twas the witch of november come stealin'

the dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait

when the gales of november came slashin'

when afternoon came it was freezing rain

in the face of a hurricane west wind

when suppertime came

the old cook came on deck

saying

fellas