The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - 10 Nov 1975

That's really weird. That song came up on my Spotify (I "liked" it like 10 years ago) today for the first time in a while. 

For some reason when I was a kid I knew every word to the Canadian Railroad Trilogy, and I still do sometimes but i have forgotten a lot of it. used to sing it to myself to go to sleep.

Sundown made it on the charts in the USA when it was very rare to hear any Canadian music.

Still one of my favourites 

Going to put Gord on when I do chores tomorrow morning. 

"And I'm stuck here on the ground, as cold and drunk as I can be"

Pretty good songwriter, all things considered.

I've had an earworm I can't get rid of for 2 days now.  Thanks GRM.

Keith Tanner said:

You know, I only know OF the song. Can't say I've ever listened to the lyrics. I know its melody and changes from a jazz cover by the Shuffle Demons. 

Now I'm off to the googles to hear a jazz cover of Gordon

I really miss the classic ballad... not as in "slow song," but the story song.

Jim Croce
Gordon Lightfoot
Cat Stevens
Marty Robbins
Joni Mitchell

There are some modern balladeers that I've heard, but they're not the norm anymore.  Nothing beats a stunning piece of story poetry set to folksy music.

I remember a comedian (Richard Jenni IIRC) who said that whenever people were lingering too long at a party, he'd put on that song and suddenly everyone was like "Oh gee, look at the time. It's getting late, I gotta run." 

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

Two albums you'd likely enjoy: 

Tony Rice sings Gordon Lightfoot. Not jazzy, but some superb guitar

Jerry Reed sings Jim Croce. Some of the guitar licks in this are jazzy, groovy, funky, like only Jerry Reed can do. You think it is country/country rock until you listen specifically for Jerry's guitar. 

Carefree highway was great this morning. 

In reply to mtn :

Thanks!

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

I really miss the classic ballad... not as in "slow song," but the story song.

Jim Croce
Gordon Lightfoot
Cat Stevens
Marty Robbins
Joni Mitchell

There are some modern balladeers that I've heard, but they're not the norm anymore.  Nothing beats a stunning piece of story poetry set to folksy music.

You know, I've been wondering what's been missing for so long from even modern folk music, and why the originals seem unparalleled in how all their songs have such soul. Maybe that lack of a tale, or as Harry Chapin sang "The capturing of Folk tales, is the way to write a song", is what's been missing. 

I had listened to it again on the anniversary, and Gordy has some ability in the first 15 seconds, to make my hair stand on end with that guitar's cry more than most metal bands today can do in an entire song. This whole song is like, what you feel when you're walking up to your father's grave over a decade after he's been gone.

Maybe my favorite.

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

Part 1

Part 2

You might really like him, look for live recordings to get the stories. Some have oddly gone missing from YouTube in recent months, like the full story of Play a Train Song, but he was telling new stories last night that haven't made it online yet either. 

Gordon Lightfoot was both a sailor and sailboat racer so he knew a bit about the Great Lakes and storms. One of his boats was named Sundown but he also had a a cold molded cedar strip boat which was cutting edge technology in the late 70's named Golden Goose. Boat was completely wood including a laminated wood mast. He said he was sold on the boat because of how quiet it was both sailing and at the dock.