This is the 35th anniversary of the event that inspired this song
A beautiful song albeit about something very sad. raises a glass
This is gonna set some kind of record for merged threads.
This is one of my favorite songs to play when It’s 3AM and I want my friends to go home so I can go to bed. You would be amazed at how quickly they clear out.
If this song fails then I have no choice but to bring out Shatner’s version of Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.
That’s about the disaster – this is about the song. I’m going to leave them both open and unmerged, and just ask that people post in the appropriate thread according to what they’re interested in.
Thanks,
twickster, Cafe Society and MPSIMS mod
what is it about the tune that makes it stand out the way it does? is it a minor key, or an unusual opening chord progression?
I think it’s a combination of the key it’s in (my uneducated ears say, yes it is in a minor key) and Mr. Lightfoot’s deep, mournful voice. As a kid, though I never really put the lyrics together, I knew it was a bout something tragic and in fact it scared me a little. It’s not a *great *song, imo, but it certainly is an evocative one.
It is old-fashioned minstrelsy; using a song to commemorate an event in the news. The tragedy would have been almost totally forgotten without the song, and that would have been sadder still.
It’s a true sea shanty (even though it was composed rather than evolving naturally), and they’re almost always extremely simple, catchy folk melodies. 3/4 time (waltz), like many such. And he does it well.
That electric guitar, striving to sound like a bagpipe.
Lines like ‘That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed/when the gales of November came early’,
‘And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters.’,
‘When supper time came the old cook came on deck
Saying fellows it’s too rough to feed ya
At 7PM a main hatchway caved in
He said fellas it’s been good to know ya.’ - Christ, I’m tearing up just reading the lyrics.
A fantastic piece of songwriting.
That’s exactly what caught my attention, of course - I wonder if it could be transposed to the pipes? Must get the sheet music and take a look…
“Does anyone know/where the love of God goes/when the waves turn the minutes to hours?”
Chills me to the bone!
I’ll raise a glass around 7:30 tonight.
Having been involved in a failed rescue attempt and nearly drowned myself on Lake Michigan this past summer, this song is hitting me harder than in previous years.
Mr. Athena just tried, he said there’s a couple missing notes no matter what key he tries.
I love Gordon and did several of his songs when I was playing full time. I got requests for this one but it seemed to long a dreary to me. I created a Readers Digest 300 song condensed music album and explained to the audience how honored I was to be on it doing this song.
Then I played the recognizable chord progression through a couple of times and sang
There was a boat on a lake and it sank and everybody died and that’s the end of the story.
My sister heard the song and afterwards was terrified of Lake Superior. Fortunately we didn’t live near it but just went to that region every few years on vacation.
A very moving tribute video using the song plus real news footage and film of the actual ship.
She went down right about now.
I raise my glass to all the men and women who sail the waters of this blue planet. May Poseidon grant you smooth passage over the deeps, and Saints Elmo, Nicolas and Brendan carry you safe to shore.
As a kid, when I heard this song, I always assumed it was about an event that happened at least 100 years ago. I was very surprised when I finally learned just how recently it happened. I suspect this is true for many other people as well.
Men have died for less, and the killer found not guilty.