40 years ago: "They'd have made Whitefish Bay if they'd put 15 more miles behind her.."

[Geoff_M]

We came over "The Bridge" yesterday and the white caps were rolling. That's only Lake Michigan, Lake Superior can be so much more fierce.

When we go to Houghton, it's always fascinating to contrast the conditions on Michigan and Superior. Some days we see large white caps on Michigan along US-2 and calm on Superior when we later roll into Munising, or vice-versa. The temperature contrasts can also be rather dramatic... but I'm probably not telling you anything you didn't already know!

 

[hereyago]

I was 7 at the time, but when GL came out with the song ,I remember hearing it all the time, it is very sad and haunting when I hear the song or see something on tv.

Any sort of ship going down, I get really upset, but I love to cruise, its odd.

 

[RedAngie]

I wasn't aware of this until about 10 years ago, perhaps the 30th anniversary of the sinking. I might have heard the song before then, but it didn't register with me.

 

[ReneeA]

I grew up in northern Michigan, in a teeny, tiny town close to Lake Huron. All the men that didn't leave town sailed for a living. It was a tragedy that defined the Great Lakes sailors, and I'm sure since they all still have to be on the boats this time of year sits in the forefront off their minds.

Such a sad song when you know the story behind it...

 

[kirstenb1]

This song came out when I was 9. At that age, I usually didn't listen to lyrics much, just the music. Both the music and lyrics are very beautiful. Really nice tribute to those who lost their lives.

 

[NewRVLady]

It was a HUGE hit on the radio-I was in my 20's
Love love anything by Gordon Lightfoot

 

[Squirlz]

The song came out over 10 years before I moved to Michigan. I had always thought it was something that happened a long long time ago before then.

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

DSis went to a Gordon Lightfoot concert just last weekend. She was so saddened by how old and frail he seemed.....

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I grew up in northern Michigan, in a teeny, tiny town close to Lake Huron. All the men that didn't leave town sailed for a living. It was a tragedy that defined the Great Lakes sailors, and I'm sure since they all still have to be on the boats this time of year sits in the forefront off their minds.

Such a sad song when you know the story behind it...

Not the Great Lakes, but my grandpa grew up on the Firth of Forth in Scotland. He said in his youth it wasn't unusual for a boat to go out & just never return with nobody ever finding out what happened. I just could t even imagine.

 

[georgina]

So that's why the local radio station was playing shipwreck songs today. I grew up in Cleveland and remember when it happened. Such a sad and shocking thing to me at the time. DH had family in shipbuilding in Wisconsin and we've taken the car ferry across Lake Michigan a few times in the summer. Those lakes are big!

I needed to cheer myself up, so here are some lyrics from Stan Rogers' Mary Ellen Carter -

And you, to whom adversity has dealt the final blow
With smiling b**tards lying to you everywhere you go
Turn to, and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain
And like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again.

Rise again, rise again - though your heart it be broken
And life about to end
No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend.
Like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again.