Anatomy of a Song: "Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald" Quiz

Answer: Lake Superior

The tragedy occurred on 10 November, 1975.

"The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call 'Gitche Gumee'
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early"

Answer: Gitche Gumee

"The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called 'Gitche Gumee'
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy"

Answer: Iron Ore

"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
When the gales of November came early"

According to www.songfacts.com: "This (song) was nominated for the "Song Of The Year" Grammy, but it was beaten by Barry Manilow's "I Write The Songs".

Answer: 26,000 tons

"With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty"

According to www.songfacts.com: "On a sunny afternoon on the 9th of November, the 729 foot Edmund Fitzgerald left Superior, Wisconsin, heavy with 26,918 long tons of iron ore (taconite) pellets".

There! Just so you can't say you didn't know!

Answer: Wisconsin

"The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin"

Answer: Cleveland

"Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland"

There is some debate about Cleveland. According to www.songfacts.com: "...although the Fitz was indeed leaving with iron ore pellets from Superior, Wisconsin, it was headed to Detroit, not Cleveland" ... "She was bound for the steel mills of Zug island, just off Detroit".

Answer: North and West

It's North and West:

"And later that night when the ship's bell rang
Could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?"

and

"When afternoon came it was freezin' rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind"

Answer: November

"When the skies of November turn gloomy"

"When the gales of November came slashin'"

"'Twas the witch of November come stealin'"

"With the gales of November remembered"

and

"Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early"

Answer: cook

"When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'
Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya
At seven p.m. a main hatchway caved in, he said
Fellas, it's been good to know ya"

Answer: He had water coming in

"The captain wired in he had water comin' in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went outta sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"

Answer: Whitefish Bay

"The searches all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her"

Answer: Fifteen

"Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours
The searches all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her"

Answer: Detroit

"In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
In the maritime sailors' cathedral"

According to www.songfacts.com: "...the story about the church in Detroit is true, but it is called the Old Mariner's Church, not the "Maritime Sailor's Cathedral"

Answer: Ernest McSorely

It was Captain Ernest McSorely. As for the other names listed here, Eugene O'Brien was the Wheelsman, Ransom Cundy was the Watchman and Robert Rafferty was a Steward.

Answer: Twenty-nine

"The church bell chimed till it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald"

"In the US, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" was held out of the #1 spot by Rod Stewart's "Tonight's The Night". Enough said...