The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald — Gordon Lightfoot
Chords and lyrics for The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot (key of A, capo 2).
Intro
[Asus2] [G6/A] [Dsus4] [D] [Dsus2] [A7sus4] [Asus2]
[G6/A] [D] [Dsus2] [A7sus4] [Asus2]
Verse 1
[Asus2]The legend lives on from the [Em]Chippewa on down of the
[G]big lake they call [D/F#]"Gitche [Asus2]Gumee"
[Asus2]The lake, it is said, never [Em]gives up her dead
when the [G]skies of [D/F#]November turn [Asus2]gloomy.
[Asus2]With a load of iron ore [Em]twenty-six thousand tons more
than the [G]Edmund Fitzgerald [D/F#]weighed [Asus2]empty.
[Asus2]That big ship and true was a [Em]bone to be chewed
when the [G]gales of [D/F#]November came [Asus2]early.
Verse 2
[Asus2]The ship was the pride of the [Em]American side,
coming [G]back from some [D/F#]mill in [Asus2]Wisconsin.
[Asus2]As the big freighters go, it [Em]was bigger than most,
with a [G]crew and good [D/F#]captain well [Asus2]seasoned,
[Asus2]Concluding some terms with a [Em]couple of steel firms
when they [G]left fully [D/F#]loaded for [Asus2]Cleveland.
[Asus2]And later that night when the [Em]ship's bell rang,
could it [G]be the north [D/F#]wind they'd been [Asus2]feelin'?
Instrumental
[Asus2] [G6/A] [Dsus4] [D] [Dsus2] [A7sus4] [Asus2]
Verse 3
[Asus2]The wind in the wires made a [Em]tattletale sound,
and a [G]wave broke over the [D/F#]railing.
[Asus2]And every man knew, as the [Em]Captain did too,
'twas the [G]witch of November [D/F#]come [Asus2]stealin'.
[Asus2]The dawn came late and the [Em]breakfast had to wait,
when the [G]gales of November [D/F#]came [Asus2]slashin'.
[Asus2]When afternoon came it was [Em]freezin' rain,
in the [G]face of a [D/F#]hurricane west [Asus2]wind.
Instrumental
[Asus2] [G6/A] [Dsus4] [D] [Dsus2] [A7sus4] [Asus2]
[G6/A] [D] [Dsus2] [A7sus4] [Asus2]
Verse 4
[Asus2]When suppertime came, the old [Em]cook came on deck sayin'
"Fellas, it's [G]too rough to [D/F#]feed [Asus2]ya."
[Asus2]At seven P.M. the main [Em]hatchway caved in, he said;
"Fellas, it's [G]been good t' [D/F#]know [Asus2]ya".
[Asus2]And the Captain wired in he [Em]had water comin' in,
and the [G]good ship and [D/F#]crew was in [Asus2]peril.
[Asus2]And later that night when his [Em]lights went outta sight,
came the [G]wreck of the [D/F#]Edmund [Asus2]Fitzgerald.
Instrumental
[Asus2] [G6/A] [Dsus4] [D] [Dsus2] [A7sus4] [Asus2]
[G6/A] [D] [Dsus2] [A7sus4] [Asus2]
Verse 5
[Asus2]Does anyone know where the [Em]love of God goes
when the [G]waves turn the [D/F#]minutes to [Asus2]hours?
[Asus2]The searchers all say they'd [Em]have made Whitefish Bay
if they'd [G]put fifteen more [D/F#]miles behind [Asus2]her.
[Asus2]They might have split up or [Em]they might have capsized,
they may [G]have broke deep and [D/F#]took [Asus2]water.
[Asus2]And all that remains is the [Em]faces and the names
of the [G]wives and the [D/F#]sons and the [Asus2]daughters.
Instrumental
[Asus2] [G6/A] [Dsus4] [D] [Dsus2] [A7sus4] [Asus2]
[G6/A] [D] [Dsus2] [A7sus4] [Asus2]
Verse 6
[Asus2]Lake Huron rolls, Superior [Em]sings,
in the [G]rooms of her [D/F#]ice water [Asus2]mansion.
[Asus2]Old Michigan steams like a [Em]young man's dreams,
the [G]islands and [D/F#]bays are for [Asus2]sportsmen.
[Asus2]And farther below Lake [Em]Ontario
takes in [G]what Lake [D/F#]Erie can [Asus2]send her.
[Asus2]And the iron boats go, as the [Em]mariners all know,
with the [G]gales of [D/F#]November [Asus2]remembered.
Instrumental
[Asus2] [G6/A] [Dsus4] [D] [Dsus2] [A7sus4] [Asus2]
[G6/A] [D] [Dsus2] [A7sus4] [Asus2]
Verse 7
[Asus2]In a musty old hall in [Em]Detroit they prayed,
in the [G]Maritime Sailors [D/F#]Cathedral.
[Asus2]The church bell chimed till it [Em]rang twenty-nine times
for each [G]man on the [D/F#]Edmund [Asus2]Fitzgerald.
[Asus2]The legend lives on from the [Em]Chippewa on down of the
[G]big lake they call [D/F#]"Gitche [Asus2]Gumee".
[Asus2]"Superior", they said, [Em]"never gives up her dead
when the [G]gales of [D/F#]November come [Asus2]early!"
Outro
[Asus2] [G6/A] [Dsus4] [D] [Dsus2] [A7sus4] [Asus2]
[G6/A] [D] [Dsus2] [A7sus4] [Asus2]
[Asus2] [G6/A] [Dsus4] [D] [Dsus2] [A7sus4] [Asus2]
[G6/A] [D] [Dsus2] [A7sus4] [Asus2]