The sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald was no joke. Inflatable rafts were not enough to save the 29 crew members, which sucks. The rector of Mariners’ Church of Detroit tolled its bell 29 times, which is a big number that is not funny at all. An Associated Press reporter also knocked on the church’s door, trying to get an interview, but no one was in the mood to talk.

However, things took a musical turn when Gordon Lightfoot sang a song about the wreck during a previously scheduled recording session. His band joined in like a bunch of groupies, and the first version of the song that they recorded was later released. But let’s face it, the song was too long for airplay on the radio, so his expectations were low.

To everyone’s surprise, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” spent 21 weeks on the Billboard charts and peaked at No. 2. It’s like finding out your cat won a gold medal for running when all it does is sleep all day. The song turned the tale of the sinking into a modern legend, elevating it to new heights of fame.

Unlike other songs where the truth is stretched like a pair of spandex leggings, Mr. Lightfoot’s ballad was precise. It included every detail, like the weight of the ore, which was “26,000 tons more than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty.” Even the number of times that the church bell chimed in Detroit was accurate. Someone give this guy a medal for accuracy.

Decades later, Mr. Lightfoot changed the lyrics slightly when investigations into the accident revealed that waves, not crew error, had led to the shipwreck. In the new lyrics, he sang that it got dark at 7 that November night on Lake Superior, which is a pretty mundane detail if you ask us. I mean, we were hoping for a giant octopus attack or something, but nope, just regular old darkness.

Serious News: nytimes