EDITORIAL: Honoring the great Gordon Lightfoot

May 9—The bell will toll one more time this November at the Brickyard Brewing Co. during the Village of Lewiston's annual tribute to the Edmund Fitzgerald.

As organizer Thomas Asklar, explains it, part of the night involves ringing a bell 30 times, 29 for those who lost their lives in the shipwreck on Nov. 10, 1975 and one for all sailors who died on the Great Lakes and beyond.

That extra ring? It's for legendary Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. He died May 1 in a hospital in Toronto, Ont., Canada, his native country. He was 84.

Lightfoot may not have been a music superstar like Bruce Springsteen or Taylor Swift, but he was every bit as talented and impactful in so many ways. He's known for popular songs such as "If You Could Read My Mind," "Sundown," "Carefree Highway," and of course, the moving ballad of the "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."

Lightfoot's songs were a mix of smooth melodies that were easily etched into our minds and soulful lyrics that made us think, feel, cry and laugh. What more could anyone want in a song?

He performed his craft for decades, pleasing audiences right up until recently with shows in smaller more intimate venues.

A big part of Lightfoot's appeal was his connection to the history and culture of Canada and life in North America in general. The songs he wrote were about issues in life that we all experience and feelings that we all deal with from time to time.

You could say that about many artists, but Lightfoot's words and notes had a way of seeping within us and freezing us for a moment as we dug deep into our own souls to search for more meaning.

That's never a bad thing.

The industry knew and recognized his talent as well, as Lightfoot was nominated for Grammy Awards four times in the 1970s. His "Sundown" reached the top spot in the Billboard charts in 1974.

Other famous artists covered many of his songs and looked at him as an icon of the music industry.

While many fans will remember "Sundown" and "If You Could Read my Mind," the song that probably is most associated with Lightfoot is "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."

It was about a large freighter that sank in a storm on Lake Superior in November of 1975.

The lyrics paint a vivid picture of what it was like for the good shipping crew of 29 sailors as they fought to save their lives.

His description of when the ship went down and the aftermath is stunning.

"They might have split up or they might have capsized, they may have broke deep and took water. And all that remains is the faces and the names of the wives and the sons and the daughters."

Sometimes it seems that they don't write songs like that anymore, and that is a shame. Lightfoot's tunes and tales were great history lessons. Lessons that enriched us all.

Rest in peace, Gordon Lightfoot. It's been good to know ya.

The Plattsburgh Press Republican contributed to this editorial

— The Plattsburgh Press Republican contributed to this editorial