47 years ago today the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.
— Ada McVean M.Sc. (@AdaMcVean) November 10, 2022
In this thread I'm going to discuss a few things:
- The actual story
- The Gordon Lightfoot song
- The different roles of an artist/storyteller and an educator
- Why it's ok to say we were wrong
But Gordon had artistic license, and he used it, and we got a better ballad for it.
— Ada McVean M.Sc. (@AdaMcVean) November 10, 2022
He once said that he agonized over inaccuracies in the song until his producer advised him to just tell a story.
Nonetheless, since its release, Gordon has altered 2 lyrics when he performs live.
At some point, a parishioner from the Mariners' Church of Detroit reached out to him and reported that their hall was not "musty" as he had sung. Lightfoot changed the lyric to "In a rustic old hall".
— Ada McVean M.Sc. (@AdaMcVean) November 10, 2022
And yet he made those changes.
— Ada McVean M.Sc. (@AdaMcVean) November 10, 2022
But he made them as a mark of respect. It's his song, yes, but it is a tale of real people, real places and real events.
Gordon Lightfoot never claimed to be a historian, and holding him to the standard of one is ludicrous.
I was front row at the 2010 Lightfoot concert, where he explained that he was about to change the line "At 7 p.m. a main hatchway caved in". He said he had only recently learned that what he had understood to be the facts were not accurate, and the crew was owed an honest tale.
— Ed's Edits (@waddington_ed) November 11, 2022
This is a beautiful version, too:Thanks for a great thread.
— Todd Silas (@tsilas) November 10, 2022
I want to share this cool noaa site for those on here who may be interested.https://t.co/3PdPObqSdJ
In other news:If you've never seen it, I'd like to share the cover of the song done by the group Cadence. Both music and video are beautifully done. https://t.co/BgylIak5gc
— Marla Kishimoto (@MarlaYuriko) November 11, 2022
We have a PM the right calls 'divisive' but reaction to his appearing on the much watched, highly successful show demonstrates who the divisive people really are. Looking at you, Pieerson.
— Mike Morris (@1MikeMorris) November 9, 2022
At a time when right-wing populists are targeting drag queens as a front in the American culture war, it’s actually a pretty big statement that a world leader is not joining that particular pile-on, and is visiting a global drag franchise like this. https://t.co/4op5YFEGyu
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) November 9, 2022