The Wreck Of Edmund Fitzgerald Chords & Guitar Lesson
Welcome to my The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald chord chart by Gordon Lightfoot. I had some requests for this song in my private student community, and I really like the song, so here it is!
Not too too difficult of a song as there are no barre chords. The switch from Asus2 to Em is very easy. I would recommend using finger 2 and 3 for both chords.
The only challenging chord is the G6/A but it looks very much like our easy F and Bm chords just in a different location.
Practice getting in and out of it and if you can’t get it, a regular old G chord will work fine.
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The Wreck Of Edmund Fitzgerald Guitar Chords:
The Wreck Of Edmund Fitzgerald Strumming Patterns:
This song is in 6/8, played in a round style.
Strumming:
> >
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 +
D UDU D UD U
You can also think of this as 2 measures of 3/4
1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 +
D U DU D UD U
Whatever is easier for you to think about.
The Wreck Of Edmund Fitzgerald Guitar Lesson:
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The Wreck Of Edmund Fitzgerald Chord Chart:
Intro:
Asus2 G6/A D Asus2
G6/A D Asus2 Asus2
Verse 1:
Asus2 Em
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
|G D| Asus2 Asus2
Of the big lake they called "Gitche Gumee"
Asus2 Em
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
|G D | Asus2 Asus2
When the skies of November turn gloomy
Asus2 Em
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
|G D| Asus2 Asus2
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty.
Asus2 Em
That good ship and crew was a bone to be chewed
|G D| Asus2 Asus2
When the "Gales of November" came early.
Verse 2:
Asus2 Em
The ship was the pride of the American side
|G D| Asus2
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
Asus2 Em
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
|G D| Asus2
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Asus2 Em
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
|G D| Asus2
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
Asus2 Em
And later that night when the ship's bell rang
|G D| Asus2 Asus2 G6/A D Asus2 Asus2
Could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?
Verse 3:
Asus2 Em
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
|G D| Asus2 Asus2
And a wave broke over the railing
Asus2 Em
And every man knew, as the captain did too,
|G D| Asus2 Asus2
T'was the witch of November come stealin'.
Asus2 Em
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
|G D| Asus2
When the Gales of November came slashin'.
Asus2 Em
When afternoon came it was freezin' rain
|G D| Asus2
In the face of a hurricane west wind.
Asus2 G6/A D Asus2
G6/A D Asus2 Asus2
Verse 4:
Asus2 Em
When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck
|G D| Asus2 Asus2
Sayin’. "Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya."
Asus2 Em
At Seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in',
|G D | Asus2 Asus2
he said "Fellas, it's been good t'know ya"
Asus2 Em
The captain wired in he had water comin' in
|G D| Asus2
and the good ship and crew was in peril.
Asus2 Em
And later that night when 'is lights went outta sight
|G D| Asus2
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Asus2 G6/A D Asus2
G6/A D Asus2 Asus2
Asus2 Asus2
Verse 5:
Asus2 Em
Does anyone know where the love of God goes
|G D| Asus2 Asus2
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
Asus2 Em
The searches all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
|G D| Asus2 Asus2
If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her.
Asus2 Em
They might have split up or they might have capsized
|G D| Asus2
They may have broke deep and took water.
Asus2 Em
And all that remains is the faces and the names
|G D| Asus2
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters.
Asus2 G6/A D Asus2
G6/A D Asus2 Asus2
Verse 6:
Asus2 Em
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
|G D| Asus2
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion
Asus2 Em
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams
|G D| Asus2 Asus2
The islands and bays are for sportsmen
Asus2 Em
And farther below Lake Ontario
|G D| Asus2
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her,
Asus2 Em
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
|G D| Asus2
with the Gales of November remembered.
Asus2 G6/A D Asus2
G6/A D Asus2 Asus2
Asus2 G6/A D Asus2
G6/A D Asus2 Asus2
Asus2 Asus2
Verse 7:
Asus2 Em
In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed,
|G D | Asus2 Asus2
In the "Maritime Sailors' Cathedral."
Asus2 Em
The church bell chimed till it rang twenty-nine times
|G D| Asus2 Asus2
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Asus2 Em
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
|G D| Asus2 Asus2
Of the big lake they call "Gitche Gumee".
Asus2 Em
"Superior", they said, "never gives up her dead
|G D| Asus2
When the 'Gales of November' come early!"
Asus2 G6/A D Asus2
G6/A D Asus2 Asus2
Asus2 G6/A D Asus2
G6/A D Asus2 Asus2 (strum and hold)
This file is the author’s own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It’s intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.
We do not distribute printable chord and lyrics charts. These charts are here only to support online learning. We highly recommend buying music from Hal Leonard or a reputable online sheet music store.