Actually, I remember the storm the sank the Fitzgerald. Even tho I was a LONG way away from Lake Superior, and 50 miles inland from Lake Michigan late that night. That afternoon I'd been along the lakeshore doing a photographic shoot. Trying to anyway - Even though it was the fringe of the storm, there were massive breakers pounding the beach and harbor entrance. Waves towering over the breakwater guarding the entrance, with white water crashing as high as the top of the lighthouse (Holland, Michigan). I found out that night that a couple of kids were washed off the walkway on breakwater. One washed up a few days later, the other, if I remember right, washed up a month or so after. The next morning, or course, came word that a freighter was overdue - something that hadn't happened on the Great Lakes in years - even the Carl D. Bradley (1958 or 1959) had a chance to send a distress call that saved 2 crewmen out of 30+.

The first time I heard the song, I thought the rolling feel, complete with the odd "jerk" in the lyrics, touched really well the feel of a ship in trouble. Lake Superior is a strange thing - Ships designed to handle her have trouble when she's riled - Those just designed for the North Atlantic have no chance at all.

Ah well - time to work -

Pete