From Gordon Lightfoot's Website:
RE: The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald

In 2010, Lightfoot changed one line in the lyrics of the song as a result of recent findings that it was waves and not crew error that lead to the shipwreck. See the lyric change below:

When suppertime came the old cook came on deck sayin'.

"Fellas, it's too rough t'feed ya."
At seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in; he said,

(*2010 lyric change: At 7 p.m., it grew dark, it was then he said,)

"Fellas, it's bin good t'know ya!"
The captain wired in he had water comin' in
and the good ship and crew was in peril.
And later that night when 'is lights went outta sight
came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
__________________

I was looking for the changed Lyric to send to a friend who performs the song regularly, and went to Mudcat first.
I was surprised that I found it nowhere here.
Usually EVERYONE here has on opinion about ED Fitz!

There are a lot of different opinions about authorship and the folk process.Whether or not writers can go back and tinker and interfere with nature's flow (which version of "The Derelict" -Dead Man's Chest- do YOU favor?) vs our right as performers to choose the words commin' outta our mouths.

He made this change over 2 years ago, yet there is no comment here.

I must say I think the original line has much more powerful imagery, and certainly doesn't scream "crew error", but he feels it does, and that should be considered. Remember the crew's families still get to hear the song, and he does try to be respectful to them.

Shall we write our own new line?
One sprang to my mind instantly that scanned well and evaporated by the time I had written this far.

Thoughts?
Comments?

I just figured this info needed to be on the 'Cat.

-SW