Gordon Lightfoot - Ballad Of Yarmouth Castle Lyrics






Well, it's four o'clock in the afternoon
And the anchors have been weighed
From Miami to Nassau,
She's bound across the waves

She'll be headin' south through Biscayne Bay
Into the open sea
Yarmouth Castle, she's a-dyin' and don't know it

Now the many years she's been to sea
She's seen the better times
She gives a groan of protest
As they cast away her lines

And the grumble of her engines
And the rust along her spine
Tells the Castle she's too old to be sailin'

But the sands run out within her heart
A tiny spark glows red
It smoulders through the evening
There's laughter overhead

Now the men are served, and the cards are dealt
And the drinks are passed around
Deep within the fire starts a-burnin'

Now it's midnight on the open sea
And the moon is shining bright
Some people join the party
And others say good-night

There's many who are sleeping now
It's been a busy day
And a tiny wisp of smoke is a-risin'

"Oh Lord," she groans, "I'm burning!"
"Let someone understand!"
But her silent plea is wasted
In the playin' of the band

Everybody's dancin' on her deck
And they're havin' such a time
Then a voice says
"Shut up and deal, I'm losin'"

Deep within the Yarmouth Castle
The fire begins to glow
It leaps into the hallways
And climbs and twists and grows

And the paint she wore to keep her young
Oh Lord, how well it burns
And soon that old fire is a-ragin'

Up beneath the bridge it's climbin' fast
the captain stands aloft
He calls up to the boatswain, 'n' says
"Boatswain, we are lost"

For the ragged hoses in the racks
No pressure do they hold
And the people down below
Will soon be dyin'

All amidships, oh she's blazin' now
It's spreadin' fore and aft
The people are a-scramblin'
As the fire blocks their path

The evil smoke surrounds them,
And they're fallin' in their tracks
And the captain in his lifeboat is a-leavin'

Oh then the ship, Bahama Star
Comes steamin' through the night
She sees the Castle blazin'
And 'tis a terrible sight

"Jump down, jump down!" the captain cries
"We'll save you if we can!"
Then the paint on his funnels is a-fryin'

"God help the ones who sleep below
And cannot find the way!
Thank God for those we've rescued
Upon this awful day."

Now the heroes, they are many,
But the times are growin' slim
And now from stern to bow
She's a-blazin'

Oh the Yarmouth Castle's moanin'
She's cryin' like a child.
You can hear her if you listen
Above the roar so wild

Is she cryin' for the ones who lie
Within her molten sides?
Or cryin' for herself, I'm a-wonderin'

But the livin' soon were rescued
The ones who lived to tell
From the Star they watched her
As she died there in the swells

Like a toy ship on a mill pond
She burned all through the night
Then slipped 'neath the waves
In the mornin'





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Gordon Lightfoot Ballad Of Yarmouth Castle Comments
  1. J.... P....

    One of the best folk singers of all time

  2. J.... J....

    Soo, what is the story behind Yarmouth Castle? Is this an actual castle, or what??? Thanks.

  3. T.... N....

    This song reminds me of the fate of the ship "Patmos", in the novella "Lord Jim'" by Conrad !!!

  4. a.... ....

    I always thought the last lines should have been, 'Like a toy ship on a millpond she burned all through the night, And slipped 'neath the waves in the early morning light'.

  5. N.... A....

    It’s because of GL and this song that I even knew about this tragedy!! Such a beautiful underrated Ballard ❤️ such a beautiful way to remember the 90 souls lost on that ship and to celebrate the bravery of the Star and Finnpulps’ crews!

  6. P.... L....

    Add this to The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Sorrowful song to pay tribute to those lost on the water.

  7. D.... F....

    We need more thoughtful bards such as Gordon

  8. M.... A....

    The Yarmouth Castle was a death trap. Fire hoses didn’t work, not enough life jackets and on top of that ,many crew members including the captain were in the first lifeboat that left the ship. The Bahama Star, later named La Janelle was anchored off the central California coast and broke up and sank there. I’m not sure if the wreckage is still there or if it was removed as a hazard to navigation. The only good thing that came out of this tragedy was a complete overhaul of ship maintainance and safety practices. By the way ,the moaning sound mentioned in the song was steam slowly escaping from the ships horn.

  9. A.... M....

    If you can watch the footage of the Yarmouth Castle burning at sea, listen to this song, and not get a tear in your eye, you have no soul.

    Terrible, terrible tragedy. The number of lives lost seems small in comparison to other great maritime disasters, but it has a special kind of horror. A lot of the deaths were from smoke inhalation, or from people *trapped in their cabins* - helpless as the fire finds and consumes them one by one.

    And nobody on that ship lifted a finger to help them. They were too busy panicking or abandoning ship themselves. Only those who got off by their own cunning, strength, or luck survived. Nearly 100 burned to death long before the boat slipped beneath the waves.

  10. M.... ....

    He is truly the greatest. He is so fine and on time. His life time back-up band never misses a beat. This is the way they do things. An appreciative music listener understands this. Gordon is 80 years old now. My sister and brother-in-law saw him perform just this passed Summer in Chicago (I believe it was the Copernicus Center). He is truly awesome ! God bless you Gordon !!

  11. D.... T....

    It's hard not to imagine Gordy writing this song in 1965 and thinking, "Writing about this feels right. I better take advantage of it. It's not like I'll ever find another contemporary shipwreck to write about."

  12. R.... ....

    Well, it's four o'clock in the afternoon
    And the anchors have been weighed
    From Miami to Nassau
    She's bound across the waves
    She'll be headin' south through Biscayne Bay
    Into the open sea
    Yarmouth Castle, she's a-dyin' and don't know it
    Now the many years she's been to sea
    She's seen the better times
    She gives a groan of protest
    As they cast away her lines
    And the grumble of her engines
    And the rust along her spine
    Tells the Castle she's too old to be sailin'
    But the sands run out within her heart
    A tiny spark glows red
    It smolders through the evening
    There's laughter overhead
    Now the dinner's served and the cards are dealt
    And the drinks are passed around
    Deep within the fire starts a-burnin'
    Now it's midnight on the open sea
    And the moon is shinin' bright
    Some people join the party
    And others say goodnight
    There's many who are sleepin' now
    It's been a busy day
    And a tiny wisp of smoke is a-risin'
    "Oh Lord, " she groans, "I'm burning
    Let someone understand"
    But her silent plea is wasted
    In the playin' of the band
    Everybody's dancin' on her deck
    And they're havin' such a time
    And a voice says, "Shut up and deal, I'm losin'"
    Deep within the Yarmouth Castle
    The fire begins to glow
    It leaps into the hallways
    And climbs and twists and grows
    And the paint she wore to keep her young
    Oh Lord, how well it burns
    And soon that old fire is a-ragin'
    Up beneath the bridge it's climbin' fast
    The captain stands aloft
    He calls up to the boatswain, says
    "Boatswain, we are lost"
    For the ragged hoses in the racks
    No pressure do they hold
    And the people down below will soon be dyin'
    All amidships, oh she's blazin' now
    It's spreadin' fore and aft
    The people are a-scramblin'
    As the fire blocks their path
    The evil smoke surrounds them
    And they're fallin' in their tracks
    And the captain in his lifeboat is a-leavin'
    Oh then the ship, Bahama Star
    Comes steamin' through the night
    She sees the Castle blazin'
    And 'tis a terrible sight
    "Jump down, jump down", the captain cries
    "We'll save you if we can"
    Then the paint on his funnels is a-fryin'
    "God help the ones who sleep below
    And cannot find the way
    Thank God for those we rescue
    Upon this awful day"
    Now the heroes, they are many
    But the times are growin' slim
    And now from stern to bow, she's a-blazin'
    Oh the Yarmouth Castle's moanin'
    She's cryin' like a child
    You can hear her if you listen
    Above the roar so wild
    Is she cryin' for the ones who lie
    Within her molten sides?
    Or cryin' for herself, I'm a-wonderin'
    But the livin' soon were rescued
    The ones who lived to tell
    From the Star they watched her
    As she died there in the swells
    Like a toy ship on a mill pond
    She burned all through the night
    Then slipped beneath the waves in the mornin'

  13. B.... C....

    I remember this song from the '60s, and the movie newspaper, and tv news highlights, the tragedy and the scandal. Surprising that people have forgotten this great tragedy that happened before I graduated high school.

  14. D.... O....

    The cowardly captain’s name was Byron Voutsinas. I am so glad the song was recorded as a testament to his yellow belly.

  15. b.... ....

    Ive never heard this before. Looks like I have tons of Gordon Lightfoot ahead of me to listen to, or I might as well hand in my Canadian citizenship. What a legend.

  16. S.... S....

    My grandpa can play this on the guitar and loves to sing it to me and my mom and I love it so much and I want to learn it.

  17. S.... S....

    Captain should’ve gone down with his ship

  18. I.... M....

    I might bring the memory of my Dad, but because he loved Gordon and presented him to me.

  19. C.... R....

    There is a YouTube documentary about the Yarmouth Castle, which I viewed just before listening to GL's ballad. It still makes me cry.

  20. b.... j....

    Great singer and writer Mr. Lightfoot be...thank you.

  21. D.... O....

    I am in tears!

  22. D.... S....

    My father owned the Yarmouth Castle. I was barely 4 when the fire happened, but this tragedy changed our entire family forever.

  23. S.... P....

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Yarmouth_Castle

    S.... P....

    Steamship connections between Yarmouth and Boston / New York were maintained by Eastern Steamship Lines but were suspended with the start of World War II; the SS Yarmouth Castle was one of many vessels which served this route. The service resumed a few years after the war with the S.S. Yarmouth, under the same company.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarmouth,_Nova_Scotia

  24. K.... D....

    "jump down jump down" the Captain cried

  25. M.... ....

    Of his many amazing tales this one is the best. I got almost no air time but the images are so powerful it is in my opinion his very best and I've been a fan since he began - more decades than I care to admit.

  26. S.... C....

    Such a sad story, but not an uncommon one for those upon the sea. This is a bookend to the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, it's more popular brother. Similar stories, but very different styles. I think this song is far more classy and stylistic than the Edmund Fitzgerald. Gordon's voice and guitar skills are much clearer and easier to appreciate in this piece. EF is a magic song, but for a different reasons. What an all-around artist!

  27. p.... ....

    The ship can be seen at anchor in Jamaica, early in the James Bond movie, 'Dr No'. The film was shot in 1962....

    p.... ....

    WW !!! I'll search for it !!

  28. M.... ....

    One of his best ... even better than the Edmond Fitzgerald. IMHO.

  29. T.... ....

    Flyin' down the freeway with Gord's Gold playin' and me singing along, for ever and ever. Mr. Lightfoot, you gave me the longest lasting gift ever, your tales and exultations and laments will carry me through to the very end. Merci mille fois, mon ami éloigné.

  30. T.... H....

    This song is amazing. It tells such a tragic story in a way that one can easily visualize as the lyrics progress. I simply can't fathom how it's not available on iTunes.

  31. L.... J....

    The first time I heard this was at a Gordon Lightfoot concert back in 1980. I was just 17 at the time. Gordon Lightfoot is one of my favorites along with Kansas, Harry Chapin, and the Eagles.

    L.... J....

    I was also 17 when I saw Gordon Lightfoot in concert for the first time at Alumni Hall at The University of Western Ontario, in September 1980. I don't recall him playing this song, which I first heard sometime in the late fall/early winter of 1977. Although at the beginning of the concert, he did play 'Farewell to Nova Scotia', which is an old traditional song from Nova Scotia which, up until that point, I had never heard before. To the best of my knowledge, he has never recorded a cover version of that song.

  32. S.... K....

    If you like ship disaster songs check "Cumberland's Crew by Smokey Basterd "and" Roll Alabama Roll"by Bellowhead.

  33. M.... S....

    We are blessed to have talents like Gordon Lightfoot. He speaks for all of us

  34. S.... A....

    I may be young but Gordon Lightfoot is, to my mind, one of the best songwriters there ever was--I actually went to one of his concerts, and was the youngest person there by probably 30 years. My father let me listen to the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald once when I was young (on Casette Tape) and I'll honestly say I could hear the wind howling in the rigging as that big laker broke up and sank. This, this is just the same (if not better, in some respects). Partially its because I know the story: the moaning, the ship crying, could (and probably is) the reported low, moaning sound heard all night as the ship burned--her whistle was stuck open and steam was venting from the boilers. a strange, haunting wail of agony from a grand old lady of the sea. And, too (I'd like to think...for most sailors do believe there is a soul to a ship) for the passengers she couldn't save, who were going down with her.

    S.... A....

    @Sawyer AWR ---- You make a good story teller. Cheers Larry

  35. K.... S....

    My cousin is Terry Sinclair Wise, third purser on the Yarmouth Castle and last to leave the ship. His actions that day saved a number of people and stand in contrast to the captain's desertion of his post...

    K.... S....

    Would love to hear that story!

    K.... S....

    Thanks for his bravery

    K.... S....

    Watch it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H9czoubCm0

  36. G.... S....

    The best song written I think, I get goosebumps every time

  37. L.... S....

    V E R Y photogenic!!!!!!!!!!!!

  38. D.... B....

    this song reminds me of the (C) space shuttles.I cried both of them.for you idiots ----Columbia and challenger.thanks gordon

  39. T.... B....

    The day of June 9th of 1965 I turned 12 on board the Yarmouth Castle. It was the night of the captain's party. I dressed in my suit and met my father at our dining table and the captain sat with us briefly and congratulated me on my 12th birthday and offered his gratitude of us accompanying him and others on his ship during that cruise. We were sailing from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas for a weeks stay there and then returned to Miami the same way. I remember it was the very next cruise out of Miami to Nassau that the fateful night aboard the same ship my father and I were on had caught fire and sank, and approx 90 passengers and crew perished. I notified my father and told him. We were both devastated. We watched the new and I recognized our porter on TV speaking about the ordeal. I'll never forget that ship. It was a grand old ship and being part of history and laying in 1,600' of cold Atlantic water today. RIP Yarmouth Castle and the dead still within her hull.

    T.... B....

    Tony Busse gords best disaster song.

  40. T.... L....

    Donny Moss: You might also like "Ode to Big Blue," by Lightfoot.

  41. T.... T....

    My grandparents, Rose and Samuel Frankel, died on Yarmouth Castle. I write their names here so that they won't be forgotten after everyone who knew them - or knew of them - are gone.

    T.... T....

    My grandparents also Alyce and John Kearns

    T.... T....

    Rest In Peace

    T.... T....

    I regretfully acknowledge.

    T.... T....

    A tragedy. Sorry you lost them that way. Some of us are no doubt here after hearing about the Conception.

    T.... T....

    So sorry

  42. G.... ....

    This ship sank on November 13th, 1965, just 3 days short of exactly 10 years before the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

    G.... ....

    +GeneralSirDouglasMcA I never realized that. Thanks for mentioning that
    interesting piece of history. (NOT being sarcastic.)

    G.... ....

    And 3 days after the end of the Great Northeastern Blackout.

  43. L.... A....

    Trying to find an MOP 3 of this. Any Ideas? Tried I tune Amazon and Google play.

    L.... A....

    I have the United Artists set. It is not on it.

    L.... A....

    Found it on Sunday Concert.
    Thanks

    L.... A....

    @Kerry - Odd - it is on mine - mind you my release is about 10 years old and sold in Canada - bought it at a record store (!)...

    L.... A....

    @Ken - Mine is considerably older than that and was bought in the States. I guess not all versions are the same.

    L.... A....

    Record company s are always tweaking things. Remember "Sit down young strangers"
    (album) was re released as "If you could read my mind"
    I'm surprised by all the help i received from my post. Thank you all very much.

  44. M.... ....

    Of all of Gordon's amazing compositions my favourite still - and it got very little air time - is The Ballad of the Yarmouth Castle. The images he creates with his words are chilling and riveting. As you listen you can see her blazing on the darkened sea. The Captain leaving in his lifeboat. You can see the blistering paint on the funnels of the Bahama Star. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX0EX3Xkmvw
    He creates such powerful images with his songs and this, imho is the most powerful of all. A terrible tragedy that got so little attention in the mainstream media. The 90 lives lost dwarf the 29 lost on the Edmund Fitzgerald. All those lost in both disasters were very sad and so unnecessary.

    M.... ....

    Duh. I feel such an idiot! I had no idea that the Yarmouth Castle was indeed a real vessel!! I just thought it was just another magically written, although awful, song that played out in GLs mind. I don’t believe I EVERY heard it on radio (California) but thank you all the enlightenment.

    M.... ....

    as there are many ship disaster songs this may well be the best-- very evocative

  45. M.... T....

    Well, it's four o'clock in the afternoon
    And the anchors have been weighed
    From Miami to Nassau,
    She's bound across the waves

    She'll be headin' south through Biscayne Bay
    Into the open sea
    Yarmouth Castle, she's a-dyin' and don't know it

    Now the many years she's been to sea
    She's seen the better times
    She gives a groan of protest
    As they cast away her lines

    And the grumble of her engines
    And the rust along her spine
    Tells the Castle she's too old to be sailin'

    But the sands run out within her heart
    A tiny spark glows red
    It smoulders through the evening
    There's laughter overhead

    Now the men are served, and the cards are dealt
    And the drinks are passed around
    Deep within the fire starts a-burnin'

    Now it's midnight on the open sea
    And the moon is shining bright
    Some people join the party
    And others say good-night

    There's many who are sleeping now
    It's been a busy day
    And a tiny wisp of smoke is a-risin'

    "Oh Lord," she groans, "I'm burning!"
    "Let someone understand!"
    But her silent plea is wasted
    In the playin' of the band

    Everybody's dancin' on her deck
    And they're havin' such a time
    Then a voice says
    "Shut up and deal, I'm losin'"

    Deep within the Yarmouth Castle
    The fire begins to glow
    It leaps into the hallways
    And climbs and twists and grows

    And the paint she wore to keep her young
    Oh Lord, how well it burns
    And soon that old fire is a-ragin'

    Up beneath the bridge it's climbin' fast
    The captain stands aloft
    He calls up to the boatswain, 'n' says
    "Boatswain, we are lost"

    For the ragged hoses in the racks
    No pressure do they hold
    And the people down below
    Will soon be dyin'

    All amidships, oh she's blazin' now
    It's spreadin' fore and aft
    The people are a-scramblin'
    As the fire blocks their path

    The evil smoke surrounds them,
    And they're fallin' in their tracks
    And the captain in his lifeboat is a-leavin'

    Oh then the ship, Bahama Star
    Comes steamin' through the night
    She sees the Castle blazin'
    And 'tis a terrible sight

    "Jump down, jump down!" the captain cries
    "We'll save you if we can!"
    Then the paint on his funnels is a-fryin'

    "God help the ones who sleep below
    And cannot find the way!
    Thank God for those we've rescued
    Upon this awful day. "

    Now the heroes, they are many,
    But the times are growin' slim
    And now from stern to bow
    She's a-blazin'

    Oh the Yarmouth Castle's moanin'
    She's cryin' like a child.
    You can hear her if you listen
    Above the roar so wild

    Is she cryin' for the ones who lie
    Within her molten sides?
    Or cryin' for herself, I'm a-wonderin'

    But the livin' soon were rescued
    The ones who lived to tell
    From the Star they watched her
    As she died there in the swells

    Like a toy ship on a mill pond
    She burned all through the night
    Then slipped 'neath the waves
    In the mornin'

    M.... T....

    Max Trepit k

  46. J.... Z....

    Saw Gordie in concert last year. His voice is gone, but the tunes remain and it was inspiring. Perhaps his last series ever. So glad I went. Thanks Gabe

  47. M.... A....

    I'm surprised this disaster was just forgotten.

    M.... A....

    +Matthew Anderson I agree !

    M.... A....

    Takes Gordon. Who would have remembered the Fitz?

  48. T.... ....

    Yes I'm a teen listening to this
    Get amazed guys

    T.... ....

    They like lots of different genres. They draw the line at Gordon Lightfoot though

    T.... ....

    Could've not said it any better

    T.... ....

    +Myky Dutza
    I was a teen in the seventies who grew up in northern Ontario and I didn't listen to him either.

    T.... ....

    +Myky Dutza Stop bragging, its ugly.

    T.... ....

    @Leoghanta Bakker​ don't like it ? Ignore it
    I could care less about how annoying this is to others

  49. M.... ....

    Happy Easter Ann and Charlie.

  50. P.... P....

    oh lord she groans, I'm burning, won't somewhere understand which pretty applicable in my life circumstances

  51. B.... I....

    Wonderful, thank you for posting!

  52. J.... P....

    I'd like to see a movie (Gordon Soundtrack)...  like "Jeremiah Johnson...  

    ... "Wreck of the Fitzgerald."  Other ideas?

  53. K.... R....

    I had the privilege to move all the way to Texas and finally see him in concert! So awesome he is!!! 

  54. D.... ....

    Go Gord!!........The man is a true legend!

  55. P.... W....

    One of his best songs. Thank you!

  56. E.... P....

    The BEST balladeer!!! Nobody tells a story like Gord!!!

    E.... P....

    +Emily Perlman - you got that right Emily!

  57. 5.... ....

    This song is one of his best! Such a fantastic story teller!

  58. L.... ....

    A great, sad ballad. I was reminded of The Lifeboat Mona by The Dubliners which was the first song I can recall to have heard about a disaster at sea.

  59. a.... b....

    My wife and I got off the Yarmouth Castle when it returned to The Port of Miami the very morning before it went back out to sea that afternoon, en route to The Bahamas, burned and sank. It was in early November of 1965 on a Friday. We had been in stateroom A-1, the best room on the ship. The two portholes had been painted shut, but I had forced them open in order to let my new wife hang out to watch the native boys diving for quarters when we arrived in Nassau. We read in The Miami Herald that the couple on the final trip, in stateroom A-1, from Coral Gables, survived by jumping out of the portholes into the ocean. We had no idea that we even had any life preservers until we left Nassau and tried to put our packages under the bed and found them. There were no instructions

    a.... b....

    +avalon bob Whoa..saved!

    a.... b....

    "It was in early November of 1965" wow... November's a bad time for ships.

    a.... b....

    I was just thinking that - almost 10 years to the day ( - 3 days) the Fitz went down. A few news orgs were writing about the 42nd anniversary of the Fitz - another that would only have been known because of Gord. I wish this song had gotten as much publicity.

    a.... b....

    What a story! Thankfully, the first thing rehearsed upon boarding ships is Muster Stations!

    a.... b....

    JF - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch_of_November

  60. G.... W....

    Mostly I agree with what this poster has to say about Lightfoot capturing the lives of seafaring men. However, I would urge those who love songs like this to search for songs by another Canadian, Stan Rogers. Specifically I'd suggest The Mary Ellen Carter, Barrett's Privateers, The Nancy, and Sailor's Rest. If you can't find these songs by Stan, His Brother Garnett and son Nathan have some incredible versions too.

  61. s.... ....

    I sing this in the shower...it's about the perfect length for a good cleaning! Coward captains are no new thing.....this ship's captain jumped ship in the '60s! But that captain off of Italy took the cake!

  62. K.... M....

    So very sorry for your Losses! Blessings on you! Hope you have made them proud!

  63. V.... N....

    A very good version of YC is available on "The Original Lightfoot" called
    The United Artists Years. Released 1992. It is a three CD set with the 3rd Cd all LIVE tracks including YC.
    UA 7777-80747-2. (The UA code) Hope this helps you find it.

  64. g.... ....

    Gordon Lightfoot - a Canadian legend

    from a Brit.

  65. R.... S....

    My mother and grandmother died on the Yarmouth Castle. Nov 12,1965, 5 days before my 11 birthday. Unforgettable.

    R.... S....

    I'm so sorry for your loss.

  66. X.... ....

    As much as I love the lyrics of this song, I think the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is still my favorite, they both tell stories and both are tragic, Gordon is a genius when it comes to song writing

  67. A.... ....

    Never heard this before! Love it!

  68. J.... N....

    OKIC. He didn't ripoff the EF song to write the YC song, it was the other way around. The 1970's saw the CRTC (Canadian FCC) dictate a lot of 'Canadian Content' on their airwaves. Mr. Lightfoot profited from that ruling. CKLW out of Windsor was out of sync with similarly programmed radio stations in the states. A casual listener would wonder why they were hearing so much Anne Murray, Guess Who, and Paul Anka....as well as Lightfoot.

    J.... N....

    At the same time, CKLW was a powerhouse station with an 800kW transmitter that could be heard well into many parts of the northern mid-western US, and it was responsible in large measure for helping major artists like Bob Seger and Elton John hit the tops of the charts. CKLW also played a ton of Motown stuff and also helped artists like The Supremes make their way into the popular music history of the late 20th century.

    One thing that helped Gordon Lightfoot become famous was that CKLW dared to play his 1968 single 'Black Day in July', which was a song about the race riots in Detroit, Michigan in 1967 and had been banned from being played virtually everywhere in the United States. If Gordon had not gotten the airplay he did via CKLW, he might never have achieved the fame or success that he did.

    J.... N....

    That - and the help of getting his songs covered by PP&M (who helped Denver and Dylan reach "mainstream" also). And a little free-format FM station in San Francisco started by Tom Donahue - KMPX, later moved to KSAN - where underground really was - and there was a dj who was into Gord.

  69. V.... J....

    Ballad of Yarmouth Castle was on Lightfoot's fifth album, Sunday Concert, released in 1969. Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was on his1976 album Summertime Dream. I admire both songs. Well, truthfully, I admire most of what the man writes and sings.

  70. J.... N....

    what is solas rule? pre-voyage mustering?

  71. J.... N....

    I visited Miami soon after this disaster. Found several promotional brochures for the Yarmouth and the Yarmouth Castle in a tourist info rack and snatched them up. The brochures showed the layout and amenities of the ship, which could be compared to a 78rpm record vs. CD's of today, speaking of cruise ships.
    With regard to the song itself, by GL....a cheap "brand extension" of the Edmund Fitzgerald song. (Which one was recorded first? the YC went down in the mid 60's)

    J.... N....

    I see you have been answered - but a Gord fan would know instantly - this is acoustic (and I don't hear Rick, only Red); but Wreck is electric, has Terry's unmistakable guitar - and Barry's drums, and Rick's electric bass.

  72. C.... A....

    My Grandmother, her sister and their girlfriend were on this cruise. Their girlfriend perished in the fire whi

  73. D.... M....

    Reminds me of 'Quint' Robert Shaw in Jaws. He had the same accent.

  74. H.... G....

    just for the recorded even though he didn't write it his best song is pride of man !!!!!!!and i disagree i like the melody better for edmund fitzzy and if my ship was going down i would have edmund on as we went downGod Bless

  75. h.... ....

    The Yarmouth Castle in the final moments of its burning, with many people still aboard, another ship standing by officers said that the ship let out a human-like cry which ships are rumored to do where they're dying. In the darkness the Yarmouth Castle's hull plating glowed red from the heat.

  76. W.... c....

    If you Google and read the newspaper accounts of the Yarmouth Castle wreck, you'll be amazed at how accurate GL's telling of the story is! Fantastic song!

  77. f.... ....

    This is from Gordon's 'Sunday Concert' album which is available on CD coupled with the 'Early Lightfoot' album as a single CD on the BGO records label (BGOCD166).
    A great bargain priced CD for Lightfoot enthusiasts!

  78. m.... ....

    There is a good live version of this on Sunday Concert. I first heard this song on a cassette that my friend's brother made back in the late '70s and I thought it was the most haunting thing I'd ever heard. I about played the cassette to death, but I never knew what the title of the song was until about 17 years ago when I posted a description to a Usenet group and someone knew by the description. I bought the CD immediately so I could get this one song! What a great piece of writing.

  79. R.... D....

    All I can say is you have great taste in music. Good on you for not giving in to your friends opinions of this great music.

  80. m.... ....

    Lots of noise about the Titanic. But Yarmouth Castle is another story.

  81. s.... k....

    @EvilMrPickle
    You are indeed a smart young man to reach back some 45 years and sample some of this great music. Gordon Lightfoot was a great story teller in addition to being a great musician on the acoustical guitar. "Yarmouth Castle" and "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" were two of his best. I salute you my young friend for your interest in 60's music, the greatest musical era ever.

  82. E.... ....

    @uscgccampbell

    I'm 12, and I like gordon lightfoot.
    All of my friends think I'm crazy because I like old music, but I just think it's better than the auto-tuned crap on the radio.

    E.... ....

    You are wise beyond your years and at 18 now, I hope you continue to be inspired by the music of my age group!

  83. B.... D....

    One of the finest Nautical Ballads, Gordon had hit it out of the park again.

  84. P.... B....

    Haunting... with a special importance to me. My dad and I sailed on this ship to Nassau in 1957... before its name was changed from the SS Evangeline. When the story broke in 1965... we had no idea it was the same ship. I often have dreams of that cruise. I was only 12 years old:) I had a thirty year career in entertainment... vocal/guitar. If I had known I had sailed on the "Yarmouth Castle"... I could have sung about it along with the other Lightfoot songs I performed. - Paul

  85. c.... ....

    When I heard of the Italian cruise ship captain, I immediaely thought of Voutsinas. Frickkin cowards both. I believe that both should have been keel-hauled.

  86. c.... s....

    @Jayoung1000 I have both cd's. I found sunday concert at a discount of eight dollars. the u.a. collection i found for eleven dollars. the ua collection includes all of his ua releases except for sunday concert. both i believe are out of print now.

  87. G.... H....

    @d3thron3d Sorry.. That effect was a standard effect. I don't even have a way to upload things anymore, or change these videos. I do understand what you mean. i just wasn't very good at using iMovie when I had it. I didn't spend a lot of time trying to figure it out.

  88. d.... ....

    I really love the music, but please, please uploader... who uploads many of these wonderful songs, stop zooming in and out on pictures. Its not artistic, it just distracts from the music and makes people dizzy or sick. I'm not unappreciative. Just figure you would like to know if its worth your time or bothersome to do that video effect. Thank you for the uploads.

  89. 3.... ....

    Haunting!!! I somehow forgot about this and it's been probably over 25 years since I last heard it and it's such a powerful song about a tragedy....only Gordon could have written and performed this!!!

    3.... ....

    Agreed. Gordon has a tremendous talent for writing lyrics that paint detailed, precise and emotionally hard-hitting images in his songs. I remember when I heard this song for the first time, I was 15 years old.

    I remember the incredibly clear imagery that popped into my head: first, I pictured a multi-funneled passenger ship out on the open sea at night, with light bulbs strung on wires over the decks and the ship itself, and people at tables on the decks playing card games. In the next image, I pictured the ship entirely engulfed in flames, and totally isolated out on the water, with no hope of rescue for anyone. Pretty heavy stuff for a guy of my age then.

  90. D.... M....

    This appears on an obscure Lightfoot album, "Sunday Concert". To my knowledge there is no studio recording of it. The album was available on CD at least for a time but to my knowledge is now out of print. A shame, really....it's on a par with his more famous work, but virtually unknown.

  91. C.... ....

    MY HUSBAND MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER DIED ON THIS SHIP IN 1965..MAY THEY REST IN PEACE IN THE OCEAN... AND GORDON LIGHTFOOT WROTE A BALLAD ABOUT IT..AMAZING

  92. P.... B....

    @Jayoung1000 This is the first time I've ever heard it and, I thought I'd heard everything that Lightfoot had ever done. This is so beautiful...

  93. y.... ....

    @rbeebephoto ahh yes the trilogy. i had that one in my van. wiht a monster stereo. i would build custom audio for people. and dial it in with 1 classical music, and 2 gordon lightfoot. and ive never had any complaints from my work. AND actually made a few gordon lightfoot fans. as well as fans of beethoven lol

  94. y.... ....

    @gabehampton i wont get into that argument. but this song is VERY deep. it starts off shiipe is alive and near end its dead. the whole death process is starting. i bought a download from amazon. i had heard this youtubed a couple years back

    y.... ....

    Agreed. Even though the lyrics are deceptively simple on the surface, they are indeed deep and hard-hitting.

  95. y.... ....

    @uscgccampbell idk im on the fence split on that decision, both songs hit deep for me. equally

  96. m.... ....

    Gordons voice and style are among the most unusual and beautiful among male folk singers. His poetry is outstanding. Been a fan since I was 17 in 1971, when he came out with "If you could read my mind".
    I agree that this is one of his best songs, and I, too, never understood why it did not become better known. I only found one version, on the same name album, and even there it is a live version, no studio recording.