Verse 1:
The [A]legend lives on from the [Em]Chippewa on down
Of the [G]big lake they [D]called "Gitche [Asus2]Gumee" [A]
The lake, it is said, never [Em]gives up her dead
When the [G]skies of No[D]November turn [Asus2]gloomy [A]
With a [A]load of iron ore twenty-six [Em]thousand tons more
Than the [G]Edmund Fitz[D]Fitzgerald weighed [Asus2]empty [A]
That good [A]ship and crew was a [Em]bone to be chewed
When the "[G]"Gales of No[D]November" came [Asus2]early [A]
Verse 2:
The [A]ship was the pride of the A[Em]American side
Coming [G]back from some [D]mill in Wis[Asus2]Wisconsin
As the [A]big freighters go, it was [Em]bigger than most
With a [G]crew and good [D]captain well [Asus2]seasoned
Con[A]Concluding some terms with a [Em]couple of steel firms
When they [G]left fully [D]loaded for [Asus2]Cleveland
And [A]later that night when the [Em]ship's bell rang
Could it [G]be the north [D]wind they'd been [Asus2]feelin'?
Verse 3:
The [A]wind in the wires made a [Em]tattle-tale sound
And a [G]wave broke [D]over the [Asus2]railing [A]
And [A]every man knew, as the [Em]captain did too
T'was the [G]witch of No[D]November come [Asus2]stealin' [A]
The [A]dawn came late and the [Em]breakfast had to wait
When the [G]Gales of No[D]November came [Asus2]slashin'
When [A]afternoon came it was [Em]freezin' rain
In the [G]face of a [D]hurricane [Asus2]west wind
Verse 4:
When [A]suppertime came, the old [Em]cook came on deck
Sayin’, "[G]"Fellas, it's [D]too rough to [Asus2]feed ya." [A]
At [A]seven P.M. a main [Em]hatchway caved in'
He said "[G]"Fellas, it's [D]been good t'[Asus2]t'know ya" [A]
The captain wired in he had [Em]water comin' in
And the [G]good ship and [D]crew was in [Asus2]peril
And [A]later that night when 'is [Em]lights went outta sight
Came the [G]wreck of the [D]Edmund Fitz[Asus2]Fitzgerald
Verse 5:
Does anyone know where the [Em]love of God goes
When the [G]waves turn the [D]minutes to [Asus2]hours? [A]
The [A]searchers all say they'd have [Em]made Whitefish Bay
If they'd [G]put fifteen more [D]miles be[Asus2]behind her [A]
They [A]might have split up or they [Em]might have capsized;
They [G]may have broke [D]deep and took [Asus2]water
And [A]all that remains is the [Em]faces and the names
Of the [G]wives and the [D]sons and the [Asus2]daughters
Verse 6:
Lake Huron rolls, Su[Em]Superior sings
In the [G]rooms of her [D]ice-water [Asus2]mansion
Old [A]Michigan steams like a [Em]young man's dreams;
The [G]islands and [D]bays are for [Asus2]sportsmen [A]
And [A]farther below Lake On[Em]Ontario
Takes [G]in what Lake [D]Erie can [Asus2]send her
And the [A]iron boats go as the [Em]mariners all know
with the [G]Gales of No[D]November re[Asus2]remembered
Verse 7:
In a [A]musty old hall in De[Em]Detroit they prayed
In the "[G]"Maritime [D]Sailors' Ca[Asus2]Cathedral." [A]
The [A]church bell chimed till it rang [Em]twenty-nine times
For each [G]man on the [D]Edmund Fitz[Asus2]Fitzgerald [A]
The [A]legend lives on from the [Em]Chippewa on down
Of the [G]big lake they [D]call "Gitche [Asus2]Gumee" [A]
"Su[A]"Superior", they said, "never [Em]gives up her dead
When the '[G]'Gales of No[D]November' come [Asus2]early!"
