Do you hear the bell, Fitzgerald?
Did you toll it long ago, another stormy night like this?
In the twilight, Fitzgerald
Wind was humming through the wires and ice was freezing on the rail
Did you hear the rumbling sound
As unseen bulkheads down below began to fail?

Waves were surging now, Fitzgerald
As the old cook bid the crew a last farewell so solemnly
Were the men afraid, Fitzgerald?
Some were young, just starting out, while others ready to retire
All of them began to pray
To see their homes and families once more--their desire

There were storm clouds in the air that night
No stars in sight, Fitzgerald
You were sighted on the radar screen
Then went unseen, Fitzgerald
Were you searching for where safety lay
In Whitefish Bay?
Final message: you could hold your own
And then you're gone, Fitzgerald

As the family members wait at home
Your fate--unknown, Fitzgerald

Decades come and go, Fitzgerald
And every year we meet inside the musty Sailors' Hall
Then we ring the bell, Fitzgerald
One by one we read the names of those we lost, brave seamen all
Can you see it in our eyes?
Our teardrops mingle with the raindrops as they fall

There was iron ore in the hold that night
The taconite, Fitzgerald
You delivered it efficiently
To industry, Fitzgerald
A rewarding job the sailors choose
Any regrets?
We salute the mariners so brave
No one could save, Fitzgerald

A folk singer on the stage one night
The lights were bright, Fitzgerald
He recounts your storied history
The mystery, Fitzgerald
Even now the questions still remain
The loss and pain
He invokes the ancient prophecy,
Geography, Fitzgerald

Yes, he immortalized the memory
The tragedy, Fitzgerald

We will not forget the memory
The tragedy, Fitzgerald