Back in the 1950s and 60s, America had an abundance of song writers who could spin a character or emerging legend into a song. When that happened, the words and story wrapped in the lyrics became the history we all remember. In fact, in many of those songs, we each can sing their tunes and words. Let’s see if you can remember a few words from each of the songs I have written about.

First, “The Ballad of the Green Berets”, a patriotic song sung by Sergeant Barry Sadler in 1966. The words and images brought to the public a vision of the special forces and the beginning of their legend as a fighting force.

“Big Bad John,” tells the story of a quiet miner, who his fellow miners never knew much about. But on a day when things went wrong, his sacrifice told the story of bravery, and the fate of underground miners. Jimmy Dean’s song in many ways brought the fate and the unseen sacrifices miners make each day by going deep underground.

The Ballad of Davy Crockett was released in 1955 by Bill Hayes. It was not long before it seemed every kid in America had a coon skin cap. With each retelling of his story the legend grew beyond the man. Remember the words to his song, “Davy, Davy Crockett. King of the Wild Frontier.”

John Henry was a steel driving man who is believed to help dig railroad tunnels in southern West Virginia. Woody Guthrie immortalized this legendary character in the words of his song. John used his strength and determination to preserve the jobs of his fellow workers by defeating a steam driven tool. His actions cost him his life. If Woody had not written down these words of the legendary feat of determination, the story of the man whether true or a legend would have been lost in time.

Perhaps the song that helped to create an American west legend, was in the movie, “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Gene Pitney in 1962 best described how real heroes were born from song. At the beginning of the movie, Jimmy Stewart reveals the true story behind the shooting of Liberty Valance to a young reporter. As he finishes, the senior writer destroys the story and tells the young reporter with him, “This is the west sir, When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”

That is how in many ways, our great country preserves the legends and fate of our history. John Henry, Liberty Valance, Davy Crockett, Big John and the hundreds of Green Berets personal stories have gone untold, but with folk songs, and balladeers the essence of those men and women will live on in songs and story.

Today it seems that stories told in songs have become unpopular. Maybe we no longer have heroes that are worthy of being preserved in songs, but I believe that is untrue. All you have to do is look around you everyday and see people doing hard work and building America. They are all heroes in many ways.

This morning on the radio I heard a song that has pretty much faded from being played. It is in my estimation a legendary true story, turned into a song by Gordon Lightfoot. On the night of November 10, 1975 the Great Lakes iron ore freighter, Edmund Fitzgerald sailed into history as it sank beneath the dark waters of Lake Superior. Twenty-nine crew members were lost along with the 750-foot ship. For a time, the fate of the Big Fitz as she was known to those who sailed upon her, was unknown to families and friends. Her story was hidden below 530 feet of water. As often happens when mystery and fate take over takes a ship, her story begins to grow. In the case of the Big Fitz, her story lives on because it was written into a song sung by Gordon Lightfoot.

Like in the ballads I told you of in my story, the song took a few liberties with the retelling. The most telling is of the final communications of Captain McSorley, “holding our own.” In the Lightfoot retelling, the skipper reports of water comin’ in after the cook came on deck saying, “Fellas, it’s been good to know ya.” Legend and tall tales grow and change with retelling, but what is important is that the story of these legends will be retold in song for years to come, at least that is how I see it Through the Lens.