By Great Lakes Echo
Nov. 18, 2009
Echo’s Great Lakes music map map is growing with new reader contributions of songs inspired by the lakes. Check out the additions by clicking on the map found here.
Among our favorites of the new additions:
- Terry Brown We’ve got this Mucky Water (Clifford Stuehmer) A late entry that helps beef out Lake Huron’s representation.
- Gun Street Girl (Tom Waits) with the wonderful line: “Sittin’ by the Erie with a bull-whipped dog.”
- Galloping Goby Blues (David Jude) featuring this verse: “There’s gobies in Superior and St. Clair, Gobies running rampant everywhere, Gobies in the bathroom, gobies in the sink, they know where you’re going, they know what you think.”
Got a good one? Suggest it in the comments below or at the bottom of the original story.
Mike Ridley’s Website is
http://www.loosechange.tv/mikeridley/
CD’s can be ordered thru the Merchandise pagehttp://www.loosechange.tv/mikeridley/merchandise.asp
The Studio cut of Michigan Man is on his One of a Kind CD
while the Live version is on “A Guy Walks into a Bar”.
im doing a project on the goby and the song the galloping goby blues sounds perfect for the media aspect; does anyone know where i can download it??
Mike Ridley is a talented and entertaining song writer and performer. I believe he does have several CDs available.
You may want to go directly to his wesite at mikeridley@charter.net.
Hi Mike,
I was wondering if there was any way to purchase a copy of the “Michigan Man” song. Do you have a cd out? I love the song and would like to get a copy of it. Thanks.
Yours Truely,
Don Baldwin
Who could forget Mike Ridley’s, I am a Michigan Man.
The Great Lakes line:
where sleeping bears lie on the sand
where Manitou has placed his hands
MICHIGAN MAN
When I wander far a way, a dream stays with me night and day.
It’s the road that leads to my home state,
I am a Michigan Man.
Changing seasons paint the scene
like rainbow trout in a hidden stream
the white tail deer and the tall pine trees
I am a Michigan Man.
(chorus)
I am I am a Michigan Man
ask where I’m from and I’ll show you my hands
Lord above I love this land
I am a Michigan Man
From the Keewenaw down to St. Joe
Kalamazoo east to Monroe
Sault Ste. Marie and back again
I am a Michigan Man
(cho)
(bridge)
Mitch-i-ga-mee
Win a-wen nsustung
wah-sey-wah mib-zey-wen
geen-wah gaa-muk,
wen-maa-naa-nuk
Ab-nab-ma-ing
Anishnabe Anishnabe
(Looking back,
he who understands
the passing light
will always remember
the first people of
Michigan)
If I should die across the sea
on a peninsula you can bury me
and on my headstone it should read
here lies a Michigan Man
(chorus)
(repeat chorus)
I am, I am a Michigan Man
where sleeping bears lie on the sand
where Manitou has placed his hands
I am a Michigan Man
copyright 1995
Mike Ridley
Keweneh Music
I think the Great Lakes greatest song is by Pat Dailey – Great Lakes Song.
The main verse is:
Sweet mother Michigan, Father Superior coming down from Mackinaw and Sault Saint Marie, Blue water Huron flow down to Lake Erieo fall to Ontario and run on out to sea
The GreaT Lakes are a diamond on the hand of North America
bright face shining jewel on the..
Fresh water highway coming down from Canada
all around the coastline can’t you hear them sing
Hardy are the seaman on the Ships that load the iron ore sailing out of Thunderbay to Buffalo
Hardy are the fisherman just like their fathers were before that say they’ll marry me at sea…
The song is up beat with a great rythym and passion for the lakes
He also sings a song about Walleye – Legend of the Lake (Erie) – Putn Bay
There is Lee Murdock who sings ballads about the ship the Dinkey. Lady of Old Maumee Bay(Toledo Lighthouse) and the Ashtabula lighthouse
KD Moore who sings about Mari Gras(at Putin Bay)
Dan Hall who sings about the Bradley(ship)
There is also ballad singer Russ Franzen who sings about the Maumee and Erie Canal
Putin Bay is probably the most renowned island in the Great Lakes – a fun place with history – food, music and drink
All of these singers are in Northwest Ohio except Murdock who hails in Illinois