The Griffon was THE FIRST SHIPWRECK OF THE GREAT LAKES! Robert LaSalle was an explorer from France who found adventure in seeking a new route China, via the St. Lawrence River. He of course never found China (he did found the settlement 'La Chine' or 'China' in Montreal along the way, modern day suburb called Lachine) but he was the first European to ever sail a tall ship on Lake Huron, when the shores were full bountiful herds of wild game and lush food-producing trees. His ship called 'Le Griffon' or 'The Griffon' disappeared mysteriously in Lake Huron, and has NEVER been located since. Odd for a lake that is extremely good at preserving everything, being as it's frigid, clear, freshwater and a shipwreck paradise for modern divers. At any rate, LaSalle ended up chasing the Mississippi River to it's end in Luisiana and was murdered in a swamp by his colleagues... The life of an explorer in those days!
lyrics
Taken by the words whispered of a land out there,
Beyond the ocean fair
Called upon by God then left the life of prayer,
Enchanted by the dare
Oh a vision only you could see,
A journey only luck could bring,
A calling only you did hear
Trailed by your failures and pockets not your own,
Onwards you did go
To make you stand in winter on a shoreline cold and bare,
To build her and prepare
Oh you hacked her from the trees on the spot,
Her rustic glory met the springtime thaw,
When you slipped her home past the rocks
Upstream toward a dream,
So young though she may seem,
Tall and free on the inland sea,
Now a whisper from the deep
A paradise of bounty mirrored on her waters fresh,
Oh Huron's rolling crest
Her gales showed no mercy on the fervid dreams of men,
At the summer's end,
Oh another winter marches on
Ship and crew lost for months,
You scoured the frozen earth to find but none
Upstream toward a dream,
So young though she may seem,
Tall and free on the inland sea,
Now a whisper from the deep
Now I dive below and I see some old remains,
They whispered me your name
"The Griffon still lives on where the light begins to fade",
The endless blue cascade
And the lighthouse danced so red in the night,
As I scan the horizon line,
For to chance her ghost sail on by
Upstream toward a dream,
So young though she may seem,
Tall and free on the inland sea,
Now a whisper from the deep
credits
from The Land, The Sea, The People,
released March 10, 2022
Written by Adam Ruzzo
Adam Ruzzo Vocals/Guitar
Tom Fitzgerald Fiddle
Spencer Murray whistle
Liam Smith Bass
Max Senitt Drums
My original music springs from my experiences roaming Canada; stories of folks who live unapologetically, a simple and
rewarding life; living on the edge, from the North West Territories, to Newfoundland. I find inspiration in the wild landscapes of Canada, including Algonquin Park and through my original compositions, try to convey musically the awe inspiring beauty so evocative of these places....more
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