This song is a cross between folk and calypso. It features an upbeat tempo and random bits of shouting but tells a sad story: it's about a bridge from Vancouver, British Columbia, to North Vancouver that collapsed while under construction in 1958. Eighteen steel workers and one first responder died in the tragedy.
The Debonairs were from Vancouver. Their frontman, Dave Martins, was from Guyana but moved to Canada in the mid-1950s. "Steel Men" was their only single release; it appears to have been a local hit in Toronto only. The Music Master Oldies website has a page on this song.
Martins eventually relocated to the Caribbean and formed a band called The Tradewinds that was popular there. He passed away in 2024.
"Steel Men" was covered by Jimmy Dean later in 1962; his version reached #41 on the Billboard Hot 100 but did not get airplay in Toronto.
Created April 30, 2026.