What song was the Lumon employee whistling in Severance season 2 episode 5? 

Severance season 2 episode 5, released on February 14, 2025, has once left viewers wondering about a mysterious event at the episode's opening. The show features Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, and John Turturro in the lead roles.

Disclaimer: Readers are requested to read at their own discretion since this article contains spoilers for Severance season 2 episode 5.

Instead of continuing the lore after MDR's twists in Woe's Hollow, Severance season 2 episode 5 opens in a new setting. An unidentified man pushes a cart through the corridors of the severed floor to the Optics and Design department.

Along the way, the employee whistles a recognizable tune. This tune is The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot. When he reaches Felicia and her colleague, he asks, "Do you have them?"

They hand him what seems to be a set of dental tools, though it is unclear whether something else was secretly placed in the cart. The Export Halls employee then wheels the cart to the mysterious elevator that Irving (John Turturro) and his outie often see.

Given the tension of the opening scene in Severance season 2 episode 5, one can't help but question if there is a hidden meaning behind the song the employee was whistling.

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Ben Stiller on using The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Severance season 2 episode 5

A still from Severance season 2 episode 5 (Image via Apple TV)

The tragic sinking of the freighter in Lake Superior led to major shipping reforms in the Great Lakes. Gordon Lightfoot's song about the event became a hit, making the disaster infamous.

During an appearance on The New York Times podcast The Interview on January 11, Severance director and producer Ben Stiller discussed whether the song contained any clues related to the show. He said:

"I’m not going to say anything. I want to leave all options open. But also, I’m a Gordon Lightfoot fan. […] And I will, hopefully, always be able to use his music in movies because I think he’s just one of the great artists of our time."

Since Stiller left room for speculation about the employee whistling this specific song in Severance season 2 episode 5, fans will have to wait for new episodes to see if it really meant anything.

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What is the significance behind whistling The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Severance season 2 episode 5?

Throughout his career, Gordon Lightfoot earned both critical acclaim and commercial success for his work. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is one of the most popular songs by the Canadian folk singer.

Originally released in 1976, the song chronicles the 1975 sinking of the real-life ship SS Edmund Fitzgerald. A storm in the Great Lakes caused the tragic sinking, which led to the loss of all 29 crew members.

The whistling of this particular song in Severance season 2 episode 5 is one of those few instances when the show has referred to real-life history. This raises the question: does the employee whistling this song have a bigger meaning?

Felicia has been suspicious about the company's activities since her chat with Irving about the dark hallway to an elevator. So, she might have snuck something into the cart to learn about the company's suspicious activities down in the Exports Hall.

There is also a possibility that the Optics & Design team is collaborating with the Exports Hall team towards the rhetorical sinking of Lumos. Additionally, the song's lyrics paint a picture of what is exactly going on in Lumos. Ironically, one of the most important files Mark Scout (Adam Scott) is working on is called Cold Harbor.

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Severance is available for streaming on Apple TV+.