Lyr Add: The Ship and My Lover Went Down

Subject: Lyr Add: THE SHIP AND MY LOVER WENT DOWN
From: Martin _Ryan
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 11:00 AM

Anybody heard the following or know anything about it? Recoarded in 1942, but I'm not sure if it refers to WW1 or WW2.

The Ship And My Lover Went Down

I tossed and I rolled on my pillow,
And scarcely one wink could I sleep,
As the liner sailed out towards the billow;
Took my friend far away o'er the deep.
The moon, oh, her pale rays were shedding
O'er my cottage so lonely and dim,
I dreamed and I knew in my slumber
That something would happen to him.

The ship was the Queen of the Ocean,
Her crew were all manly and brave,
Old Éireann, she feared not the monster
That lurked 'neath the crest of the wave.
When a shell from the sea broke her vital ????
Twas an act of the darkest renown
And the waves they all dashed in confusion
Where the ship and my lover went down.

Some day I will cross o'er the ocean
And of roses I will lay a gown,
On the great tragic spot on the ocean,
Where the ship and my lover went down.
Now the sun shines as brightly as ever

Regards

Subject: RE: The Ship and my lover went down??
From: Clinton Hammond2
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 11:35 AM

Awww geeze... I was hoping from the title that it was gonna be a porno folk song!!

LOL!!

{~`

Subject: RE: The Ship and my lover went down??
From: paddymac
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 11:38 AM

Geez, Clinton - I think there were a bunch of us.

Subject: RE: The Ship and my lover went down??
From: M. Ted (inactive)
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 02:18 PM

Judging by the language and the style of verse, I would guess that it wasn't a war in this century, and maybe not the last one (as far as I am concerned, this is still the 20th Century). I checked Bruce O's broadside index, but didn't find anything--maybe you'll do better Broadside Ballad Index He might be the best one to ask--Click to e-mail

Subject: RE: The Ship and my lover went down??
From: TerriM
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 05:10 PM

Damn, like Clinton, I was hoping for something a little more earthy! Maybe we should start our own porno folk song?

Subject: RE: The Ship and my lover went down??
From: Martin _Ryan
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 08:50 PM

How about "The Ship .... and my lover went down"?

Less thread creep please, folks - at least till we see if anyone can tell me anything about the song!

Regards

Subject: RE: The Ship and my lover went down??
From: Jacob B
Date: 03 Mar 00 - 09:27 AM

"... she feared not the monster
That lurked 'neath the crest of the wave.
When a shell from the sea broke her vital "

It sounds to me like the ship was sunk by a torpedo from a submarine. That would put it in this century.

Subject: RE: The Ship and my lover went down??
From: Wolfgang
Date: 03 Mar 00 - 09:53 AM

I've never heard of that song before, but the story reminds me of the torpedoing of the Lusitania in 1915.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: The Ship and my lover went down??
From: Wolfgang
Date: 03 Mar 00 - 09:59 AM

read this little Lusitania story including the premonition cited to see some parallels. However, so far this is but a guess.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: The Ship and my lover went down??
From: Wolfgang
Date: 03 Mar 00 - 10:04 AM

I can't get the link working, so here's some excerpts:

'In the spring of 1915 the great ship was torpedoed by the German U-20 commanded by Kapitanleutnant Walther Schwieger. In only 20 minutes, the ship sank. One thousand, one hundred and ninety-eight people perished. Prior to the Lusitania's final voyage, Germany published warnings in the newspapers indicating that Allied passenger vessels might be attacked by German vessels. Few heeded those warnings. "Another premonition is something I shall see as long as I live. One night I saw a great ship rent asunder, break up and go down. I saw Elbert Hubbard and his wife clasp hands and go to their cabin, but I did not hear what a survivor said of Hubbard's wife's remark, "Well.. there seems to be nothing to be done." It was the most awful scene imaginable.

Just then my daughter called, "Wake up and turn over, you have nightmare again." I described my dream but slept no more that night. Next morning the world was horrified by the tragic fate of the Lusitania." --Minerva Thessing as told to Sara Wrenn as part of a WPA project Oregon Folklore Studies, 1939 The Lusitania left New York under the command of Captain William Turner with 1,959 passengers on 1 May 1915. The ship was rumored to be carrying weaponry for the Allied forces in Europe. There is also a theory that the German U-boat captain believed the Lusitania was transporting troops. On 7 May 1915, the Lusitania was in the dangerous waters off the southern coast of Ireland. Although the Cunard Archives indicate that Captain Turner took the necessary precautions, other sources indicate the Captain failed to follow directives to sail in a zig-zagging fashion and did not travel these waters at top speed in order to conserve fuel. It should be noted, also, that no military escort was provided even though the Germans had been quite explicit in their threats against British shipping. At approximately 2:15pm a torpedo struck the Lusitania on the starboard side between the third and fourth funnels. This strike was followed an another explosion of uncertain origin. The Lusitania listed sharply and sank bow first, in a manner similar to the Titanic. Unlike the Titanic, however, the Lusitania's list and rapidity of sinking rendered the lifeboats, though adequate in number, virtually useless.

Subject: RE: The Ship and my lover went down??
From: DonMeixner
Date: 04 Mar 00 - 12:42 AM

I understand that Mary Ellen Carter gave a groan and the she went down.

Subject: RE: The Ship and my lover went down??
From: Martin _Ryan
Date: 04 Mar 00 - 04:24 PM

Wolfgang

You may well be right - the style is consistent with early 20th c. And the Lusitania was the most famoous/infamous sinking off the Irish coast in the first world war. At one stage, while teaching sailing in West Cork, I used to visit a tiny Protestant church in a village called Castletownshend - to look at some wonderful stained glass, mainly. Anyway: propped up in the doorway of the church is an oar which was washed ashore from the Lusitania in that area.

Regards

Subject: RE: The Ship and my lover went down??
From: Wolfgang
Date: 09 Mar 00 - 09:55 AM

Martin,
right this morning in my local newspaper under the heading 'forgotten tragedies' I read about the sinking of the 'Empress of Ireland' on May, 29th, 1914, after a collision off the Canadian coast, with a loss of more than 1000 lives.
Another possible candidate with the Irish connection in the name, though I think a less likely canditate than the Lusitania (see Jacob's argument).

Wolfgang