Some disaster song lyrics

Subject: Some disaster song lyrics
From: JonWaterman
Date: 21 Jan 14 - 06:33 PM

Hi Everyone-

If anyone is looking for lyrics to some old disaster songs or parlor songs, or has a general interest in the subject- my website http://www.thedisastersongproject.com has the lyrics to some p.d. disaster songs.

(The site is for a concept CD I just completed- and it also has lyrics to original disaster songs. Of course, you're more than welcome to look at those too- but so you don't have hunt around for the non-originals, they are:

"The Terrible Texas Storm" about the Galveston Hurricane
"Titanic"** (you know what this is about- but this one isn't p.d.- it's the Leadbelly tune)
"The Two Orphans" about the Brooklyn Theater Fire
"The Bridge was Burned at Chatsworth" about the Chatsworth railroad disaster
"The Johnstown Flood"
"My Father was a Sailor on the Maine"
"The Burning of Frisco Town" about the 1906 SF earthquake/fire
"The Billow of Fire!" a hymn inspired by the Chicago Fire written by P.P. Bliss, who himself died in the Ashtabula train disaster several years later.

If anyone has any thoughts about the site, I'd welcome your suggestions. Even though it's a personal site for a CD, I'm thinking of the website as a sort of online museum. Hoping to add more photos and illustrations over time, add to the notes, and maybe even add a few more songs and/or disasters.

Hope you enjoy!
Jon

Subject: RE: Some disaster song lyrics
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Jan 14 - 07:57 PM

I think there's a Broadsheet about the Great Beer Flood of London, if so it's crying out for a song. Is there one for the Boston Molasses Disaster?
I kid you not, two of the 19th Century's worst industrial accidents. The flood of beer swept from Tottenham Court Road to Charing Cross...a good mile.

Subject: RE: Some disaster song lyrics
From: Bert
Date: 21 Jan 14 - 08:14 PM

Nice collection Jon.

Of course you have now opened yourself up to be inundated with disaster songs ans subjects.

Here is one by our own (late and deary beloved) Katlaughing about The Columbine Tragedy.


"That's not my Colorado
With the blue skies up above,
That's not my Colorado,
Where the school ran with blood.

That's not my Colorado
Where my parents grew up proud
That's not my Colorado
Senseless killing was not allowed.

Colorado was the beauty
Of the Rocky Mountains high
Colorado was the quiet
Of the river's gentle sigh.

Colorado meant a home to me
And now, I know it not
That's not my Colorado
Where the children felt the shot."

kathleen lafrance 4-20-99

Subject: RE: Some disaster song lyrics
From: JonWaterman
Date: 21 Jan 14 - 08:18 PM

I've come across a few local New England songwriters who've done Molasses Flood songs- I think I interviewed one of them for the thesis on this I did some years ago. Because there were a few already, I decided not to take it on myself.

I hadn't heard about the Great Beer Flood! That sounds like it would be a sure fire modern commercial country hit.

Subject: RE: Some disaster song lyrics
From: Leadfingers
Date: 21 Jan 14 - 08:35 PM

I was in a group that broke up in acrimony - We were Fool's Gold , and I stole Paul Metsers song 'Farewell to the Gold' and did a rewrite . That really WAS a disaster !!

Subject: RE: Some disaster song lyrics
From: JonWaterman
Date: 21 Jan 14 - 08:39 PM

yeah, unfortunately these days songs about school shootings could be a whole subject of their own. I remember when I did the school program someone asked me "What about the Kennedy assassination? Wasn't that a disaster?" Of course it was in a way, though I tend to think of it more as a crime. And obviously there's some overlap. I had to draw the line somewhere, so I tried to avoid "intentionally caused" disasters- which is why the Sept. 11 attacks aren't on the website (though I did put a song about that on the bonus CD that comes with it).

Some would argue that the sinking of the Maine was intentionally caused. That's disputed- but I couldn't resist including the song because I knew the great grandson of the woman who wrote the prlor song about it.

And speaking of intentionally caused disasters- there's a killer WWI song- "When the Lusitania Went Down." If I'd a come across the chords for that I would have made an exception!

Subject: RE: Some disaster song lyrics
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 21 Jan 14 - 08:46 PM

Are you sure ... You are not John M? With a new thesis?

He compiled a marvelous collection of bawdy recordings.

You have a grand project.


CHICAGO FIRE
"One Dark Night" aka "Old Mother Leary" aka "Hot Time"

In the DT at:

http://mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=7241

Sincerely.
Gargoyle

nice try... but the lafkat ashes dont fly close. WRHS

Subject: RE: Some disaster song lyrics
From: JonWaterman
Date: 21 Jan 14 - 09:05 PM

Thanks! I'll check it out-

Subject: RE: Some disaster song lyrics
From: JonWaterman
Date: 21 Jan 14 - 09:17 PM

Oh yeah- I didn't recognize the title, but I did come across that stanza when I was doing the thesis. I think it dates from the 19 teens. It drove me nuts- trying to find a recording of a Mrs. O'Leary song- she's not mentioned in any of the Chicago Fire songs contemporary to the disaster. There's a Brian Wilson instrumental called "Mrs. O'Leary" (not the same melody as "Hot Time in the Old Town," and I seem to recall there was a Johnny Horton song that I was never able to track down.

Subject: RE: Some disaster song lyrics
From: topical tom
Date: 22 Jan 14 - 11:09 AM

The Springhill Mine Disaster (jn the Digitrad)

Subject: RE: Some disaster song lyrics
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jan 14 - 03:39 PM

I forgot about the corollary disaster in the London Flood, when the floor collapsed under the weight of the crowd paying to see some of the dead, plunging them into the cellar bellow which was still full of beer.

And then of course there's The Old Dun Cow...and who exactly was Mackintyre?

Subject: RE: Some disaster song lyrics
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 23 Jan 14 - 08:16 PM

Charlie Maguire wrote a song about the Great Hinckley [Minnesota] Fire of 1894, which killed 400 to 800 people (estimates vary).

Words and chords and a sound sample are available at Charlie's web site:The Hinckley Fire.

Subject: RE: Some disaster song lyrics
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 26 Jan 14 - 03:45 AM

Here's a link to the thread about some songs that covered the horrible fire and sinking of the General Slocum in NYC on The east River in 1904. it was almost as bad a loss of life as the Titanic but since it was only an excursion ship taking people on day trips, it remains more of a local tragedy in memory. Mudcatters did a great job of adding lyrics and links to stories about the wreck.
thread.cfm?threadid=96272#1883258

Subject: RE: Some disaster song lyrics
From: Bert
Date: 26 Jan 14 - 03:47 PM

London's Burning is an oldie.

Didn't someone once write a song about Aberfan?

Subject: RE: Some disaster song lyrics
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jan 14 - 10:22 AM

The Ellen Vannin
Was there one about Grace Darling?

Subject: RE: Some disaster song lyrics
From: GUEST,John from Kemsing
Date: 27 Jan 14 - 11:29 AM

Here`s a contemporary one, just for the record.


https://soundcloud.com/#john-hills/the-a320-disaster

Subject: RE: Some disaster song lyrics
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 27 Jan 14 - 11:33 AM

Not sure if there is a song, but there was a broadsheet issued of the horrific 19th century Bank Holiday didster when the overloaded Woolwich Ferry capsized with horrific loss of life - most of the dead were poisoned by Thames water within seconds.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Some disaster song lyrics
From: JonWaterman
Date: 27 Jan 14 - 01:44 PM

The worst maritime disaster in American history was the explosion of the Sultana on the Mississippi in April, 1865. As many as 2300 recently released Union prisoners of war were killed.

www.thedisastersongproject.com/sultana.html
for an abbreviated version of the story and the lyrics (this one's an original)

You can also hear the tune at http://soundcloud.com/jon-waterman-2/sultana

Subject: RE: Some disaster song lyrics
From: GUEST,John from "Elsie`s Band"
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 06:06 AM

JIM CARROLL.
Jim,
    There is no record of the Woolwich Free Ferry ever having suffered a fatal collision or sinking but you could be thinking of the ship, "Princess Alice", a pleasure steamer from London Bridge to Sheerness that was sunk with the loss of many lives, certain of those dying as a result of the polluted Thames water as you described. There is also "The Northfleet", sunk following a collision with a Spanish vessel off Dungeoness resulting in huge loss of life. We have a song in our repertoire and sung by others known as "The Wreck of the Northfleet".
    As youngsters we would travel back and forth on the Woolwich Free Ferry just to watch those enormous engines perform, the engine room being open for public viewing through large , clear glass panels and the smell of the lubricating oil is still evocative.

John