Lyr/Chords Req: Sinking of the Titanic

Subject: Sinking of the Titanic
From: GUEST,Jawbone
Date: 09 Aug 00 - 11:48 AM

Ola

I was wondering if anyone knows the lyrics of the sorrowfull Titanic song on a great folk/gospel/blues collection called Times Ain't Like they Used To Be?

I have found similar lyrics on the admitedly(probably spelt wrong!) fantastic database on this site, but not the exact ones I want.

Hope someone can help.

These threads are very entertaining

Thanks

Jawbone

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sinking of the Titanic
From: Giac
Date: 09 Aug 00 - 05:25 PM

Hi, Jawbone -

Did you see all five Titanic songs in the DT?

If you find the different one you seek, I, for one, would appreciate your posting the lyrics in this thread. But, maybe someone here can find them for you.

Good luck in your search.

Giac

Subject: Lyr Add: SINKING OF THE TITANIC (R Rabbit Brown)^^
From: Stewie
Date: 09 Aug 00 - 08:43 PM

I haven't seen a transcription of Rabbit Brown's version, so here's how I hear it. I think it's mostly right - damn sight easier than trying to decipher Charlie Poole or Uncle Dave on occasions - but the word delineating where the women and children were taken from escapes me - sounds like 'store'. Any ideas? Don't you love Brown's Blind Willie Johnson-like rendition of 'Nearer'?


SINKING OF THE TITANIC
(Richard 'Rabbit' Brown)

It was on the 10th of April on a sunny afternoon
The Titanic left Southhampton, each one as happy as a bride and groom
No one thought of danger or what their fate may be
Until a gruesome iceberg caused 1500 to perish in the sea

It was early Monday morning, just about the break of day
Captain said call for help from the Carpathia and it was many miles away
Everyone was calm and silent, asked each other what the trouble may be
Not thinking that death was lurking there upon that northern sea

The Carpathia received the wireless SOS re distress
Come at once, we are sinking, make no delay and do your best
Get the lifeboats all in readiness 'cos we're going down very fast
We have saved the women and the children and tried to hold out to the last

Now at last they called out all the passengers, told them to hurry to the deck
Then they realised that the mighty Titanic was about to be a wreck
They lowered the lifeboats one by one, taking women and children from the ?
The poor men are left to care for themselves but they sure played a hero's part

You know they stood out on that sinking deck and they was all in great despair
You know accidents may happen most anytime and we know not when and where
The music played as they went down on that dark blue sea
And you could hear the sound of that familiar hymn, singing 'Nearer my God to Thee'

Nearer my God to thee
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer to thee
Though like a wanderer
As the sun goes down
Darkness be over me
Just then the Titanic went down

Source: Richard 'Rabbit' Brown 'Sinking of the Titanic' Reissued on Various Artists 'Times Ain't What They Used to Be Vol 1' Yazoo 2028
PS

Cheers, Stewie. ^^

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sinking of the Titanic
From: GUEST,Steve Latimer
Date: 09 Aug 00 - 08:53 PM

Stewie,

Oh great, another guy I have to check out. I've never heard of Rabbit Brown, but if he's anything at all like Blind Willie, I'd better get me some.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sinking of the Titanic
From: Stewie
Date: 09 Aug 00 - 09:07 PM

Hi Steve, he recorded only a handful of sides, but lovely stuff. You can find his wonderful 'James Alley Blues' on the Harry Smith Anthology and elsewhere - I posted the lyrics months ago in the forum. All his recordings have been reissued by Document.

If you would like to find out a little about him, read this:

Click Here

In case the clicky thing plays up:

http://www.bluesworld.com/RabbitBrown.html

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sinking of the Titanic
From: Stewie
Date: 09 Aug 00 - 09:12 PM

I'll try again - I think I forgot to paste the URL into the mix. Bloody hell!

Rabbit Brown Essay

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sinking of the Titanic
From: GUEST, Banjo Johnny
Date: 09 Aug 00 - 11:25 PM

I always liked "It was Sad when the Great Ship Went Down" - Let me know if you can't find it. == Johnny

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sinking of the Titanic
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 10 Aug 00 - 12:39 PM

Stewie,

Thank you for the link. That's very interesting. I've often wondered just how many great bluesmen were never recorded at all. I'll try to find some of his stuff.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sinking of the Titanic
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 04:25 PM

There are those who believe,Steve, that Rabbit Brown and Blind Willie Harris are one and the same.

Subject: Lyr Add: TITANIC
From: Reiver 2
Date: 30 May 10 - 12:45 PM

This was a fun song to sing. I used to sing it along with "Thais" and "Abdul-the-Bul-Bul-Ameer." My words to Titanic were slightly different than the lyrics I found here, and had a couple more verses:

TITANIC

             D                            G             D
1. Oh they built the ship Titanic, for to sail the ocean blue,
                                              A7
   And they thought they had a ship that the sea would not leak thru,
             D             D7             G
   But the Lord's almighty hand knew that ship could never stand,
          D             A7             D
   It was sad when that great ship went down.

                G                      D
CHO: Oh, it was sad, Lord, sad; Oh, it was sad, Lord, sad.
                                           A7               
    It was sad when that great ship went down.
          [to the bottom of the...]
      D            D7             G   
    Husbands and wives, little children lost their lives,
             D             A7             D
    It was sad when that great ship went down.

2. Oh they sailed from old England and they were not far from shore,
   Whe the rich refused to associate with the poor,
   So they put them down below, where they were the first to go...
   It was sad when that great ship went down. [Cho.]

3. Oh, the ship was full of sin and the sides about to burst,
   When the Captain shouted, "Women and children first!"
   Then the Captain tried to wire but the lines were all on fire,
   It was sad when that great ship went down. [Cho.]

4. Oh the ship was fast a-sinking in the North Atlantic fog,
   When the First Mate wrote the last words in the log;
   The the Captain dried his eye as he kissed his wife goodbye.
   It was sad when that great ship went down. [Cho.]

5. Then they swung the lifeboats out o'er the deep and raging sea
   And the band struck up with "Nearer My God To Thee."
   Little children wept and cried as the waves swept o'er the side,
   It was sad when that great ship went down. [Cho.]

6. They were screamin' and a-shoutin' as the waves swept o'er the side
   They were jumpin' overboard and a-sinkin' in the tide.
   History was made that night, oh my God, it was a sight;
   It was sad when that great ship went down. [Cho.]

7. Oh they waited through the night, without a light in sight.
   And then toward dawn there came a beamin' light.
   Oh the rescue ships came fast and a few were saved at last;
   It was sad when that great ship went down. [Cho.]

8. Oh they built the ship Titanic for to last a thousand years,
   But the Lord's good hand couldn't save it from its fears;
   And an iceberg on the wave sent it to a watery grave,
   It was sad when that great ship went down.

One problem I always had with this song was that it came across as a very funny song about a sad and tragic disaster. How to balance that contradiction always benefited from a bit of explanation to an audience before or after singing it. Some discussion of how "literary license" modified facts, also seemed appropriate.

Reiver 2

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sinking of the Titanic
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 30 May 10 - 12:57 PM

According to collector/researcher D K Wilgus there are 87 different songs (not counting versions) on the sinking of the Titanic.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sinking of the Titanic
From: folkypaul
Date: 31 May 10 - 07:03 AM

A lot of years ago Pete Betts (Besty) used to sing a song about the Titanic which doesn't appeat to be in the DT the chorus went something like:

Pull ahead pull around,
We're bound for New York town,
Titanic is unsinkable
Tonight she will go down.

PaulO

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sinking of the Titanic
From: folkypaul
Date: 31 May 10 - 07:10 AM

Sorry Pete that should be "Betsy"

PaulO

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sinking of the Titanic
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Apr 12 - 03:44 PM

Does anyone have the words to this version?