Lyr Req: Titanic: God Moved

Subject: Titanic: God Moved
From: GUEST,Brian Peters
Date: 01 Sep 00 - 10:41 AM

Anyone out there got the full lyrics for the Titanic song that has the chorus "God moved upon the water, April the fourteenth day; God moved upon the water, everybody they began to pray"

It has a great line about some guy kissing his wife for the last time as the boiler explodes. I used to sing back-up on this with Sara Grey, but I'm out of email touch with her right now and I could do with the lyric quickish. I think it might have come from Bessie Jones.

Cheers! Brian

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Titanic: God Moved
From: GUEST,Kathy Westra, cookieless
Date: 01 Sep 00 - 06:34 PM

Tom Gibney of Princeton, NJ, sings what I consider to be the definitive version of this. He may be the person Sara learned it from -- he sings it every year at a gathering in connecticut that Sara attends. Judy Cook also learned this song from Tom. Maybe she'll make an appearance and post the words. She, too, sings the song -- and very well indeed. Kathy

Subject: Lyr Add: THE TITANIC (trad. Georgia Sea Island)^^
From: Stewie
Date: 01 Sep 00 - 08:33 PM

Hi Brian, this is probably the version you want. I also posted Richard 'Rabbit' Brown's version recently if you are interested.

THE TITANIC
(Traditional)

Chorus (Repeated after every stanza):
God moves on the waters
April the 14th day
God moves on the water,
Everybody had to run and pray

Titanic left Southampton
With all their sport and game
But when they struck that iceberg
I know their mind was changed

Their mothers told their daughters
On a pleasure trip they may go
But when they struck that iceberg
They haven't been seen anymore

One man, John Jacob Astor,
A man with pluck and brain
While this great ship was sinkin'
All the women he tried to save

He was warended (sic) by a freight boat
Captain Smith would not take heed
But instead of givin' a warnin'
He ran with greater speed

He kissed his wife a last time
When the boiler did explode
He helped her in the lifeboat
Sayin', 'I won't see you anymo''

The story of the shipwreck
Is almost too sad to tell
One thousand and six hundred
Went down forever to dwell

Well, the 14th day of April
It was in nineteen hundred and twelve
The ship had a wreck by the iceberg
It went down forever to dwell

Source: As sung by Bessie Jones, Hobart Smith and Georgia Sea Island Singers. Recorded April 1960 by Alan Lomax on St Simon's Island, Georgia. Reissued on Various Artists 'Velvet Voices: Eastern Shores Choirs, Quartets and Colonial Era Music – Southern Journey Vol 8' Rounder CD 1708.
PS.

Cheers, Stewie. ^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Titanic: God Moved
From: GUEST,PJ Curtis(The Burren,Ireland)
Date: 02 Sep 00 - 03:39 PM

Brian, Is the song you are looking for titled 'God Moves On The Water'?. If so the original was rec'd by Blind Willie Johnson in 1928. Frank Hutchinson also re'd an early 'Sinking Of The Titanic' circa 1927/8. PJC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Titanic: God Moved
From: Mark Clark
Date: 02 Sep 00 - 05:21 PM

According to this "well researched" article by a (surely) unempeachable source <g>, it may not have been God.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Titanic: God Moved
From: GUEST,Brian
Date: 03 Sep 00 - 06:26 AM

Thanks folks. Stewie's words are pretty much as I remember them. Mark, the article you linked gave me a whole new insight into the case. I suspect it was the same culprits who got JFK and Princess Di. Brian

Subject: Lyr Add: TITANIC (from Georgia Sea Islands)
From: Judy Cook
Date: 03 Sep 00 - 10:23 AM

Maybe too late, but here:

TITANIC
From the Georgia Sea Islands by way of Tom Gibney

chorus: God moved on the water
April the 14th day
God moved on the water
Everybody had to run and pray.

Titanic left Southampton
With all her sport and games
But when she struck that iceberg
You know their minds were changed

Mothers told their daughters
On a pleasure trip they might go
But when she struck that iceberg
They never were seen no more

Carpathia gave them a warning
Captain Smith would not take heed
Instead of heeding the warning
He ran with the greatest of speed

One man, John Jacob Astor,
A man of pluck and brain
When he saw the ship was a-sinking
Women and children he tried to save

He kissed his wife for the last time
When the boiler it did explode
He helped her down in the lifeboat
Saying, "I never will see you no more"

The story of that shipwreck
Almost too sad to tell
One thousand and six hundred
Went down forever to dwell

The fourteenth day of April
Nineteen hundred and twelve
Titanic had a wreck with the iceberg
She went down forever to dwell.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Titanic: God Moved
From: Stewie
Date: 03 Sep 00 - 06:52 PM

In stanza four, 'heedin'' would seem the more appropriate word, but Lomax's transcription has 'givin'' and it is what Bessie Jones sings: 'But instead of givin' a warning'. In contrast to Judy's posted version, there is no mention at all of the 'Carpathia'. Apart from stanza four and a couple of minor wording changes, the two versions posted here are identical. Lomax noted that Bessie's version is similar to one collected by the Lomaxes from Lightnin' Washington at Darrington State Farm, Texas, in 1933.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Titanic: God Moved
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 08:21 PM

Lyr. Add: THE TITANIC (Scarborough)

It was in the year nineteen hundred an' twelve,
On April the fourteenth day,
When the great Titanic struck a iceberg,
An' de people had to run an' pray.

Chorus:
God moved on de waters, God moved on de waters,
God moved on de waters,
An' de people had to run an' pray.

While the guards who had been watchin',
Were asleep fo' dey was tired,
Dey heard the great excitement,
An' many guns were fired.

Some people had to leabe dey happy homes,
An; all dat dey possessed,
Lawd Jesus, will you hear us,
Hear us in our distress?

When de captain gib his orders,
It was women an' children first;
Many lifeboats was let down,
An' many libes was crushed.

Some women had to leave dey loved ones,
An' flee fo' de safest place.
But when dey seen dey loved ones drown,
Dey hearts did almost break.

The survivors in general did escape to de la n',
Dey lives dey tried to save,
But de torture an' de price dey paid fo' life
Is a warnin' to ebery man brave.

Watchers' hearts on de boats was touched,
An' dey eyes was moved to tears,
When widows inquired ob dey loved ones,
Wid nothin' in dey hearts but fears.

It's bes' to stay away fum de ocean,
De dry ol' lan' am de best
Fo' den you don't get drownded,
When you lay down to rest.

Similar to the one posted by Stewie, but an interesting comparison, one from Georgia, one from Texas. Was there a recording from which these two were obtained?
Dorothy Scarborough, 1919, "From a Southern Porch," pp. 305-307; reprinted in the Introduction by Roger D. Abrahams to Scarborough, 1925, "On the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs," vi-vii.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Titanic: God Moved
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 14 Apr 12 - 07:07 AM

Refresh, on April the fourteenth day of the year '12

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Titanic: God Moved
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 14 Apr 12 - 01:34 PM

Tom Gibney learned it from Bessie Jones.

Here's Tom Gibney, Heather Wood and David Jones (Poor Old Horse) singing it --

God Moved On the Water

Linn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Titanic: God Moved
From: foggers
Date: 14 Apr 12 - 02:00 PM

I had the great good fortune to hear Judy Cook sing this very song just a few days ago at Kiveton Park folk club, S Yorkshire, UK. It was a superb evening with Judy and Dennis that was over far too quickly!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Titanic: God Moved
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 14 Apr 12 - 04:02 PM

Bessie Jones (YouTube)

~ Becky in Long Beach

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Titanic: God Moved
From: MartinRyan
Date: 14 Apr 12 - 04:57 PM

I think this is the song that got Kimber's Men excommunicated!

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Titanic: God Moved On The Water
From: Genie
Date: 14 Apr 12 - 06:50 PM

God Moved on the Water ( Titanic ) - Dave Guard and The Dave's Place Group

God Moved on the Water (Titanic) - Andy Wallace at FSGW Getaway concert 2008 (with the audience singing along on the chorus so loud the sound gets a bit distorted).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Titanic: God Moved
From: Little Robyn
Date: 15 Apr 12 - 04:59 AM

We played a version of this on our radio show today, sung by Theresa Tooley.
Robyn