The Titanic (song) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "The Titanic" |
|
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Written | 1915 or 1916 |
| Published | 1927 |
| Genre | American folk music |
| Songwriter(s) | William and Versey Smith |
"The Titanic" (also known as "It Was Sad When That Great Ship Went Down" or "Titanic (Husbands and Wives)") is a popular folk song and a children's song. It tells the story of the famous ship RMS Titanic which sank on April 15, 1912. The ship hit a huge iceberg and went down into the ocean.
About the Song
This song is about the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic. The ship was thought to be unsinkable, but it went down on its first trip across the Atlantic Ocean. Many people were on board, and the event shocked the world.
Different Versions
The most common part of the song, called the chorus, usually goes like this:
It was sad when that great ship went down
Husbands and wives and little children lost their lives
It was sad when that great ship went down
In many versions, the chorus might start with "it was sad, so sad, it was sad." Also, some versions add "to the bottom of the..." after "went down." The verses, or different parts of the song, can also be in a different order depending on who is singing it.
The song "The Titanic" has been sung in many places. It was first heard around 1915 or 1916 in Hackleburg, Alabama. Other early versions from about 1920 were found in North Carolina.
Some of the first recordings of the song were by Ernest Stoneman in 1924. William and Versey Smith also recorded a version in 1927. People from different backgrounds had their own ways of understanding and singing about the event. They sometimes saw it as a powerful story or a lesson.
Recordings
Many artists have recorded "The Titanic" song. Here are some of them:
- William and Versey Smith on Anthology of American Folk Music, Smithsonian Folkways 1952
- Bessie Jones on The Alan Lomax Collection Sampler Rounder 1997
- Woody Guthrie on The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1: This Land Is Your Land, Smithsonian Folkways 1999
- Pert Near Sandstone on "Paradise hop" version called "sad when the great bridge came down" 2011
- Ernest Stoneman on The Face That Never Returned / The Sinking of the Titanic (singles) 1924
- Mance Lipscomb on Texas Songster Volume 2 (You Got to Reap What You Sow) 1964
- Pete Seeger on Headlines and Footnotes: A Collection of Topical Songs, Smithsonian Folkways 1999
