William Smith and his wife recorded four songs for Paramount in 1927. They … Read Full Bio ↴William Smith and his wife recorded four songs for Paramount in 1927. They were either from Texas or the Carolinas. William Smith was a kind of “guitar evangelist” with a percussive guitar style and a growling voice, much like Blind Willie Johnson and other singers from this period. Judging by the songs they recorded, they mixed topical songs with religious overtones with purely religious repertoire, but they could have been singing many other styles of music, like black street singers often do. The counterpoint voice of his wife who plays also with a sort of washboard all kind of percussive effects over William’s singing and repetitive guitar riffs give the Smiths a unique and raw sound unheard since then on records.

When That Great Ship Went Down
William & Versey Smith Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

On a Monday morning, just about nine o'clock
Great Titanic began to reel and rock
Children weepin' and cry
"Yes, I'm going to die!"

Wasn't it sad when that great ship went down?
Sad when that great ship went down
Sad when that great ship went down

Husbands and wives. Children lost their lives
Wasn't it sad when that great ship went down?

When that ship left England, making for the shore
The rich had declared that they would not ride with the poor
Put the poor below
Where first they had to go

Wasn't it sad when that great ship went down?
Sad when that great ship went down
Sad when that great ship went down
Husbands and wives. Children lost their lives
Wasn't it sad when that great ship went down?

When that ship left England, making for the shore
The rich had declared that they would not ride with the poor
Put the poor below
Where first he had to go

Wasn't it sad when that great ship went down?
Sad when that great ship went down
Sad when that great ship went down
Husbands and wives. Children lost their lives
Wasn't it sad when that great ship went down?

People on that ship, long ways from home
Friends all around, didn't know the time had come
Death come riding by
Sixteen hundred had to die

Wasn't it sad when that great ship went down?
Sad when that great ship went down
Sad when that great ship went down
Husbands and wives. Children lost their lives
Wasn't it sad when that great ship went down?

People on that ship, long ways from home
Friends all around, didn't know the time had come
Death come riding by
Sixteen hundred had to die

Wasn't it sad when that great ship went down?
Sad when that great ship went down
Sad when that great ship went down
Husbands and wives. Children lost their lives
Wasn't it sad when that great ship went down?

While they was building, said what they would do
Now they would build a ship that water can't come through

(Unintelligible)
Wasn't it sad when that great ship when down?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to William & Versey Smith's song "When That Great Ship Went Down" describe the tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. The song begins with the ship starting to "reel and rock" while children cry and weep, anticipating the inevitable tragedy. The chorus repeats the phrase, "Wasn't it sad when that great ship went down?", emphasizing the sadness and loss resulting from the disaster. The lyrics also touch upon the class division on-board the ship, with the rich being given better treatment and accommodations than the poor. This theme is reflected in the line, "put the poor below, where first they had to go", highlighting the inequality on-board.

The chorus of the song serves as a refrain, emphasizing the sadness and tragedy of the event. It implies that everyone on-board was affected and lost someone that they loved. The final verse describes the helplessness of those on-board, describing them as being "long ways from home" and not realizing that "death come riding by" until it was too late. The lyrics capture the fear, hopelessness, and tragedy of the event, effectively conveying the feelings of those involved.

Line by Line Meaning

On a Monday morning, just about nine o'clock
The time the Titanic sank

Great Titanic began to reel and rock
The Titanic experienced intense motion due to crashing into an iceberg

Children weepin' and cry
The tragedy was so impactful that even children were crying

"Yes, I'm going to die!"
People were aware of their impending death

Wasn't it sad when that great ship went down?
A rhetorical question to express sadness and sorrow

Husbands and wives. Children lost their lives
Families were torn apart and lost loved ones

When that ship left England, making for the shore
The start of the Titanic's journey

The rich had declared that they would not ride with the poor
Classism on the ship was evident, with wealthy passengers being prioritized over others

Put the poor below. Where first they had to go
Poorer passengers were segregated and not afforded the same luxuries as the wealthy

People on that ship, long ways from home
Many people aboard the Titanic were far from their home countries

Friends all around, didn't know the time had come
People onboard the ship were unaware of the tragedy that would befall them

Death come riding by. Sixteen hundred had to die
The tragic loss of life from the Titanic sinking

While they was building, said what they would do
The builders of the Titanic claimed the ship would be unsinkable

Now they would build a ship that water can't come through
The hubris of the Titanic builders led them to believe they could create an unsinkable ship

(Unintelligible)
Unclear what this line refers to

Contributed by Levi E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

Brian Prioleau

10y↑6

They keep telling me how sad it is, but the song just makes me want to dance. The percussion is having so much fun back there.

John Hoffman

8y↑5

My favorite song. When I first heard it the hairs on the back of my neck stood out. My teacher, Hank Sapoznik told us it was recorded in a Wisconsin furniture store. He explained that during that era those stores sold victrolas and so occasionally songs were recorded inside the stores.