When The Great Ship Went Down
William & Versey Smith Lyrics


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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

William & Versey Smith's song "When The Great Ship Went Down" is a mournful tribute to those who lost their lives on the Titanic on April 15, 1912. The lyrics describe the chaos and heartbreak of the events that took place that day. The song opens with the image of the ship "reeling and rocking" as children cry and accept their fate. The chorus emphasizes the sadness of the tragedy, referencing the loss of husbands, wives, and children. The verses continue with a scathing indictment of the class system that put the poor below deck and, ultimately, led to their tragic end. The final verse includes an implication of negligence on the part of those who built the ship, boasting it was unsinkable, and reflecting on the more than 1,500 passengers and crew members who perished that day.


Line by Line Meaning

On a Monday morning, just about nine o'clock.
It was early on a Monday when the disaster happened.


Great Titanic began to reel and rock;
The ship started to tilt, causing chaos.


Children weepin' and cry, "Yes, I'm going to die!"
The children on the ship were terrified and crying because they knew they were going to die.


Wasn't it sad when that great ship went down?
The tragic sinking of the Titanic was a sorrowful event.


Sad when that great ship went down.
The sinking of the great ship was a tragedy that made many people feel sorrowful.


Husbands and wives. Children lost their lives.
Many people lost their loved ones, including husbands, wives, and children.


When that ship left England, making for the shore,
The ship set off from England to America.


The rich had declared that they would not ride with the poor.
The wealthy passengers refused to travel in the same class as poor passengers.


Put the poor below, Where first they had to go.
The poor were made to stay in lower decks of the ship where they faced greater danger.


People on that ship, long ways from home.
Many of the people on the Titanic were far from their homes.


Friends all around, didn't know the time had come.
Passengers on board the Titanic had no idea that disaster was imminent.


Death come riding by, Sixteen hundred had to die.
The passengers on the ship were faced with death when the Titanic sank, and many did not survive.


While they was building, said what they would do.
The builders of the Titanic promised to make the ship unsinkable.


Now they would build a ship that water can't come through.
The builders of the ship believed that they had created a vessel that was invincible to water.


(Unintelligible)
This line is unintelligible and does not convey a clear message.




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Comments from YouTube:

Brian Prioleau

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

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.

zenomaxable

One of my favourites of Harry Smith's great collection.

L. Bolton

Wonderful.  Reminds me of Blind Willie Johnson's songs.

Azrael Pilgrim

Uau! very cool!

Cora Visser

This is incredible played where do find this music here on this site.Thank you so much.

Nick Roberts

"Manufactured proud dream destroyed at shipwreck. Segregated poor die first.” --Harry Smith

Eric made of tin

Is that a washboard? Their blending of voices works somehow.

lastfirstface

Rip titan forever in our hearts