Ship That Never Returned, The [Laws D27]

DESCRIPTION: A ship is preparing to sail. The lives of several of the passengers, their reasons for leaving, and their farewells to family and/or sweethearts are briefly described. But the ship disappears at sea, apparently with all hands
AUTHOR: Henry Clay Work
EARLIEST DATE: 1865 (sheet music published by S. Brainard's Sons)
KEYWORDS: sea farewell wreck disaster
FOUND IN: US(Ap,MW,NE,Ro,SE,So)
REFERENCES (20 citations):
Laws D27,"The Ship that Never Returned"
Work-SongsOf-Henry-Clay-Work, pp. 91-94, "The Ship that Never Return'd" (1 text, 1 tune, a copy of the original sheet music)
Lane/Gosbee-SongsOfShipsAndSailors, pp. 82-83, "The Ship That Never Returned" (1 text, 1 tune)
Randolph 690, "The Ship that Never Returned" (2 texts)
High-OldOldFolkSongs, p. 45, "The Ship that Never Returned" (1 text)
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore2 25, "The Ship That Never Returned" (1 text plus mention of 10 more as well as a pair of offshoots)
Brown/Schinhan-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore4 215, "The SHip That Never Returned" (1 excerpt, 1 tune)
Peters-FolkSongsOutOfWisconsin, p. 106, "The Ship That Never Returned" (1 text, 1 tune)
Sandburg-TheAmericanSongbag, pp. 146-147, "The Ship That Never Returned" (1 text, 1 tune)
Hubbard-BalladsAndSongsFromUtah, #111, "The Ship That Never Returned" (1 text)
Dime-Song-Book #17, p. 7, "The Ship that Never Returned" (1 text)
Arnett-IHearAmericaSinging, pp. 92-93, "The Ship That Never Returned" (1 text, 1 tune)
Spaeth-WeepSomeMoreMyLady, p. 138, "The Ship that Never Returned" (1 text, 1 tune)
Gilbert-LostChords, pp. 142-143, "The Ship That Never Returned" (1 text)
Darling-NewAmericanSongster, pp. 186-187, "The Ship That Never Returned" (1 text)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 268, "The Ship That Never Returned" (1 text)
Cohen-LongSteelRail, pp. 197-226, "The Wreck of the Old 97" (6 texts plus excerpts, 1 tune, plus a sheet music cover and sundry excerpts from related songs including a text of "The Ship That Never Returned)
MidwestFolklore, Ivan H. Watson, "Folk Singing on Beaver Island," Volume 2, Number 4 (Winter 1952), p. 246, "The Ship that Never Returned" (reference only)
cf. Gardner/Chickering-BalladsAndSongsOfSouthernMichigan, p. 482, "The Ship That Never Returned" (source notes only)
DT 618, NVRETURN* NVRETUR2*
Roud #775
RECORDINGS:
Omar Blondahl, "The Ship That Never Returned" (on NFOBlondahl03) (on NFOBlondahl06)
Vernon Dalhart, "The Ship That Never Returned" (Gennett 3311, 1926)
Connie Foley, "The Ship That Never Returned" (Copley 9-179-B, 1953)
Bradley Kincaid, "The Ship That Never Returned" (Bluebird 5569, 1934)
Asa Martin, "The Ship That Never Returned" (Oriole 8163/Conqueror 8068 [as Martin & Roberts], 1932)
Gene McNulty, "The Ship That Never Returned" (Decca 12202)
Roe Bros. & Morrell, "The Ship That Never Returned" (Columbia 15156-D, 1927)
Charles Lewis Stine, "The Ship That Never Returned" (Columbia 15027-D, 1925)
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Johnson Ballads 1518, "The Ship That Never Returned," T. Brooks (Bristol), n.d.
LOCSheet, sm1885 21919, "The Ship That Never Returned," S. Brainard's. Sons (Cleveland), 1885 (tune)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Train that Never Returned" (tune & meter)
cf. "The Wreck of Old 97" (tune & meter)
cf. "The Rarden Wreck of 1893" (tune & metre)
cf. "The Flying Colonel" (tune)
cf. "M.T.A." (tune)
cf. "Lovers Parted" (tune, lyrics)
cf. "Her Mighty Sails the Breezes Swell" (theme)
SAME TUNE:
The Train That Never Returned (File: R694)
The Wreck of Old 97 [Laws G2] (File: LG02)
The Rarden Wreck of 1893 (File: DarNS215)
The Flying Colonel (File: EM404)
Lovers Parted (File: BrII215A)
Did the Maine Go Down? (File: List329)
M. T. A. (File: ACSF055M)
Vernon Dalhart, "The Airship That Never Returned" (Columbia 15162-D, 1927)
Ernest Stoneman, "The Face That Never Returned" (OKeh, unissued, 1924) (OKeh 40288, 1925) [probably this tune, though we haven't been able to check]
NOTES [105 words]: This may be the best-selling tune of all time in terms of fraction of the population which experienced it; "The Ship that Never Returned" was a hit in sheet music, and "The Wreck of Old 97" and "M.T.A." (which also uses the tune) were hits on record. Sadly, Work made only a little money off the piece. - RBW
Blondahl03 has no liner notes confirming that this song was collected in Newfoundland. Barring another report for Newfoundland I do not assume it has been found there. There is no entry for "The Ship That Never Returned" in Newfoundland Songs and Ballads in Print 1842-1974 A Title and First-Line Index by Paul Mercer. - BS
Last updated in version 6.8
File: LD27

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography