Titanic (IV), The ("Lost on the Great Titanic") (Titanic #4)

DESCRIPTION: The Titanic is only a few hours' sailing from shore when it strikes an iceberg and sinks. Both rich and poor are lost with the ship. Husbands gallantly stand aside to let their wives be saved. The band plays "Nearer my God to Thee" as she goes down
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1928 (Randolph)
KEYWORDS: ship wreck family disaster death
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
April 14/15, 1912 - Shortly before midnight, ship's time, the Titanic strikes an iceberg and begins to sink. Only 711 survivors are found of 2224 people believed to have been aboard.
FOUND IN: US(So)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Randolph 693, "The Great Titanic" ("A" text only; Randolph's "B" text is "The Titanic I")
McNeil-SouthernFolkBalladsVol2, p. 104, "The Titanic" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT, TITANIC2*
Roud #3526
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. all the other Titanic songs (plot)
cf. "Lost on the Lady Elgin" (tune)
NOTES [123 words]: This song is dD40 in Laws's Appendix I.
Despite this song (and other folklore), the band on the Titanic did NOT play "Nearer My God to Thee" as the ship sank. Instead, they played light music to prevent panic.
To tell this from the other Titanic songs, consider these stanzas:
The great Titanic went sailing
Ninety-eight miles from shore,
It suddenly struck an iceberg
And sank forevermore.
Lost, lost on the great Titanic,
Sinking to rise no more,
A number of sixteen hundred
Had failed to reach the shore.
For an extensive history of the Titanic, with detailed examination of the truth (or lack thereof) of quotes in the Titanic songs, see the notes to "The Titanic (XV)" ("On the tenth day of April 1912") (Titanic #15) - RBW
File: R693A

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