Hi all,
Ernest Stoneman accompanied himself on autoharp and harmonica on a rack for his version of "The Titanic", from 1924. His version can be found here:
http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=2101.msg69352#msg69352 . His time was very straight up-and-down, and his phrasing has some unusual emphases. Lyrically, this might be the most influential of the early Hillbilly/Blues versions of "the Titanic" that were recorded. Stoneman began and ended his rendition with full solos on the verse and chorus on his harmonica.
SOLO
It was on Monday morning, just about one o-clock
That the great Titanic began to reel and rock
Then the people began to cry, saying, "Lord, I'm a-going to die."
It was sad when that great ship went down
REFRAIN: It was sad when that great ship went down
Husbands and wives, little children lost their lives
It was sad when that great ship went down
When they were building the Titanic, they said what they could do
They were going to build a ship that the water couldn't not go through
But God with his mighty hand showed to the world it could not stand
It was sad when that great ship went down
REFRAIN: It was sad when that great ship went down
Husbands and wives, little children lost their lives
It was sad when that great ship went down
When they left England, they were making for the shore
The rich, they declared they wouldn't not ride with the poor
So they sent the poor below, they was the first that had to go
It was sad when that great ship went down
REFRAIN: It was sad when that great ship went down
Husbands and wives, little children lost their lives
It was sad when that great ship went down
Then the people on the ship were a long ways from home
With friends all around them, didn't know their time had come
Lord, Death came riding by, sixteen hundred had to die
It was sad when that great ship went down
REFRAIN: It was sad when that great ship went down
Husbands and wives, little children lost their lives
It was sad when that great ship went down
SOLO
All best,
Johnm
