DE TITANIC
By Bessie Zaban, C.H. Currie, and Carl Sandburg
De rich folks 'cided to take a trip
On de fines' ship dat was ever built.
De cap'n presuaded dese peoples to think
Dis Titanic too safe to sink.
CHORUS:
Out on dat ocean,
De great wide ocean,
De Titanic, out on de ocean,
Sinkin' down!
De ship lef' de harbor at a rapid speed,
'Twuz carryin' everythin' dat de peeples need.
She sailed six-hundred miles away,
Met an icebug in her way.
De ship lef' de harbor, 'twuz runnin' fas'.
'Twuz her fus' trip an' her las',
Way out on dat ocean wide
An icebug ripped her in de side.
Up come Bill from de bottom flo'
Said de water wuz runnin' in de boiler do'.
Go back, Bill, an' shut yo' mouth,
Got forty-eight pumps to keep de water out!
Jus' about den de cap'n looked aroun',
He seed de Titanic wuz a-sinkin' down.
He give orders to de mens aroun':
"Get yo' life-boats an' let 'em down!"
De mens standin' roun' like heroes brave,
Nothin' but de wimin an' de chilluns to save;
De wimin an' de chillun a-wipin' dere eyes,
Kissin' dere husbands an' friends good-bye.
On de fifteenth day of May nineteen-twelve,
De ship wrecked by an icebug out in de ocean dwell.
De people wuz thinkin' o' Jesus o' Nazaree,
While de band played "Nearer My God to Thee!"