Saturday, April 14, 2012

The Titanic

100 Years ago, the Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg, April 15, 1912. Up until the invention of radio and television, news didn't travel as fast as it does today. Songs used to be written as a way to disseminate information, and a number of songs were written to commemorate the sinking of the Titanic. My favorite song about the titanic is Blind Willie Johnson's "God Moves on the Water".



Blind Willie Johnson "God Moves on the Water"

Blind Willie Johnson recorded it in 1929, 17 years after the sinking, so this wasn't a "news story", since Blind Willie was a gospel singer,  it's meant more as a parable on man's hubris, in that man dared to name the ship after "the Gods", the Titans of Greek mthology. In flaunting their pride in the face of God, God had to put "man" in it's place.Whether you believe it or not, it's still a great song.

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