The Ship that Never Returned explained

"The Ship That Never Returned" is a ballad written and composed by Henry Clay Work (1832–1884) in 1865. It was first published in September that year by Root & Cady, whom Work had collaborated with throughout the American Civil War. It narrates the departure of a ship from a harbor that never come back, with a mother and the captain's wife lamenting the loss of their loved ones who were on board.

The song is best known nowadays for melodically inspiring later country tunes—most notably, the 1903 ballad "Wreck of the Old 97", which would become first million-selling country music hit. The melody was also adapted in Walter A. O'Brien's 1948 campaign song "Charlie on the MTA".

Composition

Work as a songwriter

Henry Clay Work gained popularity during the Civil War, writing tunes for Root & Cady.

Lyrical analysis

The song concerns a ship that left a harbor and never came back. A reason for the ship not returning is not given in the lyrics. However, the line "and their fate is yet unlearned" implies that the reason is unknown.

Influences

Parodies of the popular song started appearing by 1888.

"The Train that Never Returned" is one of the early parodies of Work's song:

Carl Sandburg's collection American Songbag recorded an adaptation from the Kentucky mountains. The tune formed the basis of "Wreck of the Old 97", about a 1903 train wreck; recorded by Vernon Dalhart in 1924, and many others afterward, the song became the first million-selling country music hit.

The melody was adapted in "Charlie on the MTA", created in 1948, as a campaign song for Walter A. O'Brien about a man unable to alight from a Boston subway train because, rather than change all the turnstiles, the M.T.A. added an exit fare - Charlie did not have the extra nickel to get off the train. The Kingston Trio recorded the song in 1959 (as "M.T.A.") and had a hit with the recording in the same year.

References

Citations

Bibliography

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