Jamie Brockett - "The Legend of the Titanic" (1970)

This is the full version of a song which I haven't heard since it's re-release on Capitol Records in 1970. It was originally recorded for Oracle Records. I was going to do a serious post on the Titanic, the sinking of which, coupled with my father's service in the Navy, lead me to go to sea. I first heard this song on a late night FM station. I believe it was on Alison Steele's show, "The Night Bird", which aired on WNEW-FM from 2 AM until 6 AM daily. When the station found out that she was the #1 late night DJ, they switched her hours. She left the station in 1979. Ms. Steele is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

The song is a totally re-invented version of the events concerning the Titanic. The song has the Titanic sailing from New York to London, which is, of course, incorrect. The reference to the Wright Brothers having not been to Kitty Hawk yet is also wrong, although no one had yet flown across the Atlantic. But the song is really a social protest song about class distinction, something which was very real aboard the Titanic on the night she went down. Listen to the verse about the color of the tickets and you will see what I mean. Also, pay attention for the hemp factory in Mexico and the 497 feet of rope which the First Mate takes aboard for his journey to England.

Jamie Brockett's career as a folk artist was most likely destroyed by this song. We have all heard of "one hit" artists before, but surely Mr. Brockett's 13 minute rendition of this song takes the prize for the longest of the genre. It was the only song on his debut album to chart, and he was forever plagued to perform this song wherever he went.

The cultural references in the song are abundant and colorful. The whole story centers on the world champion boxer Jack Johnson, who wants to travel to England for a fight, and attempts to board the Titanic for his journey. His ticket is the wrong "color", and so he is left behind, on the pier, fishing. Although some may find this ballad to be "politically incorrect" by today's standards, I still find this song entertaining, with much to say about social values. Ironically, this song about the "unsinkable" Titanic may have "torpedoed" Jamie Brockett's career as a more serious singer/songwriter.

"The Legend of the Titanic" by Jamie Brockett

It was back around the turn of the centuries, back around nineteen hundred and thirteen. There was a negro pugilist his name was Jack Johnson.

Now old Jack Johnson he was the toughest man in the whole wide world. He used walk around whoppin' people up side the head 'n makin' all sorts of money.

Like I say ol' Jack Johnson he was a pugilist. He was a pugilist by preference and by profession. And one day ol' Jack came walkin' on down by the pierside. He's just walkin on down. His manager come walkin' on down by the pierside. He says, "Uh, hi, Jack!"
He says, "Hi, manager!"
He says, "Whatcha doin'?"
He says, "I'm just walkin' on down by the pierside."

He says, "What's up?"
He says, "I gotta gig for ya."
He says, "Ya gotta gig for me?"
He says, "That's right."
He says, "Where abouts?"
He says, "Over in England."
He says, "Hmm... what'm I gonna do over there?"
He says, "Well, you goin' up n' whop this guy up side the head n' make all sorts of money."

Ol' Jack says, "That's groovy, baby! That's really groovy! You give me a ticket on the next flight out!"

He said, "Ticket on the next flight out?!? This is nineteen hundred n' thirteen. Why, the Wright brothers haven't even started foolin' around with Kitty Hawk yet!"

He said, "Uhh...who's she?"

It was midnight on the sea
the band was playing "Nearer My God To Thee".
Fare thee well, Titanic, fare thee well.

Ol' Jack says, "Well, how'm I gonna get there baby?"
N' he says "Ohhh, I'm gonna show ya" and he whips open a newspaper n' shows him a picture of the USS Titanic, folks. She's the world's biggest ship. She's made outta good wood and good iron. They said she'd never go down.

He says, "You mean I'm goin' over on the boat!"

N' he says, "That's right, baby; you're goin on the boat!"

N' he says, "Well, let's go get some tickets!" So they head on down to the ticket taker's place.

He walks on up to the ticket taker. He walks on in n' he says, "Hey, man, I wanna buy me some tickets!"

He said, "Gotta red ticket, green ticket, yellow ticket, blue ticket...what kinda ticket you want?"

He says, "I wanna red one!"

He gave him some loot n' he laid it on him.

So here's ol' Jack, he's got his ticket now. He takes everything he owns, he wraps it on up in a diaper n' he hangs it on a stick over his back n' goes headin' on down by the pierside.

He gettin' on down by the pierside, his manager's down there by the pierside, n' here she is folks - the USS Titanic! She's lined up beside two hundred n' fifty parkin' meters n' the Captain's gettin' done ready to split 'cause he run outta dimes.

Now around this time there was an Italian senator n' the state house n'...all Italian senators done got brothers own construction companies n'...this one had a brother he owned a construction company n'...the Titanic she was made outta good Italian wood, good Italian iron. They said she'd never go down.

So there's ol' Jack standin' on the bottom, got everything he owns wrapped on up in that diaper hangin' on a stick over his back. He shakes hands with his manager, goes walkin' on up the gangplank. The Captain standin' on the top. He get up onto the top n' the Captain, he look at the ticket...

He look at the ticket, he look at Jack, he look at the ticket, he look at Jack, he look at the ticket, he look at Jack, he look at the ticket, he look at Jack, lookita...

He says, "Sorry, baby, wrong color!"

He says, "Me or the ticket?!"

N' he says, "You!"

Now he wouldn't let Jack Johnson on board
They said "This ship don't haul no coal!"
Fare thee well Titanic, fare thee well.

It was midnight on the sea,
The band was playin' "Nearer My God To Thee"
Fare thee well Titanic, fare thee well.

So Jack says, "It's all right baby. It's all right. I'm gonna sit right here on the pier and watch you go right on down!"

(brief guitar solo)

So the Titanic, she sails on out into the North sea. She's out there floatin' around in and out between the icebergs n' ol' Jack's standin' on the pier.

I'm gonna tell ya 'bout the people on the Titanic now.

First of all there's a whole bunch of Jewish people from Miami. They're jumpin' up n' down, they're laughin', they're drinkin' booze, they're tradin' wives n' Cadillacs n' diamonds n' havin' all sorts of good clean party fun.

Then there was the people that run the boat. Now the people that run the boat, they know all about runnin' boats. They know all about hoistin' up land lubbers n' battenin' down hatches n' doin' all sorts of other good things like..."all good sailors do in the far away at sea".

Then there was the Captain. Now the Captain, he knows how to walk like a captain, write like a captain, walk like a captain, talk like a captain, smell like a captain, eat like a captain, do all sorts of captain things.

Then there was the first mate. Now I gotta tell ya bout the first mate. Now the first mate, he don't know nothin' about Jewish parties. He don't know nothing about hoistin' up land lubbers. He don't know nothin' about captains. He, uh, he wants to go on over to England he wants to play his guitar. He wanna run around n' chase women n' have all sorts of good...times.

Anyways this fella', his sideburns they're just a little too long. He giving way, see. He...he been down in Mexico. He been down in Mexico. He been workin' in this rope factory down in Mexico now. Down in Mexico they make rope outta this funny little hemp plant that grows wild in the ground (some of you people... grow it in flower pots under your bed)...ehh, anyways, he's down there and he's...he's makin' rope outta this funny marijuana plant. One day the rope factory, she catch fire n' he runs back on in to save his lunch - he's got two sardine sandwiches - runnin' back on in to save his lunch. He gets inside n' there's all this funny smoke floatin' around up inside n'...he gets some of this funny smoke up inside his head n'...he sit down in the middle o' de' fire n' he say,

"Shhhhhhhhhhh*t, baby, I ain't gonna make rope no more!!!"

So he takes everything he owns. He wraps it up on into a diaper and a knapsack too n' he...he headin' on to the Titanic he gets to the Titanic. He standin' on the bottom walkin' on up the gang plank n' the Captain's standin' on the top n' the Captain says, "What you got boy?"

He says, "I'm comin' on!"

He says, "WHAT YOU GOT!"

He says, "Well, I got me two changes of BVD's. I got me my guitar. I got me my address book, a... pair of socks, four Masked Marvel comic books, a tennis racquet...and four hundred n' ninety-seven n' a half feet o' rope."

He says, "Four hundred n' ninety seven n' a half feet o' rope! Whadaya got that for?"

He says, "I just carry it."

So he says, "it's all right. Go on board, go on board." And he did.

It was midnight on the sea,
The band was playin' "Nearer My God To Thee"
Fare thee well Titanic, fare thee well.

Now he wouldn't let Jack Johnson on board
They said "This ship don't haul no coal!"
Fare thee well Titanic, fare thee well.

That brings us up to what's happenin' now. The Titanic, she's floatin' around in and out between the icebergs, the Jewish people they partyin', they tradin' wives n' Cadillacs n' diamonds, they drinkin' booze n' havin' all sorts of party fun...

Everybody else is hoistin' up land lubbers n' battenin' down hatches...the First Mate he's hangin' over the rail, he's havin' himself a little smoke... he's diggin' the icebergs. Havin' himself a little smoke n' it's the Captain's time to do his thing. The Captain comes on out (remember I told you about the captain - he knows how to walk like captain, write like captain, talk like... all sorts of captain things). He comes on out n' he's standin' now. His thing right now is that he's gotta go out n' test the wind. So he casts his nose up into the north wind n' he goes...

(sniffs several times)

He walks on over to the First Mate. He says, "Hey, First Mate, what's that you smokin'?!"

He says, "That ain't nothin' but a little ol' cigarette, Captain."

N' he says, "I don't believe it! Gimme a puff!"

n' he says, "Alright...."

So the captain takes himself a little puff. Nothin' happened right away. He says, "It's alright, it's alright. It's just a cigarette. I'm goin' for a walk." And that's what he did, folks. He went for a walk. He went...he went out walkin' around the boat, he went walkin' toward the wheelhouse he...he walked around.

(tempo slows severely)

He walked around the wheelhouse once.......

He walked around the wheelhouse twice.......

On the third time around the wheelhouse.......

The First Mate he looked on over at the Captain n'.......

N' he say,.......

"You wanna 'nother toke, Captain?"......

And the Captain, he say,.......

"RIGHT!!!!!!!!"

(tempo returns to normal)

So, this time, he's gonna tell the captain a little bit about this smoke that he's smokin'. He says, "Now the idea, Captain, the idea is to get this smoke way down deep inside your tummy n' hold it there just as long as you can! It'll make you head feel good all inside."

So the Captain says, "Alright."

He takes himself three big tokes off that funny little brown weed n' he says, "I am commencing to hold it in!!"

He walked around the wheelhouse. He went downstairs. He laid down. He get up. He ran in the other room. He sent a radiogram. He came on back in. He took a shower. He come out. He shaved. He laid down. He got up again. He turned on the television. He turned off the radio. He played a game of cribbage. He read his Masked Marvel comic book. He walked thru the kitchen, made a cup of tea, made a cup of coffee, sat down, ate a piece of pie, went upstairs, played another game of cribbage, went back in, finished his other Masked Marvel comic book, Laid down, he had the television, the radio, the egg beater, the air conditioner n'everything's all goin' at once.
He walks up on deck and this is fifty-two minutes later n' this cat ain't breathed yet!!

So the First Mate see him standin' up there on the rail. He's all puffed up like a balloon! He says, "Ya gotta let it out, Captain!

So the Captain he let it all out at once.

Fallin' right down on the wheelhouse floor. He's out cold.

O-h-h-h, this just brings us up to what's happenin' again, folks. The Titanic, she's sailin' around in between the icebergs. Everybody else is havin' parties. The Jewish people they jumpin' up n' down, they tradin' wives n' Cadillacs n' diamonds n' drinkin' booze. Everybody else is hoistin' up land lubbers, battenin' down hatches n' doin' sail things. The First Mate's hangin' over there on the rail havin' himself a little smoke n' diggin' icebergs. And the Captain's out cold on the wheelhouse floor!

It was midnight on the sea,
The band was playin' "Nearer My God To Thee"
Fare thee well Titanic, fare thee well.

Now he wouldn't let Jack Johnson on board
They said "This ship don't haul no coal!"
Fare thee well Titanic, fare thee well.

All of a sudden.... the Captain's eyes popped wi-i-i-i-i-i-i-ide open.
He stood right up straight.....
Grabs a hold o' de wheel....
Looks on out at the bow o' dat boat n' he say,
"I'M GONNA MOVE YOU BABYYYYYYYYY!!!!!"

And he did, right on into an iceberg n' she went right on down!

It was midnight on the sea,
The band was playin' "Nearer My God To Thee"
Fare thee well Titanic, fare thee well.

Now he wouldn't let Jack Johnson on board
They said "This ship don't haul no coal!"
Fare thee well Titanic, fare thee well.

That's the true story of the Titanic, folks. She went right to the bottom. She took with her all the Jewish people, all the First Mates. She took with him the Captain. She took with him the land lubbers. She took with him the Masked Marvel comic books, the tennis racquet and four hundred n' ninety-seven n' a half feet o' rope!

Meanwhile back on the stateside, ol' Jack Johnson...why, he's standin' up on the pier he's fishin' away; he's got himself a little stick n' a line n' he gets a tug. He pulls it on up n' it's a big, wet, blue soggy mess n' on the inside on the lining written in big gold letters it says "USS Titanic" and stuck right above it was a wet roach!

That boy was so happy, he started doin' the eagle rock up n' down that pier like it's goin' outta style! He go...he gonna do the eagle rock now! Everybody in for the eagle rock!

Oh rock!

It was midnight on the sea,
The band was playin' "Nearer My God To Thee"
Fare thee well Titanic, fare thee well.

Now he wouldn't let Jack Johnson on board
They said "This ship don't haul no coal!"
Fare thee well Titanic, fare thee well.
Fare thee well Titanic goin down!