22:
37:
257:
Work's composition abides by these conventions, reflected by the octet-based structure (and a quatrain for the chorus), the ABCB rhyme scheme, and the common meter. His songs are distinguished for a euphonic melody generated by the choice of words. Consider the structural analysis of the first four
221:
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.
628:
Besides punctuation, the primary distinction between the lyrical content of these sources is solely the suffix "-ed", sometimes shortened to "-'d"—the more poetic variation. The former appears in such sources as
590:
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.
21:
76:
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.
234:". These comprise verses in multiples of four—so, quatrains or octets—linked by an ABCB or ABAB rhyme scheme. Metrically, the lines singularly alternate between
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Traditional folk ballads, as is "The Ship that Never
Returned", incorporate a distinct melodic structure, composed of "
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The song is best known nowadays for melodically inspiring later country tunes—most notably, the 1903 ballad "
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recorded the song in 1959 (as "M.T.A.") and had a hit with the recording in the same year.
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43:
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84:
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Henry Clay Work had gained much popularity during the Civil War, writing tunes for
986:. Vol. 1. New York City, New York: Continuum International Publishing Group.
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1002:
981:
960:
920:
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845:
813:"Music Publishing in Chicago before 1871: The Firm of Root & Cady, 1858-1871"
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575:
in 1924, and many others afterward, the song became the first million-selling
540:"The Train that Never Returned" is one of the early parodies of Work's song:
847:
The Voices That Are Gone: Themes in
Nineteenth-Century American Popular Song
564:
537:
Parodies of the song started appearing by 1888 owing to its popularity.
925:. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: The University of North Carolina Press.
251:
247:
890:
866:
836:
812:
65:(1832–1884) in 1865. It was first published in September that year by
58:
882:
828:
965:. Vol. 4. Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press.
733:. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
922:
Battle Hymns: The Power and
Popularity of Music in the Civil War
775:. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press.
796:(2 ed.). Chicago, Illinois: University of Illinois Press.
727:
Bailey, Guy; Natalie, Maynor; Cukor-Avila, Patricia (1991).
754:. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc.
615:
The determiner "that" is sometimes capitalized, such as in
901:
Bugle
Resounding: Music and Musicians of the Civil War Era
136:
Though for years and years there were fond ones watching
772:
The Social Lives of Poems in
Nineteenth-Century America
983:
904:. Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press.
850:. New York City, New York: Oxford University Press.
119:
There were sweet farewells there were loving signals
730:
The
Emergence of Black English: Text and Commentary
793:Long Steel Rail: The Railroad in American Folksong
751:George F. Root, Civil War Songwriter: A Biography
69:, whom Work had collaborated with throughout the
549:For hours and hours the watchman stood watching,
254:feature, typically in the first metrical foot.
160:Yet she sent him forth with a smile and blessing
1022:Work, Henry C. (1923). Work, Bertram G. (ed.).
542:
123:Though they knew it not, 'twas a solemn parting
106:
1028:. New York: United States: Little & Ives.
633:, p. 140, whilst the latter features in
545:Did she never return? No, she never returned,
152:For they say, perchance in a foreign climate,
8:
170:"Only one more trip," said a gallant seaman,
111:On a summer's day, when the wave was rippled
83:", which would become first million-selling
586:", created in 1948, as a campaign song for
182:But alas! poor man! For he sailed commander
262:Scansion and rhyme analysis of verses 1–4
260:
178:Then I'll spend my days in my cosy cottage
1007:. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications.
898:Kelley, Bruce C.; Snell, Mark A. (2004).
867:"The Mysterious Chord of Henry Clay Work"
671:
571:", about a 1903 train wreck; recorded by
567:mountains. The tune formed the basis of "
156:'Twas a gleam of hope in a maze of danger
132:Did she never return? She never returned,
710:
689:
630:
616:
174:Only one more bag of the golden treasure
148:Said a feeble lad to his anxious mother,
649:
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158:And her heart for her youngest yearned,
115:Did a ship set sail with a cargo laden
695:
665:
154:There is health and strength for me."
7:
659:
634:
176:And 'twill last us all through life.
87:hit. The melody was also adapted in
551:For the train that never returned.
582:Later, the melody was adapted in "
14:
150:"I must cross the wide, wide sea,
125:For the ship, she never returned.
46:in a W. S. B. Matthews engraving.
1064:Songs written by Henry Clay Work
563:recorded an adaptation from the
547:Though the train was due at one.
184:Of the ship that never returned.
162:On the ship that never returned.
138:Yet the ship she never returned.
35:
20:
180:And enjoy the rest I've earned;
121:While a form was yet discerned;
113:By the softest gentlest breeze,
172:As he kissed his weeping wife,
134:Her fate, it is yet unlearned,
1:
919:McWhirter, Christian (2012).
55:The Ship that Never Returned
117:For a port beyond the seas.
1080:
769:Cohen, Michael C. (2015).
27:1884 sheet music cover by
865:Hill, Richard S. (1953).
811:Epstein, Dena J. (1944).
1025:Songs of Henry Clay Work
959:Randolph, Vance (1980).
945:Songwriters Hall of Fame
941:"Profile: Henry C. Work"
61:written and composed by
980:Shepherd, John (2003).
844:Finson, Jon W. (1994).
91:'s 1948 campaign song "
1004:Songs of the Civil War
1001:Silber, Irwin (1995).
748:Carder, P. H. (2008).
554:
194:
790:Cohen, Norm (2000).
205:Work as a songwriter
1054:American folk songs
569:Wreck of the Old 97
263:
81:Wreck of the Old 97
893:– via JSTOR.
839:– via JSTOR.
668:, pp. 199–200
584:Charlie on the MTA
261:
93:Charlie on the MTA
71:American Civil War
29:S. Brainard's Sons
1049:Songs about boats
932:978-0-8078-3550-0
782:978-0-8122-4708-4
761:978-0-7864-3374-2
637:, pp. 92–94.
603:Explanatory notes
592:The Kingston Trio
588:Walter A. O'Brien
530:
529:
240:iambic tetrameter
236:iambic pentameter
89:Walter A. O'Brien
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662:, pp. 92–94
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561:American Songbag
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217:Lyrical analysis
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104:Original lyrics
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67:Root & Cady
63:Henry Clay Work
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877:(2): 221–225.
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573:Vernon Dalhart
559:'s collection
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713:, p. 146
712:
711:Randolph 1980
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698:, p. 200
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694:
692:, p. 209
691:
690:Shepherd 2003
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674:, p. 146
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631:Randolph 1980
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617:Randolph 1980
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577:country music
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557:Carl Sandburg
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85:country music
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45:
42:The composer
38:
30:
23:
1024:
1003:
982:
961:
948:. Retrieved
944:
921:
900:
874:
870:
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823:(4): 43–59.
820:
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720:Bibliography
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682:
652:
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581:
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555:
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391:
256:
229:
226:Ballad style
220:
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195:
187:
165:
145:
128:
108:
78:
75:
54:
52:
246:Sometimes,
99:Composition
1059:1865 songs
1038:Categories
696:Cohen 2000
666:Cohen 2000
598:References
533:Influences
660:Work 1923
645:Citations
635:Work 1923
501:Syllable
437:Syllable
369:Syllable
305:Syllable
565:Kentucky
252:pyrrhics
248:spondees
242:—hence,
188:(CHORUS)
166:(CHORUS)
950:June 6,
475:Stress
399:Stress
343:Stress
267:Stress
258:lines:
57:" is a
1011:
990:
969:
929:
908:
891:892874
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837:891291
835:
800:
779:
758:
737:
384:gent-
378:soft-
338:pled,
317:mer's
146:
129:CHORUS
59:ballad
887:JSTOR
871:Notes
833:JSTOR
817:Notes
579:hit.
513:bey-
510:port
467:lad-
461:car-
455:with
452:sail
446:ship
387:lest
335:rip-
329:wave
323:when
320:day,
314:sum-
1009:ISBN
988:ISBN
967:ISBN
952:2024
927:ISBN
906:ISBN
852:ISBN
798:ISBN
777:ISBN
756:ISBN
735:ISBN
519:the
516:ond
504:For
449:not
440:Did
392:eeze
381:est
375:the
332:was
326:the
250:and
238:and
879:doi
825:doi
524:eas
470:en
464:go
372:By
308:On
95:".
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873:.
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
