When I was a kid there was a Bob Dylan UK hit “The Hurricane” - all remember at the time was that it was about a boxer a “champion of the world” who was “framed” by the authorities.
Not really history, as the violin hadn’t been invented at that time, and it’s a corruption of something that was only a rumour anyway.
I doubt many people would remember the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 if it weren’t for the Randy Newman song(one of his best, IMHO).
Of course, he’s had other reasons to sing it recently.
Not a song, but I’m sure most people have only heard of the Charge of the Light Brigade from Alfred Tennyson’s poem. Iron Maiden later wrote a song about it (The Trooper).
I expect many people only heard of the Battle of the Beanfield from the Levellers song.
Apparently you missed the movie about her that came out about two years earlier, Frances. Jessica Lange got an Oscar nomination for the title role.
The Arlo Guthrie thread inspired me to bump this one. Nobody would know about the Alice’s Restaurant Anti-Massacre Movement if Arlo hadn’t written a song about it!
I’ll always remember that it was the third of june (another sleepy, dusty delta day) that Billy Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchee bridge.
I know most of these (The Battle of Borodino is a crucial event in War and Peace, after all – maybe it belongs in a thread about things I know from literature), but I know about the Edmund Fitzgerald from the song. On the other hand, why would it be important to know about one more shipwreck?
But, as historical facts, nearly every line in that song is wrong. (Cause somewhere on that ocean I know she’s gotta be is about the only line without a factual error, and it’s really rather obvious, and meaningless.)
Still, I do like the song, and it is probably part of the reason the Bismarck is such a well-known battleship. But it’s ironic that this historical event is known mostly because of a song filled with historical inaccuracies!
Has anyone written a song about the Great Molasses Flood? Cecil’s column on the matter does not mention any.
The story has everything, death, injury, alledged corruption, alledged terrorists, velocity calculations, and a lingering sweet smell. If there are no songs about it, we should hire a songwriter.
I thought it was children of Dolemite.
Bluenose, the ocean knows her name
Sailors know how proud a ship was she
Bluenose, leading in the wind
Racing ev’ry way on the sea
There was this fishing boat, see…
Bill Barilko disappeared that summer; he was on a fishing trip. The last goal he ever scored, won the Leafs The Cup (in overtime.) They didn’t win another until 1962, the year he was discovered.
The Tragically Hip – 50 Mission Cap
What comes to the original list I can sign for Edmund Fitzgerald.
In general this topic is rather interesting.
I only know about John Henry (historical or not) because of Johnny Cash.
Boney M taught me about Ma Baker - at least, the popular depiction of Ma Baker.
Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.
97 posts to mention American Pie? The event that is so seared into folklore as The Day The Music Died? One of the few events in musical history so immortalized in a song?
Sheesh!
:smack:
Never would have heard of Stephen Biko, if not for Peter Gabriel.
(Has anything historically important ever happened on Solsbury Hill?)
Even better, you started the thread. 