Playlist: Jaunty Man-Made Disaster Songs
Yep, you heard right, have some Jaunty Man-Made Disaster Songs!
(Direct link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1DORgh2Wzu3lSXyrQ0Yr09?si=f0sm-cZZS--HcOG49rcAww)
1 hr 6 min. Largely folk music. I can't really explain why I started this but it's probably some sort of 2020 coping mechanism. To qualify for this playlist, a song had to:
1) be referencing an actual historical disaster that was either caused by human actions, or an actual historical natural disaster that was actively made worse by human actions
AND
2) have a tune/tempo that was disconcertingly cheerful.
1) The Titanic Disaster - The Two Man Gentlemen Band
Shipwreck - April 15, 1912
The sinking of the Titanic due to hitting an iceberg; made much worse by the insufficient lifeboats.
2) Dance Band on the Titanic - Harry Chapin
Shipwreck - April 15, 1912
The sinking of the Titanic due to hitting an iceberg; made much worse by the insufficient lifeboats.
3) The Sinking of the Reuben James - Arlo Guthrie with The Dillards
Shipwreck - October 31, 1941
The sinking of the USS Reuben James by a German submarine prior to the US entering WWII.
4) The Night of the Johnstown Flood - Rock Creek Jug Band
Flood - May 31, 1889
A dam that created a lake where rich people fished collapsed, flooding the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania and killing more than 2,200 people.
5) The Bridge Came Tumblin' Down - Stompin' Tom Connors
Bridge Collapse - June 17, 1958
An engineering miscalculation during construction of the Second Narrows Bridge in Vancouver, Canada caused the structure to collapse, killing 19 people.
6) So Long, It's Been Good To Know Yuh - Woody Guthrie
Drought - 1930s
US colonizers dug up the long-rooted prairie grass and precipitated major erosion of the Great Plains, aka the Dust Bowl. Combined with drought, it created dust storms, crop failure, and economic devastation.
7) Rox in the Box - The Decemberists
Mining Accident - June 8, 1917
The 1917 Speculator Mine disaster was the most deadly mining accident in US history; 169 copper miners asphyxiated during a fire caused by a carbide lamp.
8) The Oil Song - Steve Forbert
Pollution - several years
Lists several oil spills; Olympic Games (December 27, 1976), Argo Merchant (December 15, 1976), Amoco Cadiz (March 16, 1978), Ixtoc I oil spill (June 3, 1979 – March 23, 1980).
9) Burn On - Randy Newman
Pollution - June 22, 1969
The Cuyahoga River was constantly catching fire due to the oil and other chemicals on its surface, but one of the smaller fires was covered by Time magazine & led to the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency.
10) The School House Fire - The Dixon Brothers
Fire - May 17, 1923
A schoolhouse in Camden, SC was packed for a graduation event when it caught fire from an oil lamp; 77 people died because they could not exit in time.
11) Baltimore Fire - Charlie Pool
Fire - February 7-8, 1904
The Great Baltimore Fire in Baltimore, Maryland was the 3rd worst fire in US history. Many firefighters came from out of state but were unable to help because their hose couplings didn't fit Baltimore's fire hydrants, leading to standardization of firefighting equipment.
12) Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight - Mississippi John Hurt
Fire - October 8–10, 1871
The Great Chicago Fire in Chicago, IL was reportedly started by a small fire in or around a barn. The initial response was quick but firefighters were sent to the wrong place which led to rapidly expanding in the mostly wooden town.
13) The Hindenberg Disaster - The Two Man Gentlemen Band
Fire - May 6, 1937
The German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed during its attempt to dock with its mooring mast in New Jersey, USA. This is why we can't have airships. :(
14) Enola Gay - The Hillbilly Moon Explosion
Bombing - August 6, 1945
The Enola Gay was a bomber named after Enola Gay Tibbets, the mother of the pilot. It was the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb (on Hiroshima, Japan).
15) Wreck of the Old 97 - Johnny Cash
Train Wreck - September 27, 1903
The southern Railway mail train was running behind schedule and derailed on a trestle because it was moving excessively fast, killing 11 people and injuring 7 others.
16) 30,000 Pounds of Bananas - Harry Chapin
Truck Crash - March 18, 1965
A truck driver was on his way to deliver a load of bananas to Scranton, PA. He was unable to control the truck's speed down a hill due to a mechanical failure, crashed into several cars and a house, and died. There were no other deaths, but many, many squashed bananas.
