Pride of the White Star Line

Based on the life of the RMS Olympic, which was the sister ship to the Titanic and Britannic. Unlike her sisters, who both met violent ends, the Olympic was in service for almost 24 years before advances in technology and her age rendered her obsolete. She was scrapped in 1935.

The song was written by Robbie Sattin, and is as such a Longest Johns original. It was first publicly sung during the April 2021 livestream, and was released as track 7 on Smoke + Oakum.

Lyrics[]

Lyrics confirmed against the Smoke + Oakum album sleeve.

In the Belfast yard where she was made, of Harland-Wolff design
The plan was struck to build three ships that funds would not define
The gantry raised up in '08, a nameless liner rose
To make the journeys to New York in record time and so,

{Chorus}
She's the pride of the White Star Line, may her engines never stall
Her sisters died from 'berg and mine, but she’ll run for decades more
She’ll run for decades more

Olympic soon became her stamp, no finer ship did sail
Smoking rooms and Turkish baths and palm trees rail to rail
As sleek and striking as could be, and speed second to none
She sailed from Portsmouth Dock and showed the world how it was done

{Chorus}

The Hawke was running 'long her side around the Isle of Wight
A swing to starboard up and took the helmsman by surprise
Two holes were punched into her side and water flooded in
She staggered back to Portsmouth Dock and lived to sail again

{Chorus}

Titanic sank into the depths, Britannic joined her too
Through the wars Olympic kept on sailing sure and true
Missions out in open sea with U-boats in her stead
Damn near cut them clean in two and sank them to the bed

{Chorus}

Now, every dog must have its day and all good things must pass
Shipyards forged much bigger crafts that dwarfed her in her class
The trips were few and fares declined, the world marched on ahead
They pulled her down in Jarrow town, still striking till the end

{Chorus}

She’ll run for decades more

Pride of the White Star Line

Contents

Lyrics[]

Recordings[]

Streaming/Purchase[]

YouTube Videos[]

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