"They put the poor below, they were the first to go"

An excellent analysis of the Titanic sinking, and the explosion of folk and blues music and folk and popular art commenting [and sometimes rejoicing] upon it, can be found in the book Down with the Old Canoe by Steven Biel.

These are powerful works of art, a relief from 3-D love-boatery.

Some of the great songs inspired by the sinking, mostly not as "sad" as they proclaim themselves to be:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USxTunf3-tk
"Down with the old canoe"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe5tcr0yHN4&feature=endscreen&NR=1
"The Titanic" by Leadbelly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMxF6Bs0HR0&feature=related
Loretta Lynn-The Titanic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcKttDHUv0E&feature=related
Titanic (It Was Sad When That Great Ship Went Down)
Acoustic Union String Band Tribute to the Folk Tune

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5ulu8bnIBk&feature=related
When That Great Ship Went Down - Woody Guthrie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u61Pj4f6Ucg&feature=related
It Was Sad When That Great Ship Went Down

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXwNRpPSv1Q&feature=related
It Was Sad When That Great Ship Went Down version by Roy Acuff