WEBVTT - How Did The Grandfather Clock Get Its Name?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff from how Stuff Works, Hey, brain Stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>It's Christian saga. Grandfather clock is a fitting name for

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<v Speaker 1>an object that's often treated as a family heirloom. But

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<v Speaker 1>even though it carries the ring of heritage and tradition,

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<v Speaker 1>the term itself is rather young. In fact, it's more

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<v Speaker 1>than two centuries newer than the time piece it designates.

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<v Speaker 1>When these vertically gifted clocks were first invented more than

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<v Speaker 1>three hundred and fifty years ago, people actually called them

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<v Speaker 1>long case clocks, a moniker that's still used in some circles,

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<v Speaker 1>even though it's less catchy today. We might still be

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<v Speaker 1>using that mundane term if it hadn't been for a

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<v Speaker 1>songwriter who's been nicknamed America's War poet. So how did

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<v Speaker 1>the term grandfather clock come about? Well? Henry clay Work

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<v Speaker 1>was a self taught musician and lyricist, and he first

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<v Speaker 1>made a name for himself during America's Civil War. One

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<v Speaker 1>of his later offerings was titled Grandfather's Clock. According to

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<v Speaker 1>his nephew, Bertram, Henry clay Work spent four years writing

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<v Speaker 1>this piece, which Root and Katie published in eighteen seventy six.

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<v Speaker 1>The Diddy tells the tale of a grandfather who received

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<v Speaker 1>a brand new long case clock on the day of

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<v Speaker 1>his birth. A lifetime later, the man and his time

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<v Speaker 1>piece enter the great Beyond together. Works last mega hit,

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<v Speaker 1>Grandfather's Clock emerged as an instant classic and an enduring one.

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<v Speaker 1>It sold more than eight hundred thousand copies in the

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<v Speaker 1>song made its author four thousand dollars richer. In latter decades.

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<v Speaker 1>It was covered by Johnny Cash, spoofed on a Prairie

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<v Speaker 1>Home Companion, and even remixed for the soundtrack of the

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<v Speaker 1>indie video game Five Nights at Freddie's Too. On top

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<v Speaker 1>of all of that, the Oxford English Dictionary credits this

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<v Speaker 1>song with popularizing the term grandfather Clock, and so works

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<v Speaker 1>song inspired a new nickname for a centuries old time piece.

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<v Speaker 1>But what was it that inspired the song itself? Two

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<v Speaker 1>theories are out there. The George Hotel of Pierce Bridge

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<v Speaker 1>in North Yorkshire, England claims that Grandfather's Clock was conceived

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<v Speaker 1>right in its lobby. Work once stayed there while traveling

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<v Speaker 1>through the U K in eight seventy four. After checking

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<v Speaker 1>in it said that he spotted a handsome long case

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<v Speaker 1>clock in the hotel's lobby. The hands seemed to be

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<v Speaker 1>jammed frozen in place at the eleven oh five mark.

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<v Speaker 1>Upon asking a staffer about this broken clock, he was

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<v Speaker 1>told that it belonged to the late Jenkins brothers, who

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<v Speaker 1>had once owned the hotel. Their clock work, learned, was

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<v Speaker 1>purchased on the day the older sibling was born. Supposedly,

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<v Speaker 1>it was the most reliable time piece a person could

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<v Speaker 1>ask for, But when one of the brothers died, the

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<v Speaker 1>clock slowed down. Then years later, when death took the

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<v Speaker 1>other sibling, its final tick rang out. According to legend,

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<v Speaker 1>it's been silent ever since. Alas this story is probably

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<v Speaker 1>just a bit of local folklore, then again, one Massachusetts

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<v Speaker 1>family offers a different explanation. The relatives of Work's wife,

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<v Speaker 1>Sarah Parker, believe that they possess the clock that begat

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<v Speaker 1>this iconic song. To hear, the Parkers tell it, the

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<v Speaker 1>songwriter took his cues from an old long case formally

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<v Speaker 1>owned by Sarah's grandfather. All these years later, this wooden

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<v Speaker 1>clock still belongs to the Parkers, and no, it doesn't

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<v Speaker 1>work either. Today's episode was written by Mark man Cini,

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<v Speaker 1>produced by Dylan Fagan, and for more on this and

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<v Speaker 1>other topics, please visit us at how stuff works dot com.