THE FORBES FLOOD

Another great disaster has come upon this land
Out where the Lachlan River flows on its way so grand
Was in the month of August and the town was bright and gay
And the folks out on the lachlan they were happy all the day

And then the skies grew cloudy and the rain came fallen down
All day the mighty torrents came falling to the ground
The streams throughout the country kept swelling day by day
Until the angry Lachlan, it was roaring on its way

And then there came a warning , the levees cannot stand
A brave important struggle to save their native land
But still the raging water kept pounding at the shores
Until it broke the levee banks and into Forbes it poured

How many homes were flooded and brave men knelt to pray
As all that they had cherished was madly swept away
The world will gladly help them to pay the awful cost
But no-one can ever give them back the treasures they have lost

We can't explain the reason these great disasters come
But we all must remember to say "Thy will be done"
And though the good may suffer for other people's sins
There is a crown awaiting where eternal life begins.

As recorded on Alan Musgrave 'Songs They Used to Sing: A Panorama of Australian Folksong'.

Traditional singer, Ebb Wren, made a few minor changes to Carson Robison's 'The Mississippi Flood'. Full details, including Robison's original text, may been found on this 20-year-old Mudcat thread:

Click

Since then, a video of Ebb Wren has been posted to YT. Go to circa 1 minute mark.

Youtube clip

--Stewie.