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15 Feb 20 - 07:55 PM (#4034482) Subject: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST,BlackAcornUK Sitting here in Hebden Bridge, anxiously waiting to see whether the town will flood for the second time in a week - but it set me to wondering: What folk songs from the British Isles address floods and flooding? |
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15 Feb 20 - 08:12 PM (#4034483) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Joe G Although not specifically about flooding, Jon Boden's brilliant album - Songs From The Floodplain - describes a post apocalyptic world which could result from climate change. I consider this to be the greatest album of those that I have heard this century |
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15 Feb 20 - 08:13 PM (#4034484) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Joe G There is also Runrig's 'Year of the Flood' |
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15 Feb 20 - 08:15 PM (#4034485) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Joe G Thinking of you all in Hebden (my favourite Yorkshire town) and the Calder Valley. We'll get it later in York. Flood defences here improved since 2015 thank goodness! |
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15 Feb 20 - 08:42 PM (#4034488) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Joe Offer The Galveston Flood was about a hurricane, but the City of Galveston was certainly flooded. The Johnstown flood in Pennsylvania is probably the most sung-about flood in the US. -Joe- |
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16 Feb 20 - 03:19 AM (#4034508) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler Water Bound? Robin |
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16 Feb 20 - 03:23 AM (#4034509) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST,HiLo “Five Feet High and Risin”. Johnny Cash..great song! |
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16 Feb 20 - 04:04 AM (#4034510) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST,Jerry High Water Everywhere, Charlie Patton The Flood, John Lee Hooker Times They Are a Changing, When the Ship Comes In, Crash on the Levee, amongst others, Bob Dylan |
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16 Feb 20 - 04:22 AM (#4034512) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Johnny J Not a song but a great album....The Noah's Ark Trap.... Nic Jones Here's a lovely track https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGUs8MSv6UM |
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16 Feb 20 - 04:52 AM (#4034517) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: John MacKenzie Louisiana 1927 Randy Newman High Water Everywhere Charlie Patton. Backwater Blues Bessie Smith |
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16 Feb 20 - 05:00 AM (#4034519) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST Yes I can only think of lots of American ones like everyone else. Oh wait, I've thought of one: https://stevewharton.bandcamp.com/track/still-the-rockface-cries |
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16 Feb 20 - 05:14 AM (#4034522) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Jack Campin Something I posted years ago... A warning from the 1680s |
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16 Feb 20 - 05:30 AM (#4034526) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Steve Shaw After The Deluge Trouble Over Bridgwater I'll get me coat... |
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17 Feb 20 - 02:56 AM (#4034558) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: BobL One More River (well, it's about Noah's ark) |
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17 Feb 20 - 01:17 PM (#4034658) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST Can't really think of any to do with floods as such, but drowning for sure... 'The Lakes of Shilin/Coolfin', or 'Clyde's Water', or 'Marrowbones'... |
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17 Feb 20 - 03:01 PM (#4034671) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST,Starship When the Levee Breaks |
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17 Feb 20 - 03:31 PM (#4034674) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Dave Sutherland Tommy Armstrong's "The Sheel Raw Flood" |
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17 Feb 20 - 08:05 PM (#4034703) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Tattie Bogle So there are a few on record. But I would find it really hard to sit and listen to, or think of composing, a song about the current situation in England and Wales and Southern Scotland, either now, or in the future. What joy is there in singing about other people's personal tragedies? |
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17 Feb 20 - 09:14 PM (#4034714) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Steve Shaw Well you could always exhort the river to behave itself, as in Sweet Thames Flow Softly (sorry for mentioning that one, Jack, but I love it!) |
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17 Feb 20 - 10:43 PM (#4034717) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Joe Offer Can't think of a better song than "Sweet Thames Flow Softly." I was amazed and a little scared at the power of the Thames as it flows with the tide through London. I've never seen a river with such power. The power of floods is something that may have more impact in the Americas, because rivers are so much longer. In the US, flooding rivers can bring death on a bright, shiny day. -Joe- |
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18 Feb 20 - 05:09 AM (#4034735) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Iains Bridge over troubled water? |
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18 Feb 20 - 05:33 AM (#4034738) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Steve Shaw Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Steve Shaw - PM Date: 16 Feb 20 - 05:30 AM After The Deluge Trouble Over Bridgwater I'll get me coat... |
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18 Feb 20 - 06:18 AM (#4034743) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Daniel Kelly Not English, but John Warner wrote a whole Song Cycle about the 1852 flood in Gundagai. |
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18 Feb 20 - 06:31 AM (#4034744) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Jack Campin This Highland pipe march commemorates an occasion when two rivers in north-east Scotland rose high enough to meet up. (There's an Irish song of the same name, unrelated). The Meeting of the Waters |
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18 Feb 20 - 10:46 AM (#4034796) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Tattie Bogle There's the Scott Skinner tune, "The Spey in (a) Spate". And the opposite of "The Meeting of the Waters", I think there is more than one song mentioning The Great Divide, where one stream splits into two in The Rockies, with one half supposedly heading for the Atlantic, and the other towards the Pacific. |
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18 Feb 20 - 11:07 AM (#4034802) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST,John from "Elsie`s Band" One of the songs in our repertoire is "Hartlake Bridge". This tells of the drowning of agricultural workers being washed away when their horse-drawn cart was swept from the bridge at Hadlow in Kent, England by a flooding river Medway. The tombstones of those lost can still be seen in the local churchyard. |
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18 Feb 20 - 10:24 PM (#4034901) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Jim Dixon These are not necessarily British, and "folk" is always debatable, but there are several threads about flood songs: Origin: Galveston Flood Lyr Add: The Sheel Raa Flood Lyr Req: Night of the Johnstown Flood Lyr Req: The Mississippi Flood Lyr Req: Flood Blues (Sippie Wallace) + others The Ohio River Flood of 1937-any songs? Songs of Mississippi floods Origins: By the Waters (Floods, Rivers) of Babylon Lyr Req: Texas Flood (Larry Davis) And I happened to find these additional songs that are in threads about other things: THE PREACHER AND THE FLOOD (Joel Mabus) FIVE FEET HIGH AND RISING (Johnny Cash) HIGH WATER (FOR CHARLIE PATTON) (Bob Dylan) |
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19 Feb 20 - 11:45 AM (#4035014) Subject: Lyr Add: MR. NOAH (Dave Van Ronk) From: PHJim The Dave Van Ronk Folksinger LP had this one: MR. NOAH Oh, Mister Noah; oh, Mister Noah, May I take a ride in the ark of the Lord? 'Cause it's gettin' mighty dark, gonna rain mighty hard. Doodly do, doodly do, doodly doodly doodly doodly doodly do! Oh, no, you can't, sir; oh, no, you can't, sir. No, you may not ride in the ark of the Lord Though it's gettin' mighty dark an' gonna rain mighty hard. Doodly do, doodly do . . . Well, go to the devil, sir; well, go to the devil, sir. You may go to the devil in your darned old scow 'Cause you know darn well it won't rain anyhow. Doodly do, doodly do . . . Well, listen, young feller; well, listen, young feller, That's the bluff of your life 'cause you know darn well It's sprinklin' now, gonna rain like hell. Doodly do, doodly do . . . |
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19 Feb 20 - 01:00 PM (#4035031) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST,RA The Flood at Double Dykes In the recording above, made in Perthshire in 1993, "Hamish Henderson explains that Willie MacPhee lost his caravan in a flood. Sheila Douglas sings a new song of her own composition, to the tune of 'In the Month of January', about the flood. The Travellers at the Double Dykes site lost their homes and possessions, but were refused compensation by the local council until they took legal action." |
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19 Feb 20 - 01:14 PM (#4035034) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST,RA And a Scottish Gaelic song: http://www.tobarandualchais.com/en/fullrecord/64846 |
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19 Feb 20 - 01:15 PM (#4035035) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST,RA Searching the Roud Index: The Clonmel Flood (Roud 9776) And a couple of broadsides: The Great Flood in Manchester and Surrounding Districts Which Occurred on Saturday July 13th 1872 (Roud V6513) Holmfirth Deluge, Occasioned By the Bursting of the Bilberry Dam, February 5th, 1852 (Roud V32340) |
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20 Feb 20 - 07:31 AM (#4035188) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST Bill Scott's "Hey, Rain" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ztV_SvOA20 |
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20 Feb 20 - 09:53 AM (#4035210) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST,HiLo "God Gave Noah The Rainbow Sign", The Carter Family. |
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20 Feb 20 - 08:27 PM (#4035288) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: John C. Bunnell Strictly neither Irish nor historical, of course, but the original Great Flood is a key plot point in "The Unicorn" as made famous by the Irish Rovers from the Shel Silverstein poem. One worthwhile song not yet mentioned, also US-based: Blake Hodgetts' The Great Nebraska Sea", inspired by a science fiction story originally published in 1963. |
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21 Feb 20 - 06:16 AM (#4035361) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: clueless don Not British Isles (I did read the original request - I'm simply ignoring it), but there is Phil Rosenthal's song Muddy Water ("Mary ... grab the baby ... river's risin' ...".) Don |
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21 Feb 20 - 08:30 AM (#4035378) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST Someone needs to tip BlackAcornUK off to the whole discussion which unfolded elsewhere on Mudcat about the problematic nature of the term 'British Isles', ho ho! |
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21 Feb 20 - 08:49 AM (#4035382) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST,henryp The animals went in two by two. Hurrah, hurrah. And songs about Noah were popular in the American south; Who built the ark? Brother Noah, Noah. |
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22 Feb 20 - 04:52 AM (#4035471) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST,Jerry Has anyone mentioned Deep River Blues (Doc Watson), Waterbound (trad) or Waist Deep in the Big Muddy (Pete Seeger)? The latter of course is going off topic a bit, as is Wade in the Water, etc. |
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22 Feb 20 - 07:36 AM (#4035492) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST,henryp The lightning flashed, the thunder crashed, the rain poured down all night A noise outside her window woke Kate Shelley with a fright The swollen stream in Honey Creek had washed the bridge away And soon the Midnight Special would be heading on its way So Kate picked up a lantern and she stepped into the night The wind it whistled round her head and then blew out her light The storm it shook the trestle bridge as Kate crawled slowly o’er But Kate kept on until she reached the station agent’s door There Kate stood wild and windswept as she tried to catch her breath Stop the train, she cried, And spare the passengers from death! The agent took her message and then down the wire it flew To Scranton where the train was safely halted by the crew Kate Shelley was the heroine who saved the midnight train Her reward from the railroad was a gold watch and a chain Her story hit the headlines and Kate Shelley she found fame And trains still cross a bridge today that bears Kate Shelley’s name A true story. Kate Shelley was born in Ireland. Words go to the tune of The Blarney Roses. |
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22 Feb 20 - 09:43 AM (#4035497) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST,henryp The dam of Bilberry reservoir above Holmfirth gave way just after one o’clock in the morning on 5 February, 1852. The song, “Holmfirth Flood,” was written by A.B.N. Wildman and Joe Perkin. The original music has been lost, but the song started; It rushed down the hill when people lay still, Rolling and roaring like thunder; It came in its might like a demon at night, And left the survivors in wonder. On the night of 11 March 1864 the newly-built Dale Dyke Dam in Bradfield Dale near Low Bradfield on the River Loxley, collapsed while it was being filled for the first time, killing at least 270 people. The Great Sheffield Flood was the greatest loss of life in the Victorian era in Britain. 'The Sheffield Flood' sung by Bellwether was written by Andrew Crothers and Dave Duke in 1987. Bradfield Festival of Music and Bradfield Traditional Music Weekend are held at High Bradfield annually. Rock musician Frank Black makes several references to the St. Francis Dam disaster (Los Angeles, 1928) in his songs "St. Francis Dam Disaster" and "Olé Mulholland." In the 1930s the valley of Mardale in Cumbria was flooded to create Haweswater to supply water to Manchester. Alan Bell wrote 'A Song for Mardale'. In 1936 Woody Guthrie wrote; And on up the river is Grand Coulee Dam, The mightiest thing ever built by a man, To run these great factories and water the land, It's roll on, Columbia, roll on. Music based on 'Goodnight, Irene'. Capel Celyn in Gwynedd, Wales, was flooded in 1965 to create a reservoir to supply water to Liverpool. This act inspired a Manic Street Preachers' song "Ready For Drowning" and Enya's song "Dan y Dwr" ("Under the water"). It is referenced in the Los Campesinos! song "For Flotsam" on their album No Blues. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the event, English composer Michael Stimpson released an album entitled Dylan & The Drowning of Capel Celyn, which featured a work for solo pedal harp. Electronic musician Bibio released a song called "Capel Celyn" on his 2017 album Phantom Brickworks. On 23 December 1969, Lynn Jones was riding his horse Sally at the Lluest Wen reservoir above Maerdy when the mare plunged into a hole around five feet deep. The freak incident alerted authorities to problems at the reservoir, prompting the water board to carry out an immediate inspection which raised concerns that it could collapse. This was just three years after the Aberfan disaster. Hayws Glyn James was a schoolteacher in the secondary modern school in Ferndale at the time, and the tale of Sally inspired her to write a ballad. And then there is The Dam Busters March by Eric Coates. See also Mudcat thread; Dam collapse tragedy songs |
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22 Feb 20 - 04:53 PM (#4035539) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: The Sandman back water blues https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs3QbochT8w |
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29 Feb 20 - 08:40 PM (#4036807) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: rich-joy Sorry, not British Isles, but I was reminded of the 19th century Aussie poem by Henry Lawson, named "The Ballad of the Drover" which concerned Harry Dale, who with his dog and horses, attempted to make it home across a fast-rising river. It was a class favourite in my younger schooling years and many were the surreptitious tears resulting from the tale of Harry's death, along with faithful dog, Rover, and horse. Of course, drownings in flooded rivers are still happening, all over ...... :( Here is Martyn Wyndham-Read's sung version : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DA1ysiidUk Here is Aussie actor, Jack Thompson, reading Lawson's poem : https://finepoets.bandcamp.com/track/ballad-of-the-drover Here is the poem by Lawson, published in Sydney, Australia, in October 1889 : https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/117027640 I wonder, Daniel Kelly, if you'd consider setting it to a new tune??! Cheers, R-J |
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01 Mar 20 - 05:05 AM (#4036840) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST,henryp Nic Jones was once a lifeguard at the Chelmsford Swimming Pool. Annan Water; And he has tried to swim that stream And he swam on both strong and steady, But the river was broad and strength did fail And he never saw his bonny lady. In 1969 Nic altered, simplified and added to the text given in an appendix to Rare Willie Drowned in Yarrow or The Water o Gamrie, found in the Child Ballads Vol. IV, and added the chorus. The first half of the tune is an adaptation of The Brisk Young Lively Lad (Roud 2930), found in The Folk Song Journals, and the second half was composed by Nic. The Drowned Lovers/Clyde Water And he's leaned him over his saddle-bow To catch his hat by force, But the rushing in the Clyde Water Took Willie from his horse. Lakes of Shilin Down came his mother like one in despair, She's a-wringing of her hands and a-tearing of her hair, Saying, “Oh my Billy Henry why did you go in To the dark and chilly waters in the Lakes of Shilin?” |
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01 Mar 20 - 05:38 AM (#4036846) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: David C. Carter On Youtube there's a video of Sister Rosetta Tharpe performing "Didn't it rain,children..." She appears to be on some railway station platform. Does anybody know more about it? David |
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01 Mar 20 - 07:28 AM (#4036869) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Howard Jones Three Ha'pence a Foot |
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01 Mar 20 - 08:26 AM (#4036880) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST,Jerry Rosetta Tharpe appeared in a BBC blues and skiffle show that was famously broadcast from a station platform, somewhere in Manchester, in the 1960s. That must be what the Youtube clips have been purloined from. |
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01 Mar 20 - 08:59 AM (#4036885) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST,Starship David, it was from a show she did in 1964. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-27256401 |
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01 Mar 20 - 11:03 AM (#4036906) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: David C. Carter Thanks for the info Jerry and Starship. I read somewhere that the guitar she played was made of solid metal! Must have weighed a ton. She had a great influence on Chuck Berry,so I heard. Cheers David |
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01 Mar 20 - 12:37 PM (#4036935) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: GUEST,Jerry I think it was a landmark programme for its time, not just for live roots music being broadcast at all, but for also for outdoor broadcasting in general. |
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01 Mar 20 - 03:08 PM (#4036974) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: Janie Immodestly, here is the only song I ever wrote, about Hurricane Katrina and the flooding of not just New Orleans, but of much of the Gulf Coast. Pasting this from another thread from long ago and far away. Well, I wrote my own version of "Little Sally Walker" some time back and I am finally getting enough nerve to post it. I used the traditional first verse and the last verse is probably from Jim Kweskin's version (see first several posts to this thread.) I burned a crude CD and sent it to Bobert. He tells me I've written a 'field holler' in terms of melody and cadence. LITTLE SALLY WALKER DOWN IN NEW ORLEANS By Janie Endres 2005 Little Sally Walker, sittin' in a saucer Weepin' and a moanin' like a turtle dove Gotta rise, Sally, rise wipe your weepin' eyes Turn to the east, turn to the west Turn to the one that you love best I ain't never, no never been satisfied. Satisfied. Way down south in southern Louisiana Mississippi gulf coast and Alabam' Better run, Sisters, run 'til the storm is done. Hurricane Katrina roared from the Gulf Big Muddy rose up. It was a terrible loss I ain't never, no never seen such a sight. Such a sight. Over in Biloxi the saints and the sinners Clingin' to each other hand in hand. Better pray, Brothers, pray, 'til the break of day. Gamblin' boats and churches, fishermen and merchants The storm it spared not a single man. I ain't never, no never had such a fright. Such a fright. Little Sally Walker sittin' in saucer Water to the attics down in New Orleans Better row, Sally row, or you won't ever know. Row to the east, row to the west Searchin' for the ones that you love best I ain't never, no never been satisfied. Satisfied. Mother, Father, Sister dear Brother Sweet Jesus won't you take me by the hand. Get me out. Get me out, or I'll die no doubt. Take me to the east, take me to west Just take me to a place where I can rest. I ain't never, no never seen life this hard. Life this hard. Little Sally Walker sittin' in a saucer Tryin' to get the old man to come back home Better ride, Sally ride with your head up high. Shake it to the east, shake it to the west Shake it to the one that you love best. I ain't never, no never been satisfied. Satisfied. |
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02 Mar 20 - 04:45 AM (#4037049) Subject: RE: Folk songs about floods? From: The Sandman the oily rigs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8HCdQnQhLg |