The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #94233 Message #1822183
Posted By: bobad
29-Aug-06 - 07:26 PM
Thread Name: Songs About Storms
Subject: RE: Songs About Storms
High Water Everywhere (Part 1)
by Charley Patton recording of 1929-1934 from Charley Patton: Founder Of The Delta Blues (Yazoo L-1020), copyright notice
Well, backwater done rose all around Sumner now, drove me down the line Backwater done rose at Sumner, drove poor Charley down the line Lord, I'll tell the world the water, done crept through this town
Lord, the whole round country, Lord, river has overflowed Lord, the whole round country, man, is overflowed You know I can't stay here, I'll go where it's high, boy I would goto the hilly country, but, they got me barred
Now, look-a here now at Leland, river was risin' high Look-a here boys around Leland tell me, river was raisin' high Boy, it's risin' over there, yeah I'm gonna move to Greenville, fore I leave, goodbye
Look-a here the water now, Lordy, Levee1 broke, rose most everywhere The water at Greenville and Leland, Lord, it done rose everywhere Boy, you can't never stay here I would go down to Rosedale, but, they tell me there's water there
Now, the water now, mama, done took Charley's town Well, they tell me the water, done took Charley's town Boy, I'm goin' to Vicksburg Well, I'm goin' to Vicksburg, for that high of mine
I am goin' up that water, where lands don't never flow Well, I'm goin' over the hill where, water, oh don't ever flow Boy, hit Sharkey County and everything was down in Stovall But, that whole county was leavin', over that Tallahatchie shore Boy, went to Tallahatchie and got it over there
Lord, the water done rushed all over, down old Jackson road Lord, the water done raised, over the Jackson road Boy, it starched my clothes I'm goin' back to the hilly country, won't be worried no more
__________ Note: this song tells the story of the great Mississippi flood of 1927. The two-part song is long, it covers both sides of a 78 rpm. The music of part one is very similar to Willie Brown's "Future Blues" and Son House's "Jinx Blues"; Note 1: origin: from the old French word lev�e, act of raising, from lever to raise. An embankment for preventing flooding, or a river landing place, also, a continuous dike or ridge (as of earth) for confining the irrigation areas of land to be flooded. A levee camp therefore is a work camp for building or improving dikes to prevent rivers from flooding the land, primarily in the Mississippi Delta area.
High Water Everywhere (Part 2)
by Charley Patton recording of 1929-1934 from Charley Patton: Founder Of The Delta Blues (Yazoo L-1020), copyright notice
Backwater at Blytheville, backed up all around Backwater at Blytheville, done took Joiner town It was fifty families and children come to sink and drown
The water was risin' up at my friend's door The water was risin' up at my friend's door The man said to his women folk, "Lord, we'd better go"
The water was risin', got up in my bed Lord, the water was rollin', got up to my bed I thought I would take a trip, Lord, out on the big ice sled
Oh, I can hear, Lord, Lord, water upon my door, you know what I mean, look-a here I hear the ice, Lord, Lord, was sinkin' down, I couldn't get no boats there, Marion City gone down
So high the water was risin' our men sinkin' down Man, the water was risin' at places all around, boy, they's all around It was fifty men and children come to sink and drown
Oh, Lordy, women and grown men drown Oh, women and children sinkin' down Lord, have mercy I couldn't see nobody's home and wasn't no one to be found
High Water (For Charley Patton) B.Dylan
High water risin' - risin' night and day All the gold and silver are being stolen away Big Joe Turner lookin' East and West From the dark room of his mind He made it to Kansas City Twelfth Street and Vine Nothing standing there High water everywhere
High water risin', the shacks are slidin' down Folks lose their possessions - folks are leaving town Bertha Mason shook it - broke it Then she hung it on a wall Says, "You're dancin' with whom they tell you to Or you don't dance at all." It's tough out there High water everywhere
I got a cravin' love for blazing speed Got a hopped up Mustang Ford Jump into the wagon, love, throw your panties overboard I can write you poems, make a strong man lose his mind I'm no pig without a wig I hope you treat me kind Things are breakin' up out there High water everywhere
High water risin', six inches 'bove my head Coffins droppin' in the street Like balloons made out of lead Water pourin' into Vicksburg, don't know what I'm going to do "Don't reach out for me," she said "Can't you see I'm drownin' too?" It's rough out there High water everywhere
Well, George Lewis told the Englishman, the Italian and the Jew "You can't open your mind, boys To every conceivable point of view." They got Charles Darwin trapped out there on Highway Five Judge says to the High Sheriff, "I want him dead or alive Either one, I don't care." High Water everywhere
The Cuckoo is a pretty bird, she warbles as she flies I'm preachin' the Word of God I'm puttin' out your eyes I asked Fat Nancy for something to eat, she said, "Take it off the shelf - As great as you are a man, You'll never be greater than yourself." I told her I didn't really care High water everywhere
I'm getting' up in the morning - I believe I'll dust my broom Keeping away from the women I'm givin' 'em lots of room Thunder rolling over Clarksdale, everything is looking blue I just can't be happy, love Unless you're happy too It's bad out there High water everywhere