In Springsteen's song "Highway Patrolman" it refers to "taking turns dancing with Maria, while the band plays The Night of the Johnstown Flood". Its seems to me that most of the songs about "The Flood" would have been narrative, descriptive ballads. Hardly something these guys,laughing and drinking, would be dancing with Maria to???
   I inclined to believe it all comes down to syllabic count;
"The Night of the Johnstown Flood", ie., it fits the verse, and flood rhymed with blood, as in " blood on blood".
   Most of those ballad type of songs you can't dance fast, or for that matter dance slow to!!! Hardly think someone the likes of Springsteen's Frankie would be dancing to some ballad type song.
   Purely lyrics to fit in the space and time of Bruce's song!!!