FLOOD WATER BLUES
As recorded by Casey Bill Weldon (as Levee Joe), 1936-03-25

[Part 1]

It's high water in the east, has flooded all that river town. (2x)
Ev'rybody's gettin' warnin' to go to the hills before the down(?)

So I caught a train; I got back home at the break of day.
Oh, I caught a train; got back home about the break of day.
I looked for my house; the river had taken my house away.

I rowed a boat across the river; the water was rough as it could be.
I rowed a boat across this river; water was rough as it could be.
I hear the women and children screamin', "Oo-hoo, please save poor me!"

And then I tried so hard to turn my boat around.
Then I tried so hard to turn my boat around.
But that water was so rough, it turned my boat upside down.

Oh, I was satisfied; I didn't have to moan and cry.
I was satisfied; I didn't have to moan and cry,
Because when I looked upstream, I seen that mule come swimmin' by.

I caught that mule and went swimmin' down the stream. (2x)
And I rode that mule, oo-hoo, to the nearest hill I seen.

[Part 2]

It was dark as midnight and ev'rything was still. (2x)
Thousand of people, oo-hoo, tryin' to make it to the hills.

I'm gonna tell you people the strangest thing I ever seen. (2x)
It was cats and dogs on housetops, oo-hoo, floatin' down the stream.

There was thousand o' people on the hills, didn't have no place stay.
There was thousand people on the hills, didn't have no place stay.
They was watchin' that water that was takin' their houses away.

It was cold and it's rainin'; some people didn't have shoes on their feet.
It was cold and it's rainin'; some people didn't have no shoes on their feet.
Women and children cryin', oo-hoo, because they didn't have a thing to eat.

I'm gonna build me a house in the mountains, in the highest mountain I know, (2x)
So I won't have to worry, oo-hoo, 'bout the high water and floods no mo'.