ADD: Louisiana 1927 (Randy Newman)

Subject: Lyr Add: Louisiana 1927 (Randy Newman)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Mar 24 - 02:23 PM

Thread #356   Message #551909
Posted By: Joe Offer
16-Sep-01 - 08:09 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Hurricane (Leon Everett)
Subject: Lyr Add: LOUISIANA 1927 (Randy Newman)

LOUISIANA 1927
Written by Randy Newman
As sung by Randy Newman on "Good Old Boys" (1974)

What has happened down here is the wind have changed.
Clouds roll in from the north and it start to rain.
Rained real hard and it rained for a real long time.
Six feet o' water in the streets of Evangeline.

River rose all day; the river rose all night.
Some people got lost in the flood; some people got away alright.
River has busted through clear down to Plaquemines.
Six feet o' water in the streets of Evangeline.

Louisiana, Louisiana,
They're tryin' to wash us away.
They're tryin' to wash us away.
Louisiana, Louisiana,
They're tryin' to wash us away.
They're tryin' to wash us away.

President Coolidge came down in a railroad train
With a little fat man with a notepad in his hand.
The President say, "Little fat man, isn't it a shame
What the river has done to this poor cracker's land?"

Louisiana, Louisiana,
They're tryin' to wash us away.
They're tryin' to wash us away.
Louisiana, Louisiana,
They're tryin' to wash us away.
They're tryin' to wash us away.
They're tryin' to wash us away.
They're tryin' to wash us away.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Louisiana 1927 (from Aaron Neville)
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Feb 06 - 02:15 PM

Plaquemines Parish. Just two syllables- Plak-mean, no strong accent on either syllable, but slightly more on the second. The name comes from a bayou, and is thought to mean 'persimmon,' but no certainty to this interpretation.

Speculation continues here as to what Aaron Neville sang, but that is pointless until someone posts the words. Louisianans who know the history of the Huey Long days know the song and would expect 'cracker.'

Cracker is one of those appelations that is demeaning mainly in certain contexts. It often shows up in stories about the political differences between the rural population of northern Louisiana and the New Orleans city folk. Don't use unless you know your audience and how to use it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Louisiana 1927 (from Aaron Neville)
From: Fullerton
Date: 25 Feb 06 - 05:55 AM

Could someone tell me the correct pronunciation of Plaquemines - How many syllables etc.

I've been singing this song for decades incorrectly. So I'd like to get it right.

TYIA

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Louisiana 1927 (from Aaron Neville)
From: Bainbo
Date: 25 Feb 06 - 04:15 AM

Aaron Neville sings: "poor farmer's land." It's on his album Warm Your Heart - some good stuff on there, though some of it gets a little too syrupy for cynical Brit palates.

I gather "cracker" is a term similar to "po' white trash" - directed at Southern poor whites, though I stand to be corrected and I'm sorry if I give offence.

I can't see any reason why Neville shouldn't use it - after all, it's not as if it would be seen as his opinion. The words are put into Coolidge's mouth, to give an impression of what he thought of the people there.

But I suppose some folk may only half-listen, and think he was using the word himself. It wouldn't be the first time a Randy Newman song had got into trouble through not being listened to properly - remember Short People?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Louisiana 1927 (from Aaron Neville)
From: GUEST,Q as guest
Date: 24 Feb 06 - 08:01 PM

Neville version, anyone?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Louisiana 1927 (from Aaron Neville)
From: michaelr
Date: 24 Feb 06 - 07:46 PM

I just heard Sonny Landreth's new recording of this song. He sings (a bit awkwardly, meter-wise) "Creole and Cajun's land".

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Louisiana 1927 (from Aaron Neville)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 24 Feb 06 - 10:46 AM

For what it's worth, Howard Tate does indeed sing "this poor cracker's land." I just heard it on the radio. I don't know what Aaron Neville sings, though.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Aaron Neville's song of New Orleans
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 08:34 PM

The antipathy between the Louisiana crackers and the conservative New Orleans area residents ("Bourbons") was pronounced from the 1920s through the time of the Kingfish, to the time of WW2.
Long fought hard for the poor whites (crackers), building roads, charity hospitals and schools with free textbooks. His support of Louisiana State gave it dominance over the more patrician Tulane and built its Huey P. Long Medical Center.
His assasination in 1935 was followed for a time by a continuation of his policies, but the old conservatism eventually came back, not to be altered until the Civil Rights upheavel.
The lot of the Blacks improved under his regime; Long removed the poll tax requirement for voting (long before Texas and other southern states).
In other words, for a time, the goals of the crackers and blacks came closer together, although the idea of equality was still a long way off.

Look at some of the other songs on Randy Newman's web site to get a feel of the times.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Aaron Neville's song of New Orleans
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 07:43 PM

Interesting question, Jim.

Why doesn't it seem likely he would sing "cracker" ?

Randy Newman sang "cracker". That is the song lyric.

Are you implying that Aaron Neville would come across as an "uppity nigger" if he dared to sing "cracker" ?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Aaron Neville's song of New Orleans
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 06:08 PM

I haven't heard Aaron Neville's version either, but it doesn't seem likely he would sing "cracker," does it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Aaron Neville's song of New Orleans
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 04:42 PM

Lyrics posted by Guest are correct. See them on Randy Newman's website, which is linked in my previous post.
The lyrics also were posted by the Boston Globe on Sept. 7, 2005.

I have not listened to Aaron Neville's version. Is it the same? If different, posting of the lyrics would be appreciated.

Subject: Lyr Add: LOUISIANA 1927 (Randy Newman)
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 08:08 AM

LOUISIANA 1927
Written by Randy Newman
As sung by Randy Newman on "Good Old Boys" (1974)

What has happened down here is the wind have changed.
Clouds roll in from the north and it start to rain.
Rained real hard and it rained for a real long time.
Six feet o' water in the streets of Evangeline.

River rose all day; the river rose all night.
Some people got lost in the flood; some people got away alright.
River has busted through clear down to Plaquemines.
Six feet o' water in the streets of Evangeline.

Louisiana, Louisiana,
They're tryin' to wash us away.
They're tryin' to wash us away.
Louisiana, Louisiana,
They're tryin' to wash us away.
They're tryin' to wash us away.

President Coolidge came down in a railroad train
With a little fat man with a notepad in his hand.
The President say, "Little fat man, isn't it a shame
What the river has done to this poor cracker's land?"

Louisiana, Louisiana,
They're tryin' to wash us away.
They're tryin' to wash us away.
Louisiana, Louisiana,
They're tryin' to wash us away.
They're tryin' to wash us away.
They're tryin' to wash us away.
They're tryin' to wash us away.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Aaron Neville's song of New Orleans
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 04:25 AM

I posted the "bowdlerized" lyrics to Randy Newman's song (click) in September, 2001, because those are the lyrics I found. I certainly did not censor the words myself. If you happen to have a superior transcription, why not post it?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Aaron Neville's song of New Orleans
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 03:13 AM

The lyrics posted right here on Mudcat since 2001 are, as ever, full of errors.

For starters, Randy Newman sings " look what the river has done to this poor cracker's land ", and not, as the bowdlerized Mudcat version has , "...this poor farmer's land ...".

Gives a whole new slant to President Coolidge's take on the matter ...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Aaron Neville's song of New Orleans
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 01:16 AM

The cd "The Very Best of Aaron Neville" has "Louisiana 1927." Currently available, if you prefer Aaron Neville.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Aaron Neville's song of New Orleans
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 01:10 AM

The lyrics to this song and the others in Randy Newman's cd of 1974, "Good Old Boys," at his website: Randy Newman
Click on Discography, then Good Old Boys, then any song on the list to get lyrics to all.

Take a look at "Kingfish" (Huey P. Long)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Aaron Neville's song of New Orleans
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 13 Oct 05 - 12:28 AM

The lyrics to LOUISIANA 1927 have been posted right here at Mudcat since 2001.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Aaron Neville's song of New Orleans
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Oct 05 - 12:16 PM

It's called "Louisiana 1927" and was written by Randy Newman.

If you go to Google and type in "Louisiana 1927" you will see several slightly differing versions of the lyrics.

Subject: Lyr Req: Aaron Neville's song of New Orleans
From: UncleToad
Date: 08 Oct 05 - 11:07 AM

Good morning 'catters...Aaron Neville sings a beautifuuly sad song about a flood years back in New Orleans...Does anybody know it and have the words and guitar tabs?

Thank you, Uncle(SadForTheCity)Toad