Mississippi flood of 1927

Pinz's thread in Literature https://acrosstheuniverse.forummotion.com/t588-faulkner-and-the-great-mississippi-flood-of-1927 was prompted by the current 2011 flood situation. And in turn prompted this thread.

Many blues songs have made reference to the 1927 flood, among them Bessie Smith's High Water Blues (recorded 2 May '27) and Blind Lemon Jefferson's Rising High Water Blues (recorded probably May '27).

I can't find either on the youtubes, but ...

Here's Ramblin' Jack Elliott with Jefferson's song:

Here's John Lee Hooker telling us how "the flood" (presumably referencing the 1927 flood) impacted on the people of Tupelo, Miss. Filmed at the 1963 Newport Festival. I think our Bobby was there that day...

In 1929, Charley Patton recorded 'High Water Everywhere', obviously about the floods a couple of years earlier.



and Bobby dedicated his 'High Water' on Love & Theft to old Charley.

Patton's a difficult chap to follow - so I'm grateful for whoever put this transcription up on the interwebs:

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,
Levee 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

The water's still risin' complains Sippie Wallace, while Louis wails beside her:



recorded in May 1927.

And in 1928, Lonnie Johnson must've been thinking about the previous year's inundation when he worried about being shanghaied to fix a broken levee - 'I want to go back to Helena, but the high water's got me barred':



(You'da thunk the Po-lice woulda been more considerate at such times)