Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/flood/timeline/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Mississippi_Flood_of_1927
http://www.archive.org/details/mississippi_flood_1927
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/05/0501_river4.html
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es1308/es1308page05.cfm
Mentioned in Langston Hughes autobiography, The Big Sea:
http://books.google.com/books?id=SsgPcfpjhBcC&pg=PA216&lpg=PA216&dq=Mississippi+Flood+1927+Langston+hughes&source=web&ots=_WsI99ylle&sig=HjACIYT0siONVhDL31YosfV0X24&hl=en#PPA216,M1
and let's not forget the requisite memorializing blues ballad... did you think the Mississippi Delta would experience that and not develop some blues??
ReplyDeleteHigh 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
http://blueslyrics.tripod.com/artistswithsongs/charley_patton_2.htm#high_water_everywhere_part_1