Backwater Blues



A recente devastação em Nova Orleães fez-me lembrar de um episódio semelhante cantado por Bessie Smith, a verdadeira voz dos Blues.

Em 1927, há quase 80 anos, ocorreu uma grande inundação no Mississippi, fenómeno que causou 700 000 desalojados.

Consequentemente, um executivo de uma editora discográfica convidou um conjunto de cantores de Blues a deslocarem-se à região afectada e ofereceu 500 dólares ao primeiro a escrever os melhores blues sobre a catástrofe.

Bessie Smith arrecadou o prémio com este "Backwater Blues" e veja-se lá se não podia ter sido escrito agora...



It rained five days Lord and the clouds turned as dark as night
It rained five days and the clouds turned as dark as night
Lord that was really enough trouble to make a poor man wonder where in the world to go

I got up one morning, poor me I couldn't get even get out of my door
I got up one morning, poor me I couldn't get even get out of my door
Lord that was really enough trouble to make a poor man wonder where in the world to go

Now they rowed a little boat just about five miles across the farm
Yeah they rowed a little boat down about five miles across the farm
Lord I packed up all of my clothes and throwed them in and I declare they rowed poor old Bill along

Then I went and I stood up on a high, high old lonesome hill
Yes I went and I stood up on a high, high old lonesome hill
Lord and all I could do was look down on the house baby where I used to live

Now it thundered and it lightnin'd, Lord and the wind, wind began to blow
Now it thundered and it lightnin'd, Lord and the wind, wind began to blow
Lord there was thousands and thousands of poor people at that time didn't have no place to go