Backwater Blues
Backwater Blues: A Tale of Desolation
Lyrics
When it rained five days
Extended period of heavy rain for five days
And the skies turned dark at night
Darkened skies during the night
When it rained five days
Repetition of prolonged rainfall and dark nights
And the skies turned dark at night
Continuation of the description of weather conditions
There was trouble takin' place
Trouble occurring in the lowland during the night
In the lowland at night
Emphasizing the challenging situation in the lowland
I woke up this mornin'
The singer woke up facing difficulties
Couldn't even get out of my door
Expressing the severity of the morning situation
I woke up this mornin'
Repetition of morning struggles
Couldn't even get out of my door
Highlighting the inability to leave the house
Enough trouble to make a poor man
Challenges making a poor man contemplate his future
Wonder where he's gonna go
Reflecting on the uncertainty of the poor man's destination
They rowed a little boat
Describing a boat journey across the farm
About five miles across the farm
Details of the boat trip covering a significant distance
Said they rowed a little boat
Reiteration of the boat journey
About five miles across the farm
Continuation of the account of rowing across the farm
I packed up all of my clothes, trowed them in
Packing up belongings for the journey
And they rowed me along
Being rowed along with belongings
Where it thundered and lightnin'
Describing a storm with thunder and lightning
And the wind began to blow
Emphasizing the intensity of the storm
Said it thundered and lightnin'
Reiteration of thunder, lightning, and strong winds
And the wind began to blow
Highlighting the challenging weather conditions
There was thousands of people
A large number of displaced people
They had no place to go
People facing homelessness due to the storm
I went out and stood up
Going to a high, lonesome hill for perspective
On a high old lonesome hill
Reiteration of standing on the high, lonesome hill
I went out and stood up
Emphasizing the elevated viewpoint
On a high old lonesome hill
Continuation of standing on the high, lonesome hill
I looked down on the house
Looking down at the singer's former residence
Where I used to live
Reflection on the past dwelling place
Back water blues that calls me
Backwater blues prompting the need to leave
To pack my things and go
Repetition of the blues as a compelling force
Back water blues that calls me
Feeling compelled to pack belongings and depart
To pack my things and go
Reiteration of the influence of backwater blues
Cause my house fell down
The house collapsing, rendering it uninhabitable
And I can't live there no more
The impossibility of living in the collapsed house
Ooh, I can't live there no more
Expression of the inability to return to the former house
Ooh, I can't live there no more
Reiteration of the impossibility of living there
There ain't no place for a poor man to go
Highlighting the lack of options for a poor man
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