Backwater Blues
Backwater Blues Unveiled: A Tale of Hardship and Survival
Lyrics
When it rained five days
Extended period of rain for five days
And the skies turned dark at night
Darkening of the skies during the night
When it rained five days
Repetition of the description of the prolonged rain and dark nights
And the skies turned dark at night
Continuation of the description of adverse weather conditions
There was trouble takin' place
Significant troubles occurring in the lowland during the night
In the lowland at night
Reference to difficulties or challenges faced in the lowland
I woke up this mornin'
Awakening to challenging circumstances in the morning
Couldn't even get out of my door
Unable to leave the house due to the severity of the situation
I woke up this mornin'
Reiteration of the morning difficulties
Couldn't even get out of my door
Continued struggle to leave the house
Enough trouble to make a poor woman
Challenges significant enough to make a poor woman uncertain about her future
Wonder where she's gonna go
Expression of concern about where the woman can go given the troubles
They rowed a little boat
A boat journey of about five miles across the farm
About five miles across the farm
Reference to the boat journey across the farm
Said they rowed a little boat
Reiteration of the boat journey
About five miles across the farm
Continuation of the description of the boat journey
I packed up all of my clothes, trowed them in
Packing up of clothes for the boat journey
And they rowed me along
The woman being rowed along during the journey
Where it thundered and lightnin'
Reference to thunder, lightning, and strong winds
And the wind began to blow
Continuation of the description of the adverse weather conditions
Said it thundered and lightnin'
Reiteration of thunder, lightning, and wind
And the wind began to blow
Continuation of the description of the adverse weather conditions
There was thousands of people
A large number of people facing homelessness due to the conditions
They had no place to go
Emphasis on the lack of a place for the affected people to go
I went out and stood up
Going out and standing on a high, lonesome hill
On a high old lonesome hill
Reiteration of going out and standing on a high hill
I went out and stood up
Continuation of the action on the high hill
On a high old lonesome hill
Reiteration of standing on a high, lonesome hill
I looked down on the house
Looking down on the house where the woman used to live
Where I used to live
Continuation of the action of looking down on the former house
Back water blues that calls me
Reference to the "Backwater Blues" influencing the decision to leave
To pack my things and go
The blues prompting the woman to pack her things and leave
Back water blues that calls me
Reiteration of the influence of the "Backwater Blues"
To pack my things and go
The decision to leave due to the collapsed house
Cause my house fell down
Inability to live in the house anymore due to its collapse
And I can't live there no more
Reiteration of the inability to live in the collapsed house
Ooh, I can't live there no more
Repetition of the impossibility of living in the collapsed house
Ooh, I can't live there no more
Continuation of the theme of having no place to live
There ain't no place for a poor woman to go
The absence of a suitable place for a poor woman to go
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