Back Water Blues
Soulful Struggles: Irma Thomas's Back Water Blues Tale
Lyrics
When it rained five days
Extended rainfall for five consecutive days
And the skies turned dark at night
Darkened skies during the nighttime due to heavy rain
When it rained five days
Reiteration of prolonged rainfall
And the skies turned dark at night
Continuation of describing dark skies at night caused by the rain
There was trouble takin' place
Conflict or problems arising
In the lowland at night
Troubles occurring in the lowland area during the night
I woke up this mornin'
Difficulty getting out of the house in the morning
Couldn't even get out of my door
Inability to leave the house due to problems
I woke up this mornin'
Reiteration of the morning troubles and confinement
Couldn't even get out of my door
Continued inability to leave the house
Enough trouble to make a poor woman
The magnitude of trouble causing distress to a poor woman
Wonder where she's gonna go
The uncertainty of where a poor woman can seek refuge
They rowed a little boat
Rowing a small boat across a considerable distance
About five miles across the farm
The approximate distance of five miles covered by the boat
Said they rowed a little boat
Repetition of rowing across a farm
About five miles across the farm
The extent of the rowing distance
I packed up all of my clothes, trowed them in
Packing belongings into the boat for transport
And they rowed me along
Being ferried away along with personal belongings
Where it thundered and lightnin'
Intensification of the storm with thunder and lightning
And the wind began to blow
Beginning of strong winds during the storm
Said it thundered and lightnin'
Reiteration of storm conditions with thunder and lightning
And the wind began to blow
Continued description of the storm with intensifying winds
There was thousands of people
Presence of numerous displaced people due to the storm
They had no place to go
Lack of shelter or a place for the displaced individuals
I went out and stood up
Going to a high, solitary hill
On a high old lonesome hill
Standing on the aforementioned hill
I went out and stood up
Repeating the action of standing on the high hill
On a high old lonesome hill
Being situated on a remote and elevated hill
I looked down on the house
Gazing at the house where the speaker used to reside
Where I used to live
Reflection on the past living place
Back water blues that calls me
Feeling of nostalgia or longing for the blues that recall past experiences
To pack my things and go
The pull of the blues urging the speaker to prepare to leave
Back water blues that calls me
Reiteration of the blues compelling the speaker to depart
To pack my things and go
The blues signaling the necessity to relocate due to the collapsed house
'Cause my house fell down
The reason for leaving—house destruction
And I can't live there no more
Inability to inhabit the now-ruined house
Ooh, I can't live there no more
Reiteration of the inability to live in the destroyed house
Ooh, I can't live there no more
Continued assertion of inability to dwell in the ruined house
There ain't no place for a poor woman to go
Lack of suitable options for a financially struggling woman
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