Backwater Blues - James P. Johnson

When it rained five days

And the skies turned dark at night

When it rained five days

And the skies turned dark at night

There was trouble takin' place

In the lowland at night

I woke up this mornin'

Couldn’t even get out of my door

I woke up this mornin'

Couldn’t even get out of my door

Enough trouble to make a poor woman

Wonder where she’s gonna go They rowed a little boat

About five miles across the farm

Said they rowed a little boat

About five miles across the farm

I packed up all of my clothes, trowed them in And they rowed me along

Where it thundered and lightnin'

And the wind began to blow

Said it thundered and lightnin'

And the wind began to blow

There was thousands of people

They had no place to go

I went out and stood up On a high old lonesome hill

I went out and stood up On a high old lonesome hill

I looked down on the house

Where I used to live

Back water blues that calls me To pack my things and go Back water blues that calls me To pack my things and go Cause my house fell down

And I can’t live there no more

Ooh, I can’t live there no more

Ooh, I can’t live there no more

There ain’t no place for a poor woman to go