Big River
Water's on the river rising
More water come than float away
People from Catahoula down to Burway Bay
They've got no place left to stay
When the water's coming out the basin
There ain't nothing waterproof
Standing on the levee with the river raging
I've got nothing left to lose
Big river
Big river on the rise
Big river gonna overflow
Big river is going to wash us to the sea
Back in 1927
Six feet of water in Evangeline
Now the government trying to tell us
Said that the levee's going to hold next time
Big river
Big river on the rise
Big river is gonna overflow
Big river is gonna wash us to the sea
I've seen the water come under the levee
Boiling up from a crawfish hole
And before the sun was setting
Four feet of water in my front door
Big river
Big river on the rise
Big river gonna overflow
Big river, Oh mighty Mississippi on the rise
Oh mighty Mississippi is gonna overflow
Big river
Gonna wash us to the sea.
Commentary
Today’s poem is by Zachary Richard, one of the greatest Zydeco singers around. It’s a heartbreaking song – though you have to hear him sing it for the full effect. The reason to run it now is painfully obvious.
It’s one an album called “Zach’s Bon Ton” You can read about Richard at http://www.zacharyrichard.com/bio.html.
— Matt Chanoff