River’s Pride

Our “River’s Pride” show is on July 6th, 2018 at Discover Museum, Newcastle.
All the songs tell the story of a river or it’s reliant community or industry. Here is part 2 of ‘Meet the Songs’…

Our Mississippi Trilogy!

Vanessa Fernandez – When The Levee Breaks
The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927

The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 had a huge impact on the agricultural industry of the surrounding Mississippi Basin. Thousands of inhabitants were forced to evacuate and escape to higher ground – the levee. The lyrics tell of the chaos that will unfold if the levee breaks. The flood became the subject of many Delta blues songs in the first half of the 20th century.

‘When the Levee Breaks’ was originally recorded in 1929, but surprisingly is not the oldest song in the River’s Pride show! It has been the subject of countless cover versions, perhaps the most famous of which was that in 1971 by English rock band Led Zeppelin.

Randy Newman – Louisiana 1927.
The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927.

Like ‘When the Levee Breaks’, ‘Louisiana 1927’ tells of the aftermath of the flood of Mississippi in 1927. Randy Newman’s 1974 lyrics focus on the feelings of the residents who became homeless as a result. The song also makes political comment, criticising the quality of the government’s response and support for those affected.

The song entered mainstream consciousness again in recent years when it was performed by Aaron Neville at the benefit concert in 2005 for those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Doobie Brothers – Black Water
The Mississippi and the carefree lifestyle of New Orleans

The final part of our ‘Mississippi Trilogy’, ‘Black Water’ shines a happier light on the famous American river and the notoriously carefree lifestyle of the New Orleans region: “Well if it rains, I don’t care, don’t make no difference to me … I’d like to hear some funky Dixieland, pretty mama come and take me by the hand”. Guitarist Patrick Simmons explains that when he wrote the song he was picturing his “childhood imaginings of the South from reading Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer”.

Originally intended as a B-side, one radio station started playing it regularly, and when others started to follow suit, the Doobie Brothers soon had their first Number 1.