Back Water Blues

Dublin Core

Title

Back Water Blues

Subject

United States
U.S. South
floods

Description

Sung from the perspective of a flood victim in Nashville, this song discusses floods, a common occurrence in Southern life and a common theme found in blues music. The song's release coincided with the notorious Great Mississippi Flood of 1927.

Creator

songwriter: Bessie Smith

Date

1927

Rights

Teach with Music and Film collects links to audiovisual material openly available online. The copyright and related status of these materials have not been evaluated. Please refer to the direct link for additional information about the copyright status of these materials.

Language

English

Type

genre: blues

Coverage

United States

Is Referenced By

Evans, David. 2006. “Bessie Smith's ‘Back-Water Blues’: the Story Behind the Song.” Popular Music 26 (1). Cambridge University Press: 97–116. doi:10.1017/S0261143007001158.

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