Highwater (For Charlie Patton) Songtext

High water rising, rising night and day All the gold and silver are being stolen away Big Joe Turner looking east and west from the dark room of his mind He made it to Kansas City, Twelfth Street and Vine Nothing standing there High water everywhere High water rising, the shacks are sliding down Folks lose their possessions and folks are leaving town Reformation shook it, broke it, and she hung it on the wall Say, "You dance with whom they tell you to or you don't dance at all" It's tough out there High water everywhere I got a craving love for blazing speed, got a hopped up Mustang Ford Jump into the wagon, love, though your friend is overboard I can write you poems, make a strong man lose his mind I'm no pig without a wig I hope you treat me kind Things are breaking up out there High water everywhere High water rising, six inches above my head Coffin's dropping in the street, but balloons made out of lead Well, I'm pulling into Vicksburg, don't know what I'm gonna do "Don't reach out for me," she said, "Can't you see I'm drowning too" It's rough out there High water everywhere Well, George Lewis told the Englishman, the Italian and the Jew, "You can't open up your mind, boys, to any conceivable point of view, They got Charles Darwin trapped out there on Highway 5" Judge says to the High Sheriff, "I want him dead or alive, Either one, I don't care" High water everywhere Well, the cuckoo is a pretty bird, she warbles as she flies I'm preaching the word of God, I'm putting out your eyes I asked fat Nancy for something t' eat, she said, "Take it off the shelf As great as you are, man, you'll never be greater than yourself." I told her I didn't really care High water everywhere I get up in the morning, I believe I'll dust my broom Keeping away from the women, I'm giving them lots of room Thunder rollin' over Clarksdale everything has left me blue I just can't be happy, love, unless you're happy too It's bad out there High water everywhere