There's been a song on my mind

There has been a song on my mind this past week and thanks to Jim Emerson's weblog I now have it before me. Jim posted these lyrics.

Louisiana 1927

What has happened down here is the wind have changed
Clouds roll in from the north and it started to rain
Rained real hard and rained for a real long time
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline

The river rose all day
The river rose all night
Some people got lost in the flood
Some people got away all right
The river have busted through clear down to Plaquemines
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline

Chorus
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're tryin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're tryin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away...

Jim commented, "It's a sad and beautiful song about memory and loss. And you'll find it on Newman's 1974 masterpiece, Good Ol' Boys."

I didn't know it was a Randy Newman song. I had only heard the version by Asleep At The Wheel. But last night the Katrina telethon opened with Newman singing this song. How appropriate.

My prayers are with those suffering and lost along the Gulf coast. God be with you.