Louisiana 1927

I guess it’s no surprise that a semi-obscure Randy Newman song keeps forcing itself to the top of my thoughts this past week — “Louisiana 1927”:What has happened down here is the winds have changedClouds roll in from the north and it started to rainRained real hard and rained for a real long timeSix feet of water in the streets of EvangelineThe river rose all dayThe river rose all nightSome people got lost in the floodSome people got away alrightThe river have busted through clear down to PlaqueminesSix feet of water in the streets of EvangelineLouisiana, LouisianaThey’re tryin’ to wash us awayThey’re tryin’ to wash us awayLouisiana, LouisianaThey’re tryin’ to wash us awayThey’re tryin’ to wash us awayPresident Coolidge came down in a railroad trainWith a little fat man with a note-pad in his handThe President say, “Little fat man isn’t it a shame what the river has doneTo this poor cracker’s land.”Louisiana, LouisianaThey’re tryin’ to wash us awayThey’re tryin’ to wash us awayLouisiana, LouisianaThey’re tryin’ to wash us awayThey’re tryin’ to wash us away(I just read that Aaron Neville covered this at some relief concert already, so maybe the obscurity is diminishing. Please, Randy, Aaron, anybody save us from whatever hideous tribute song is to come from Michael Jackson.)