200:
31:
178:. However, study of Smith's touring itinerary, of testimony of fellow entertainers who toured with her, and of contemporary reports indicates that the song was written in response to the flood that struck
583:
398:
282:
576:
468:
378:
618:
506:
700:
562:
247:
597:
221:
643:
175:
225:
680:
611:
695:
670:
665:
636:
499:
492:
210:
461:
413:
394:
302:
229:
214:
261:
166:" on February 17, 1927, in New York City. Its musical composition entered the public domain on January 1, 2023.
590:
685:
186:, which flows through the city, rose 56 feet (17 m) above its normal level, still a record as of 2014.
454:
569:
690:
179:
675:
264:
blues format. The words vary from one performer to another; this opening verse is representative:
425:
370:
359:
534:
527:
374:
50:
417:
183:
159:
151:
117:
30:
555:
548:
541:
38:
332:
659:
520:
429:
366:
477:
155:
131:
112:
42:
199:
84:
604:
421:
125:
310:
144:
89:
148:
450:
446:
399:"Bessie Smith's 'Back-Water Blues': the story behind the song"
269:
When it rains five days, and the skies turn dark as night (2×)
193:
333:"Public Domain Day 2023 | Duke University School of Law"
271:
There's trouble taking place in the lowland that night
628:
484:
123:
111:
95:
83:
75:
60:
48:
37:
23:
358:
266:
462:
8:
228:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
174:The song has long been associated with the
469:
455:
447:
29:
20:
584:Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
248:Learn how and when to remove this message
294:
36:
7:
226:adding citations to reliable sources
577:I Wonder Where My Easy Rider's Gone
14:
612:T'ain't Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do
260:The lyrics are in the often-used
198:
79:New York City, February 17, 1927
644:LaVern Baker Sings Bessie Smith
619:Wild Women Don't Have the Blues
507:Baby Won't You Please Come Home
176:Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
1:
598:Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair
182:, on Christmas Day 1926. The
18:1927 single by Bessie Smith
717:
563:A Good Man Is Hard to Find
414:Cambridge University Press
162:on piano) recorded it as "
422:10.1017/s0261143007001158
28:
701:Columbia Records singles
500:Alexander's Ragtime Band
158:. Smith (on vocal with
283:List of jazz standards
274:
357:Giles Oakley (1997).
56:"Preachin' the Blues"
681:1920s jazz standards
313:on November 21, 2017
222:improve this section
180:Nashville, Tennessee
591:The St. Louis Blues
521:Careless Love Blues
696:Bessie Smith songs
671:Songs about rivers
666:Songs about floods
570:I Ain't Got Nobody
653:
652:
535:Downhearted Blues
493:After You've Gone
380:978-0-306-80743-5
361:The Devil's Music
258:
257:
250:
137:
136:
24:"Backwater Blues"
708:
629:Related articles
471:
464:
457:
448:
441:
440:
438:
436:
403:
391:
385:
384:
364:
354:
348:
347:
345:
343:
337:Web.law.duke.edu
329:
323:
322:
320:
318:
309:. Archived from
299:
253:
246:
242:
239:
233:
202:
194:
184:Cumberland River
164:Back-water Blues
160:James P. Johnson
128:
107:
106:
102:
71:
69:
53:
33:
21:
716:
715:
711:
710:
709:
707:
706:
705:
656:
655:
654:
649:
637:St. Louis Blues
624:
556:Gin House Blues
549:Gimme a Pigfoot
542:Empty Bed Blues
514:Backwater Blues
480:
475:
445:
444:
434:
432:
401:
393:
392:
388:
381:
356:
355:
351:
341:
339:
331:
330:
326:
316:
314:
301:
300:
296:
291:
279:
273:
270:
254:
243:
237:
234:
219:
203:
192:
172:
141:Backwater Blues
124:
104:
100:
99:
67:
65:
49:
19:
12:
11:
5:
714:
712:
704:
703:
698:
693:
688:
686:American songs
683:
678:
673:
668:
658:
657:
651:
650:
648:
647:
640:
632:
630:
626:
625:
623:
622:
615:
608:
601:
594:
587:
580:
573:
566:
559:
552:
545:
538:
531:
528:Don't Cry Baby
524:
517:
510:
503:
496:
488:
486:
482:
481:
476:
474:
473:
466:
459:
451:
443:
442:
386:
379:
349:
324:
307:Redhotjazz.com
303:"Bessie Smith"
293:
292:
290:
287:
286:
285:
278:
275:
267:
256:
255:
206:
204:
197:
191:
188:
171:
168:
135:
134:
129:
121:
120:
115:
109:
108:
97:
93:
92:
87:
81:
80:
77:
73:
72:
62:
58:
57:
54:
46:
45:
35:
34:
26:
25:
17:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
713:
702:
699:
697:
694:
692:
689:
687:
684:
682:
679:
677:
674:
672:
669:
667:
664:
663:
661:
646:
645:
641:
639:
638:
634:
633:
631:
627:
620:
616:
613:
609:
606:
602:
599:
595:
592:
588:
585:
581:
578:
574:
571:
567:
564:
560:
557:
553:
550:
546:
543:
539:
536:
532:
529:
525:
522:
518:
515:
511:
508:
504:
501:
497:
494:
490:
489:
487:
483:
479:
472:
467:
465:
460:
458:
453:
452:
449:
431:
427:
423:
419:
415:
411:
407:
406:Popular Music
400:
396:
390:
387:
382:
376:
372:
368:
367:Da Capo Press
363:
362:
353:
350:
338:
334:
328:
325:
312:
308:
304:
298:
295:
288:
284:
281:
280:
276:
272:
265:
263:
252:
249:
241:
231:
227:
223:
217:
216:
212:
207:This section
205:
201:
196:
195:
189:
187:
185:
181:
177:
169:
167:
165:
161:
157:
153:
150:
146:
142:
133:
130:
127:
126:Songwriter(s)
122:
119:
116:
114:
110:
98:
94:
91:
88:
86:
82:
78:
74:
63:
59:
55:
52:
47:
44:
40:
32:
27:
22:
16:
642:
635:
513:
478:Bessie Smith
435:December 16,
433:. Retrieved
409:
405:
395:Evans, David
389:
360:
352:
340:. Retrieved
336:
327:
317:December 16,
315:. Retrieved
311:the original
306:
297:
268:
259:
244:
235:
220:Please help
208:
173:
163:
156:Bessie Smith
140:
138:
132:Bessie Smith
43:Bessie Smith
15:
691:Blues songs
190:Composition
154:written by
676:1927 songs
660:Categories
605:Squeeze Me
416:: 97–116.
369:. p.
342:October 6,
289:References
170:Background
139:The song "
430:162113442
238:July 2016
209:does not
397:(2007).
277:See also
152:standard
118:Columbia
76:Recorded
61:Released
230:removed
215:sources
143:" is a
66: (
428:
377:
96:Length
51:B-side
39:Single
485:Songs
426:S2CID
412:(1).
402:(PDF)
145:blues
113:Label
90:Blues
85:Genre
437:2014
375:ISBN
344:2023
319:2014
213:any
211:cite
149:jazz
147:and
68:1927
64:1927
418:doi
262:AAB
224:by
41:by
662::
424:.
410:26
408:.
404:.
373:.
371:99
365:.
335:.
305:.
105:19
621:"
617:"
614:"
610:"
607:"
603:"
600:"
596:"
593:"
589:"
586:"
582:"
579:"
575:"
572:"
568:"
565:"
561:"
558:"
554:"
551:"
547:"
544:"
540:"
537:"
533:"
530:"
526:"
523:"
519:"
516:"
512:"
509:"
505:"
502:"
498:"
495:"
491:"
470:e
463:t
456:v
439:.
420::
383:.
346:.
321:.
251:)
245:(
240:)
236:(
232:.
218:.
103::
101:3
70:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
