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191:, which (as of 2014) remains the deadliest natural disaster in United States history, responsible for an estimated 6,000 to 12,000 fatalities. Although as popularized in the 1960s, the song itself references the year 1900 and the lyrics state "Now Galveston had no seawall"—which was built after the flood—some listeners have heard this line as "Now Galveston had a
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put together a compelling folk arrangement with powerful guitar chords and a bluesy melody. Von
Schmidt handed it off to his fellow New England folkie Tom Rush, who recorded it on a popular album in the early 1960s. The Chad Mitchell Trio recorded a version of the song under the title "A Mighty Day."
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Somewhere along the way Sin-Killer
Griffin's "fifteen years" became "50 years," suggesting the song was written around 1950, which it wasn't. But most of the other lyrics remained the same, even though several later singers credited themselves with an "adaptation" of "traditional" lyrics, usually
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Sin-Killer was a well-known preacher, with a mesmerizing delivery and full confidence in the name he had given himself. Death was a subject on which he preached frequently. Relatively little is known about his life, which makes it all the more intriguing that back in 1889, in
162:"Wasn't That a Mighty Storm" was a tale of hardship and trouble and the sometimes inscrutable hand of God. Although the song dwells on a tragic subject, it was typical of songs of this time; in a similar vein, there were dozens of songs written about the sinking of the
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It appeared in their 1961 album "Mighty Day on Campus." It was revived again in 1972 by a late incarnation of the country band J.R. Mainer's
Mountaineers, who may have performed it back in the 1930s. It was then recorded by Nanci Griffith, who is from Texas herself.
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in the black churches in the early part of the 1900s. In the days before radio and television, almost every major public event inspired songs, which spread like text messages spread today, so the precise origin of songs is often hard to pin down.
212:, a "Sin-Killer Griffin" tried to organize black Americans to invade Africa. There is some evidence this was the same Sin-Killer Griffin who resurfaced before John Lomax 45 years later, though this reference has not been verified conclusively.
187:. The prison inmates served as Griffin's congregation, and Griffin claimed authorship of the song. Since this is the first known appearance of the song, it is not clear whether the song dates to the very famous
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Griffin told Lomax he had written "Wasn't That a Mighty Storm" years earlier, and the lyrics suggest that someone did, since one verse references the flood happening "fifteen years ago.".
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The song largely stayed in the church until the late 1950s, when folk song revivalists began to record cover versions of rural acoustic songs that had been recorded in previous decades.
195:" which in 1900 it did not, the main reason for the extensive death toll. This may be a clue that the song lyrics were written or at least standardized after the
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250:, an American guitarist and bluegrass musician, later revitalized the song with a new generation when he recorded the tune as "Galveston Flood" on his album "
254:" in 1993. Tony Rice is considered one of the most influential acoustic guitar players in bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and acoustic jazz.
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The song was first recorded in 1934 by a preacher named "Sin-Killer" Griffin for the
Library of Congress, in a session conducted by folk song collector
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James Taylor, American singer-songwriter, included his version of the song on his 2009 CD called
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Eric Von
Schmidt found "Mighty Storm" in the Library of Congress collection, and with his friend
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154:"Wasn't That a Mighty Storm" likely originated as a
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290:Wasn't that a mighty storm in the morning, well
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520:"Singing up a 'Mighty Storm' in Galveston"
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431:Wasn't that a mighty storm in the morning
122:" is an American folk song concerning the
469:But the trestle gave way with the water
106:Learn how and when to remove this message
314:You know the trumpets give them warning
199:by which time a seawall had been built.
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465:The trains at the station were loaded
451:The lightning flashed like Hell-fire
413:and when death calls you've got to go
382:You know, the year of 1900, children,
345:I cried, "Death, won't you let me go"
297:You know, the year of 1900, children,
261:recorded the song on their 2008 album
545:"Wasn't That a Mighty Storm (lyrics)"
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480:and cried death won't you let me go
411:Death come'd a howling on the ocean
377:I thought I heard my father calling
322:And the trains they all were loaded
311:Spread the water all over the town.
130:. It was revived and popularized by
44:adding citations to reliable sources
518:Hinckley, D. (September 12, 2008).
358:And the ships they could not stand
320:'til death stared them in the face
294:That blew all the people all away.
252:Tony Rice Plays and Sings Bluegrass
373:And the flood it took my neighbor
348:Hey, now trees fell on the island
328:And the trains they went on down.
326:The trestle gave way to the water
179:at Darrington State Farm (now the
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593:"Bluegrass Australia - Home Page"
492:Old death your hands are clammy
487:I thought I heard my father cry
471:and the trains they went on down
467:with the people all leaving town
422:blew the water all over the town
324:The people were all leaving town
494:when you've got them on my knee
420:But a high tide from the ocean
386:Death came howling on the ocean
335:Lightning flashed like hellfire
301:Death came howling on the ocean
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622:Songs based on American history
460:Some they strived and drowned
352:Some they strained and drowned
318:Now, no one thought of leaving
309:And a high tide from the ocean
170:Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
138:in the 1960s, and later by the
31:needs additional citations for
498:won't you come back after me?
456:The trees fell on the island
449:and the thunder began to roll
440:the ships they could not land
316:You'd better leave this place
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496:You come and took my mother
483:The flood it took my mother
478:Rode in on a team of horses
476:when the winds began to blow
371:Won't you come back after me
365:Death, your hands are clammy
360:And I heard a captain crying
356:And the sea began to rolling
474:Old death the cruel master
435:It blew all the people away
418:just to keep the water down
379:And I watched my mother go.
369:You come and took my mother
354:Some died in most every way
343:Rode in on a team of horses
341:When the wind began to blow
305:Now Galveston had a seawall
55:"Wasn't That a Mighty Storm"
627:Galveston Hurricane of 1900
453:and the wind began to blow
447:The rain it was a falling
444:Oh God save a drowning man
433:Wasn't that a mighty storm
429:Wasn't that a mighty storm
388:Death calls, you got to go
362:"God save a drowning man."
303:Death calls, you got to go
292:Wasn't that a mighty storm
288:Wasn't that a mighty storm
243:Take a Little Walk With Me.
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489:as I watched my mother go
442:I heard a captain crying
438:The sea began to rolling
416:Galveston had a sea wall
398:Wasn't That a Mighty Storm
281:Wasn't That a Mighty Storm
120:Wasn't That a Mighty Storm
458:and the houses gave away
350:And the houses give away
407:It was the year of 1900
392:Tony rice version lyrics
367:You got them on my knee
339:Death, the cruel master
307:To keep the water down,
197:1915 Galveston hurricane
189:1900 Galveston hurricane
485:it took my brother too
337:The wind began to blow
637:Works about hurricanes
462:others died every way
409:that was 80 years ago
333:thunder began to roll
331:Rain it was a-falling
375:Took my brother, too
235:cutting out Griffin.
40:improve this article
617:American folk songs
524:New York Daily News
257:Canadian folk band
573:on October 2, 2013
275:Traditional lyrics
203:Sin-Killer Griffin
185:Sandy Point, Texas
632:Songs about Texas
547:. The Mudcat Café
263:Fast Paced World.
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33:verification
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611:Categories
502:References
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259:The Duhks
248:Tony Rice
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156:spiritual
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286:Chorus:
239:Tom Rush
168:and the
136:Tom Rush
96:May 2024
193:seawall
165:Titanic
150:History
80:scholar
426:Chorus
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400:" / "
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