Galveston Flood Lyrics - Tom Rush

It was the year of 1900 that was 60 years ago 

Death come'd a howling on the ocean and when death calls you've got to go 

Galveston had a sea wall just to keep the water down 

But a high tide from the ocean blew the water all over the town. 

Wasn't that a mighty storm 

Wasn't that a mighty storm in the morning 

Wasn't that a mighty storm 

It blew all the people away. 

The sea began to rolling the ships they could not land 

I heard a captain crying Oh God save a drowning man 

The rain it was a falling and the thunder began to roll 

The lightning flashed like Hell-fire and the wind began to blow 

The trees fell on the island and the houses gave away 

Some they strived and drownded others died every way. 

The trains at the station were loaded with the people all leaving town 

But the trestle gave way with the water and the trains they went on down 

Old death the cruel master when the winds began to blow 

Rode in on a team of horses and cried death won't you let me go. 

The flood it took my mother it took my brother too 

I thought I heard my father cry as I watched my mother go 

Old death your hands are clammy when you've got them on my knee 

You come and took my mother won't you come back after me? 

Wasn't that a mighty storm 

Wasn't that a mighty storm in the morning 

Wasn't that a mighty storm 

It blew all the people away.