Washington, Dinah - Back Water Blues Lyrics






When it rained five days
And the skies turned dark at night
When it rained five days
And the skies turned dark at night
There was trouble takin' place
In the lowland at night

I woke up this mornin'
Couldn't even get out of my door
I woke up this mornin'
Couldn't even get out of my door
Enough trouble to make a poor woman
Wonder where she's gonna go

They rowed a little boat
About five miles across the farm
Said they rowed a little boat
About five miles across the farm
I packed up all of my clothes, trowed them in
And they rowed me along

Where it thundered and lightnin'
And the wind began to blow
Said it thundered and lightnin'
And the wind began to blow
There was thousands of people
They had no place to go

I went out and stood up
On a high old lonesome hill
I went out and stood up
On a high old lonesome hill
I looked down on the house
Where I used to live

Back water blues that calls me
To pack my things and go
Back water blues that calls me
To pack my things and go
Cause my house fell down
And I can't live there no more

Ooh, I can't live there no more
Ooh, I can't live there no more
There ain't no place for a poor woman to go





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Washington, Dinah Back Water Blues Comments
  1. L.... L....

    She was the heiress apparent to Billie Holiday and the undisputed Queen of the Blues during the 50s. For me she was just another voice of my adolescent years. I say that because during her era and the eras preceding her, there was no room for marginal black vocal talent. Billie, Nat, Eckstine, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah, etc. Greatness was the standard. That was the music I was raised on. You can only imagine what I think of today's talent. Today's talent: That's an oxymoron.

  2. K.... W....

    ❤️😎🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶

  3. D.... B....

    Wonerful,but her live version is supioror

  4. C.... M....

    Love it!

  5. B.... 5....

    I'd love to have this album.

  6. T.... L....

    No female singer today can hold a candle to Dinah Washington. . Love her forever. 💛💛💛💛💛

  7. R.... Y....

    Wow!!! 😥 I love it! Background music...fantastic! Thanks for sharing.... 👍

  8. O.... B....

    When it rains five days and the skies turn dark as night
    When it rains five days and the skies turn dark as night
    Then trouble's takin' place in the lowlands at night
    I woke up this mornin', can't even get out of my door
    I woke up this mornin', can't even get out of my door
    There's been enough trouble to make a poor girl wonder where she want to go
    Then they rowed a little boat about five miles 'cross the pond
    Then they rowed a little boat about five miles 'cross the pond
    I packed all my clothes, throwed them in and they rowed me along
    When it thunders and lightnin' and when the wind begins to blow
    When it thunders and lightnin' and the wind begins to blow
    There's thousands of people ain't got no place to go
    Then I went and stood upon some high old lonesome hill
    Then I went and stood upon some high old lonesome hill
    Then looked down on the house were I used to live
    Backwater blues done call me to pack my things and go
    Backwater blues done call me to pack my things and go
    'Cause my house fell down and I can't live there no more
    Mmm, I can't move no more
    Mmm, I can't move no more
    There ain't no place for a poor old girl to go

  9. t.... i....

    I was looking for Mance Lipscomb, and found Dinah. I'm sure i've heard of her before; but, this turns me on!

  10. S.... 9....

    Absolutely stunning! Dinah, Dinah, Dinah

  11. B.... C....

    Hate Thunder and Lightening but I love the Blues~~~

  12. N.... M....

    Goose bump feeling!! 2:24 her voice is so authentic, i am fascinated!

  13. A.... W....

    That is blues -you can feel it.

    A.... W....

    ❤️😎👌 Absolutly...

  14. R.... M....

    Que banda!!!! Que voz!!!

  15. �.... ....

    🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

  16. A.... S....

    They don't make them like this anymore!

  17. v.... m....

    Nights in rodanthe got me here 😊

  18. H.... S....

    Dinah Dinah Dinah

  19. j.... p....

    goosebumps and tears man......this womans voice does it everytime and I have been listening to her for over 30 years. hear the thunder!!!!!!

  20. k.... ....

    Patti laBelle, Nancy Wilson and a slew of other renowned talents all openly stated Dinah as their influence! Patti laBelle and Bluebelles earliest numbers were Dinah Washington classics ! Sagittarius uptime humour and mega talent !!!!

  21. S.... A....

    wow anyone else's style AFTER dinah remind anyone of her? slightly more screaming, but the vocal intonations are practically the same...I hear a lot of Dinah inspiration in the great Janis Joplin, almost like they could have been teacher/student

  22. G.... M....

    Dinah Washington - Back Water Blues

  23. C.... J....

    Amazing!!!!!!

  24. C.... G....

    LOVE THIS!!!! NOBODY DOES IT LIKE DINAH. HEY EVERYONE, THIS IS REAL MUSIC.

  25. M.... A....

    Dinah Washington - Back Water Blues
    Wonder !
    Thanks for posting,

    Rossio FT

  26. F.... Z....

    There was no need of autotuning for a voice as fine as this one.  Today's pop singers can't hold a candle to this woman.

    F.... Z....

    Louder please. I don't think enough people heard you.

  27. J.... M....

    I LOVE this one!

  28. A.... S....

    I don't know who wrote this tune, but I'm guessing they lived on the Gulf Coast :-(

    A.... S....

    Bessie Smith wrote the song; in my opinion Smith is the only one to outshine Dinah, if only from the benefit of having an earlier career when blues was still in formation.

  29. �.... �....

    Wauu!! You know all about Miss Dinah.... hey!! here there are another version longer of Backwater Blues: youtube.com/watch?v=x4xHqUcQPnE Is an excelent version. At the end I don't understand very well the lyrics... but I enjoy it anyway..... greetings!!!

  30. F.... ....

    On a Verve compilation, Jazz Club - Vocal, 1989 (PolyGram). :I:

  31. F.... ....

    On a Verve compilation, Jazz Club - Vocal, 1989 (PolyGram).
    Rec’d in Chicago, 20 JAN 1958. Miss Dinah Washington with Eddie Chamblee's Orchestra:
    Fip Ricard tp/ Julian Priester tb/ Eddie Chamblee ts/ Charlie Davis bari/ Jack Wilson p/ Robert Wilson b/ James Slaughter d/ Dinah Washington voc :I:

  32. N.... ....

    It's on 'Compat Jazz - Dinsh Washington Sings the Blues' from 1987. I think the CD is out of print but I'm fairly certain you can get it on iTunes.

  33. L.... S....

    what album is that on?

  34. M.... ....

    what a voice... damn....!

  35. b.... ....

    god, that low down,dirty orchestration really gets those hairs on the back of my neck goin'

  36. J.... M....

    sing sing sing them blues

  37. l.... w....

    Bessie Smith sang this first. love Be
    ssie!!!

  38. E.... M....

    I love blues after this!

  39. C.... H....

    Sing Dinah ....

  40. m.... ....

    love this song , she song with so much feeling ,, i feel it it toooo! sata girl

  41. a.... ....

    @kmfdm10392 yep u got great state too!!! the other version is???? oh my goodness!!! awesome!!!

  42. N.... ....

    @awwyeahme2 i'm thinking you are talking about the backwater blues / trouble in mind medley that's on dinah sings the blues....yes! that version is smokin red hot!

  43. a.... ....

    on her collection CD the version of this better

    ... I know they re recorded songs in those days but that version is the bomb

  44. t.... ....

    ......before 'He' was taken from me....my most amazing father and I would go on roadtrips through childhood as well as adulthood driving down the coast in to the USA and he would play me 'cassette' tapes (dating myself), then on to dvd's with the greats like this lady. He said he 'wished' that I would never know about being emotionally 'blue', but wanted me to KNOW the BLUES all in all. Sad that I in fact soooo know the 'blues' since the loss of one of the last great men.

  45. t.... ....

    I love love love Dinah! This was the first song I ever heard her incredible voice and I was hooked from that moment.

  46. D.... ....

    Oops I meant Diane Lane. Sorry about that.

  47. D.... ....

    Great version. This song is featured is featured in the movie with Diane franklin and Richard Gere, "Nights of Rodanthe".