Chansons reprises : When the levee breaks

Chanson de blues écrite par le couple Kansas Joe McCoy et Memphis Minnie en 1929 et dont le titre en français veut dire "Quand la digue rompt".

Cette chanson est écrite à la suite des bouleversements provoqués par la crue du Mississippi en 1927 . Les habitations, l'économie agricole locale ont été ravagées. Des familles ont dû quitter leur foyer pour aller chercher du travail dans les villes industrielles du Midwest et de nombreux noirs américains ont dû alors migrer.

Cette crue a été à l'origine de nombreuses chansons de delta blues.

La version originale est à présent dans le domaine public mais pas la version plus récente (1971) de Led Zepelin.

Quelques extraits en français :

Je travaille sur la digue
nuit et jour mama
je travaille si dur pour que l'eau reste loin.

C'est une sale vieille digue
qui me fait me lever et râler
je vais quitter ma chérie et ma joyeuse demeure.

If it keeps on raining, levee's going to break,
If it keeps on raining, levee's going to break,
And the water gonna come down, have no place to stay

All last night I sat on the levee and moan,
Well all last night I sat on the levee and moan,
Thinking about my baby and my happy home,

If it keeps on raining, levee's going to break,
If it keeps on raining, levee's going to break,
And all these people have no place to stay

Now look here mama what am I to do?,
Now look here mama what am I to do?,
I ain't got nobody to tell my troubles to

I works on the levee mama both night and day,
I works on the levee mama both night and day,
I ain't got nobody, keep the water away

Oh crying won't help you, praying won't do no good,
Oh crying won't help you, praying won't do no good,
When the levee breaks, mama, you gonna lose

I works on the levee, mama both night and day,
I works on the levee, mama both night and day,
I works so hard, to keep the water away

I had a woman, she wouldn't do for me,
I had a woman, she wouldn't do for me,
I'm going back to my used to be

It's a mean old levee, cause me to weep and moan
It's a mean old levee, cause me to weep and moan
Gonna leave my baby, and my happy home

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/_music_lyrics.cfm?bandid=436239&songID=4698273&keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=530&width=530

Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie When the Levee Breaks - Famous 1927 Mississippi River Flood

Original recorded version of the song later made famous by Led Zeppelin. I made the slide show from a combination of pictures of the artists and pictures of the famous 1927 flood that affected the ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swhEa8vuP6U

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOEQTJV_3-w

Ben Harper - When The Levee Breaks - LIVE HD

Produced by : Zycopolis Productions Directed by : Patrick Savey #jazzavienne : http://www.jazzavienne.com We're a TV production company, created in 2002 with a unique goal - filming live shows and ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVTgZ4NU-UA

.....et Charlie Musselwhite à l'harmonica