Neville charted again, in 1989, when he collaborated with Linda Ronstadt on three consecutive duets: Don't Know Much, All My Life, and When Something Is Wrong with My Baby, the first two reached Number One on the Adult Contemporary charts. Neville has released more than 20 singles, including three Number Ones on the Adult Contemporary format, and a fourth on the R&B format.
His other hits have included Everybody Plays the Fool, his successful 1991 cover of the 1972 Main Ingredient song, that reached #8 on the Hot 100; Don't Take Away My Heaven, Hercules and Can't Stop My Heart From Loving You (The Rain Song). Neville's biggest solo successes have been on the Adult Contemporary chart, where "Don't Know Much," "All My Life," and "Everybody Plays the Fool" all reached Number One.
Aaron signed to SonyBMG's new Burgundy Records label in late 2005 and recorded an album of songs by Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke and others for Bring It On Home...The Soul Classics, released on September 19, 2006. The album, produced by Stewart Levine, features collaborations between Neville and Chaka Khan, Mavis Staples, Chris Botti, David Sanborn, Art Neville, and others. The album's first single was a remake of The Impressions' 1963 classic It's All Right.
On October 27, 2006, Neville made a guest appearance on an episode of the soap opera The Young and the Restless. He sang Stand By Me" and Ain't No Sunshine, from his album, Bring It on Home … The Soul Classics. In 2008 he released Gold, which includes a double album of his hits.
http://www.aaronneville.com
Louisiana 1927
Aaron Neville Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is the winds have changed
Clouds roll in from the north
And it started to rain
It rained real hard, and
It rained for a real long time
Six feet of water
In the streets of Evangeline
The river rose all day,
The river rose all night
Some people got lost in the flood,
Some people got away alright
The river had busted through
Clear down to Plackermine
Six feet of water
In the streets of Evangeline
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're trying to wash us away,
They're trying to wash us away
Oh Louisiana, Louisiana
They're trying to wash us away,
They're trying to wash us away
President Coolidge come down,
In a railroad train
With his little fat man
With a note pad in his hand
President says "little fat man,
Oh isn't it a shame,
What the river has done
To this poor farmer's land"
Oh Louisiana, Louisiana
They're trying to wash us away,
You're trying to wash us away
Oh Louisiana, oh Louisiana
They're trying to wash us away,
Oh Lord, they're trying to wash us away
They're trying to wash us away,
They're trying to wash us away
The song "Louisiana 1927" by Aaron Neville is a cover of Randy Newman's song, and it tells the story of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 that devastated Louisiana. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the tragedy as the singer describes the changing winds bringing storm clouds from the north which brought heavy rain that lasted for days. The heavy rains caused the river to rise rapidly, and water started to flood the streets of Evangeline. The flood waters continued to rise, and it's said that the river rose all day and all night. Some people lost their lives in the flood while others managed to escape to safety.
The arrival of President Coolidge is also mentioned in the song. The President came to survey the damage caused by the flood, and he arrived in a train with a little fat man carrying a notebook. The President expressed his dismay at the tragedy that had occurred, saying, "Oh, isn't it a shame, what the river has done to this poor farmer's land." The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Louisiana, Louisiana, they're trying to wash us away," further emphasizing the devastating impact of the flood and the sense of helplessness felt by those affected.
Line by Line Meaning
What has happened down here,
Something terrible has occurred here
Is the winds have changed
The weather conditions have become unfavorable
Clouds roll in from the north
Stormy weather is incoming from the north
And it started to rain
It began to rain
It rained real hard, and
It poured heavily
It rained for a real long time
The rain continued for an extended period of time
Six feet of water
The water reached a depth of six feet
In the streets of Evangeline
The water flooded into the streets of Evangeline
The river rose all day,
The water level in the river continued to increase throughout the day
The river rose all night
The water level in the river continued to increase throughout the night
Some people got lost in the flood,
Some people were unable to escape the flooding
Some people got away alright
Some people were able to escape unharmed
The river had busted through
The river had overflowed its banks and flooded the surrounding areas
Clear down to Plackermine
The flooding had reached Plackermine
Louisiana, Louisiana
Referring to the state of Louisiana
They're trying to wash us away,
The flood is trying to wipe out the state of Louisiana
Oh Louisiana, Louisiana
Once again, referring to Louisiana
They're trying to wash us away,
Once again, stating that the flood is attempting to destroy Louisiana
President Coolidge come down,
President Calvin Coolidge had visited the area
In a railroad train
Coolidge arrived by way of a train
With his little fat man
Coolidge was accompanied by someone described as 'little' and 'fat'
With a note pad in his hand
Coolidge had a notepad in his possession
President says 'little fat man,
Coolidge spoke to his companion
Oh isn't it a shame,
He expressed his sadness over the disaster
What the river has done
The president commented on the flood
To this poor farmer's land'
He referred to the destruction of farms in the area
Oh Louisiana, oh Louisiana
Once again, referring to the state of Louisiana
They're trying to wash us away,
Once again, stating that the flood is attempting to destroy Louisiana
Oh Lord, they're trying to wash us away
The singer pleads to a higher power to spare the state of Louisiana
They're trying to wash us away,
Once again, emphasizing the destructive nature of the flood
They're trying to wash us away
Reiterating the main theme of the song: the state of Louisiana is under threat from a terrible flood
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RANDY NEWMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind