Releasing her first single in 1959, she struggled to launch her career from segregated New Orleans as a teenage waitress with 4 children in the early 60's. Now, finally undergoing a late career renaissance on the Rounder label, much of her most enduring work was produced in the early 1960's by Allen Toussaint for Minit Records, and she also recorded for other labels including Imperial, Chess, and Atlantic, eventually retiring for a period before reviving her career in earnest in the late 1980's.
Thomas is perhaps best known outside of New Orleans for her recording of "Time Is On My Side," which predated the hit version by the Rolling Stones. Otis Redding's hit "Pain In My Heart" was built on an earlier song, "Ruler of My Heart," recorded by Thomas.
Thomas is still active as a performer, appearing annually at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and various tour dates in the US and Europe. She has reigned as Queen of the Krewe du Vieux for the 1998 New Orleans Mardi Gras season and often headlined at her own club, the Lion's Den, which is now out of business due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Irma Thomas has participated in numerous post-Katrina charity projects including The New Orleans Social Club, and won numerous awards including the Offbeat Magazine Award, Mojo Magazine's Legends award, Big Easy Award, a Family Services Award and many more. In 2009, Scott Billington compiled a Rounder records retrospective "Irma Thomas: A 50th Anniversary Celebration of The Soul Queen of New Orleans: " .
Back Water Blues
Irma Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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'
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
The song "Back Water Blues" by Irma Thomas sings about the devastating flood in New Orleans in 1927. The lyrics describe the aftermath of the disaster, which lasted for five days, and the water wreckage that led to families living in the lowlands at night. The opening stanza is poignant to the story of the flood, where it had rained non-stop for five days, and the darkened skies added to the natural disaster that had crippled the city.
The second stanza talks about the singer who wakes up in the morning and finds that she is trapped inside her home due to the flooding waters. She even wonders where she would go since there is enough "trouble to make a poor woman wonder." The third stanza is about people paddling across their farmland, and the singer packs her belongings, puts them in a boat, and departs with them while others left without an escape plan. She witnesses the thunderstorm and the countless families stranded with nowhere to go.
The fourth stanza talks about the singer standing on a hill, looking down at her former home. The last two stanzas repeat the name of the song, where the blues compel her to leave and having no place left in her house. The phrase "Back Water Blues" means the floodwater that forced people to leave their homes, including the singer. The lyrics in this song evoke a sense of pain, loss, and hardship of human life when struck by one of the natural calamities.
Line by Line Meaning
When it rained five days
The rain lasted for five days
And the skies turned dark at night
The skies became dark during the night
There was trouble takin' place
There was trouble happening during this time
In the lowland at night
This trouble was happening in low-lying areas during the night
I woke up this mornin'
The artist woke up in the morning
Couldn't even get out of my door
The singer could not leave their home
Enough trouble to make a poor woman
The singer is a poor woman
Wonder where she's gonna go
The artist is wondering where she will go
They rowed a little boat
Someone else rowed a small boat
About five miles across the farm
The boat traveled about five miles across the farmland
Said they rowed a little boat
The singer was told that someone rowed a boat
I packed up all of my clothes, trowed them in
The artist gathered all their belongings and put them in the boat
And they rowed me along
The singer was taken along in the boat
Where it thundered and lightnin'
There was thunder and lightning in this place
And the wind began to blow
The wind had started blowing
There was thousands of people
There were many people in this place
They had no place to go
These people had nowhere to go
I went out and stood up
The singer went outside and stood on a high hill
On a high old lonesome hill
The hill was high and lonesome
I looked down on the house
The artist looked down at their former home
Where I used to live
This is where the artist used to reside
Back water blues that calls me
The artist is experiencing backwater blues
To pack my things and go
The singer needs to pack their things and leave
'Cause my house fell down
The artist's house has been destroyed
And I can't live there no more
The singer cannot live there anymore
Ooh, I can't live there no more
The singer repeats that they cannot live there anymore
There ain't no place for a poor woman to go
The singer has nowhere to go as a poor woman
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Frank Sennish
I just heard this on a compilation CD, I didn't realize it was her. Man, it's so good!!!
Rob Preston
Hello and Thanks for visiting.
Jason Carpp
Awesome version of "Backwater Blues!" :)
Rob Preston
Yes indeed. Thank you for stopping by.
Jason Carpp
Rob Preston It reminds me of what's going on right now here in Seattle. It's windy and rainy.
cori260
All the flooding we have suffered here in Denham Springs reminded me of this song. SO glad to find it. Love Irma
Rob Preston
Hope you and family made it through safely......thanks for stopping by.
Craig McCauley
True blues!
Rob Preston
No doubt. Thank you for your visit, please check out my personal channel: youtube.com/watch?v=cOXuemFXXxo
Jahlaune K
I think the Empress herself would enjoy her cover