When The Levee Breaks
Kansas Joe Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break
If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' 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 cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do no good
Oh cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do no good
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to 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 goin' back to my used to be

I's a mean old levee, cause me to weep and moan

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

Overall Meaning

The song "When The Levee Breaks" by Kansas Joe is a blues song that tells the story of the great Mississippi flood in 1927. The lyrics refer to the breaking of the levees, which were built along the river to prevent flooding. The song evokes a feeling of despair and hopelessness in the face of the natural disaster. The main message of the song is that no matter how hard we try, we cannot always control the forces of nature.

The first stanza of the song sets the scene for the listener. The continuous rain is causing the levee to break, and the water is going to come in with no place to stay. The second and third stanzas describe the singer, who sits on the levee and moans, thinking about his baby and happy home. The fourth and fifth stanzas express the frustration and despair of people who have become homeless due to the flood. They have no one to turn to for help. The sixth and seventh stanzas describe the singer's efforts to save the levee and protect his community from the flood. The eighth and ninth stanzas suggest that neither crying nor praying can stop the inevitable. The last two stanzas reveal the singer's personal struggles, including his unfulfilling relationship and emotional turmoil caused by the flood.

Line by Line Meaning

If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break
The continuous rain is going to cause the levee to break

And the water gonna come in, have no place to stay
The water will come in and there will be nowhere for people to stay

Well all last night I sat on the levee and moan
I spent the entire night sitting on the levee, crying

Thinkin' 'bout my baby and my happy home
I was thinking about my family and how much I miss them

And all these people have no place to stay
There are many people who will be homeless because of the flood

Now look here mama what am I to do
I am asking for advice from my mother

I ain't got nobody to tell my troubles to
I don't have anyone to confide in about my problems

I works on the levee mama both night and day
I work tirelessly on the levee both day and night

I ain't got nobody, keep the water away
I don't have anyone to help me keep the water away

Oh cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do no good
Crying and praying won't fix the problem

When the levee breaks, mama, you got to lose
When the levee breaks, everyone will lose

I had a woman, she wouldn't do for me
I had a woman who didn't help me

I'm goin' back to my used to be
I'm going back to someone I used to be with

I's a mean old levee, cause me to weep and moan
The levee is mean and causing me sadness

Gonna leave my baby, and my happy home
I'm going to leave my family and my happy home because of the flood

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joe McCoy

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@jeffsanders663

2y↑2

Long winded thing here as I'm a little high right now, but, hopefully, intelligent:
When I 1st got into Led Zeppelin, in 1982, I called them a heavy metal band.
Fast forward, 1988, I went to a concert of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Who. I went to see The Who, but when I saw SRV, that was the moment I fell in love with blues.
I play guitar a bit, then, and now, and started playing blues.
I listened to nothing but blues for the next couple of years.
I realized that rock music is a child of blues. Both have that classic 3 chord progression; G C D, C F G,
E A B, etc.
I then started re-listening to Led Zeppelin and realized they were never a heavy metal band, rather, a blues band.
After having the education I have of blues, I'm MUCH more appreciative of LZ.
There are a few versions of this song, authorship is disputed.
I never would have known of this songs existence, or, the subject matter.
Blues music tells of many things, history being one.
For those who love history, look into why this song was made.
For those into blues, look into ALL the different versions, and evolutions, of this song.
Both have equal appeal!

Sorry for the long rant, but, I'm a bit high right now.
Stay safe!

@drjukebox

8y↑55

People talking 'bout Katrina. Katrina was bad. But the flood in 1927...:
640000 people in the Mississippi delta were affected
200000 African-Americans had to live a long time in relief camps
many went north and left the delta for good
145 levee breaks
26,000 square miles inundated
the river was 60 miles wide near Memphis
businessmen in New Orleans decided to blow up the lower levees to save the town
this didnt work but they did set Plaquemine and Saint Bernard under water
Took four months for the river to subside

@luvit5150

3y↑3

If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break
If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break
And the water gonna come in, have no place to stay
Well all last night I sat on the levee and moan
Well all last night I sat on the levee and moan
Thinkin' 'bout my baby and my happy home
If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break
If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' 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 cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do no good
Oh cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do no good
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to 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 goin' back to my used to be
I's a mean old levee, cause me to weep and moan
I's a mean old levee, cause me to weep and moan
Gonna leave my baby, and my happy home
Source: Musixmatch

@thehiphopprophet

8y↑35

If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break
If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break
And the water gonna come in and we'll have no place to stay

Well all last night I sat on the levee and moaned
Well all last night I sat on the levee and moaned
Thinkin' 'bout my baby and my happy home

If it keeps on rainin' levee's goin' to break
If it keeps on rainin' levee's goin' to break
And all these people will have no place to stay

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

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

Oh cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do no good
Oh cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do no good
When that levee breaks mama, you got to lose

I work on the levee mama both night and day
I work on the levee mama both night and day
I work 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

Oh mean old levee caused me to weep and moan
Yeah the mean old levee caused me to weep and moan
Told me leave my baby and my happy home

Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie wrote one of the best songs ever penned

All comments from YouTube:

@kander63

10y↑1.3K

Thanks for posting this. I think the Led Zeppelin version is great, but it saddens me to know that so many people don't know the history of this music. If it were not for the blues music created by African-Americans in the Mississippi Delta, rock and roll as we know it would not exist today.

@GORDOTRONIC

10y↑18

agree!!

@rackembarry

10y↑46

rock n roll was created by americans of african decent as well.

@jackstraw9286

10y↑31

rackembarry The Blues had A Baby and They Named it "Rock and Roll"

@Sgt.Hartman

10y↑22

I love led zeppelin, but they (in my mind) continued he popularity of blues and rock to hard rock, in no case did they invent it, that was chuck berry and elvis, howver they did not invent rock and roll, they were the architects that put the building blocks together to create this amzaing genre we call rock and roll.

@rackembarry

10y↑23

theoretical physicist rock n roll mixed black and white styles, but nearly every track in serious contention for FIRST rock n roll song was made by an african american. whites however did invent rockabilly, very shortly afterward.

90 More Replies...

@doodlebobbeh8836

2y↑147

This song is almost 100 years old and somehow still slaps today

@burpie3258

1y↑7

Hellz yeah

@Spiritof_76

27w

That's what it does? It slaps?

@CaptainTrips560

25w

@@Spiritof_76yes

@Spiritof_76

25w

@@CaptainTrips560 I hate to ask, but what is it slapping?

@gl0ry07

25w

@@Spiritof_76goes hard

7 More Replies...

@glennbrymer4065

28w↑7

Outstanding! Thank you very much! I'm 71, been following old black ballads & sings since I was 12 years old. LeadBelly was my introduction. Great music!

@CrayCruz

2y↑66

That's why I love the "Blues Brothers" movie - in it they pay homage to the R&B, Soul singers of the modern era. They even give "Cab Calloway" a spot where he sings his "Minnie the Moocher" song (some know it as the Hi-De-Ho song). I absolutely love that scene in the movie.

@jamesbaker9905

35w↑4

Oh yes and 'Sweet Home Chicago' is a Robert Johnson song from 1936. Even tho Jake (Belushi) says it's a Magic Sam song in the film

@glennhecker4422

28w↑2

Here in Wilmington, Delaware, we have a performing arts focused high school called the Cab Calloway School in his honor. He was a highly innovative bandleader!

@CaptainTrips560

25w

@@jamesbaker9905magic sam’s version is the “standard” version nowadays and the one the Blues Brothers version is based on. Robert Johnson wrote the original but his lyrics were significantly different than Magic Sam’s version.

If I remember correctly, Johnson’s version is about Chicago, California where Johnson had relatives. Magic Sam’s is about Chicago Illinois

@nomchompsky2883

24w↑2

I liked they had John Lee Hooker.... I got to see JLH in concert once upon a time...

@CaptainTrips560

24w↑1

@@nomchompsky2883 I’m insanely jealous

3 More Replies...

@michaelmelling9333

3y↑83

Way cool that technology allows us to hear with such clarity a song from so very long ago.

@jeffsanders663

2y↑2

Yeah!
Almost 100 years ago!

@AndrewLale

28w

You think 1929 is 'so very long ago'. That's pretty funny. My dad was born in 1932.

@mitchleigh9588

28w↑1

My dad was born in 1908. He was 58 when I was born

@johnb6723

11w

@@mitchleigh9588Wow! A world record, I should think.

@lawrencetaylor4101

3y↑229

Glad to see old time blues musicians do covers of Led Zeppelin songs.

@jeffsanders663

2y↑9

Ooo
I saw what you did there, mate!
Clever!
Vvveeerrryyy clever!

@neilangus4401

2y↑14

Pay up led Zeppelin
Stop the suffering

@uberjam-sam8512

2y↑6

That was funny as long as you don't think about it too much but it's one of those iconic John Bonham beats

Much harder to play this version than zeps version on guitar

@chasphotography

2y↑7

@@neilangus4401 did you know many of the blues songs zeppelin "embellished" were actually originally old british (white people) folk songs that the blues musicians "embellished"(or what some consider stealing) but never gave the original composers credit for either ? So really zeppelin did nothing more than the old blues guys. And one thing is for sure. Zeppelin followed correct protocol when it comes to copyright law so they don't owe any a damn dime. #doyourhomework

@chasphotography

2y↑2

You do know the difference in a cover song and an embellishment of a song don't you ?

32 More Replies...

@papwithanhatchet902

28w↑10

Almost 100 years old and still a rockin’ blues tune.

@jackspry9736

2y↑41

RIP and long live Kansas Joe McCoy (May 11, 1905 - January 28, 1950), aged 44
You will always be remembered as a legend.

@alchemy920

11y↑133

Thanks. I put it up there because some friends and I got into a discussion about music. He didn't know that Led Zeppelin didn't write this song. Also, it is a bit personal to me since I lost everything from Hurricane Katrina. So it resonates with me on two levels.

@dwasd-was873

4y↑2

hope you doin okay now

@Terk131

Music is funny esp with Zepplin, here is another song they stole, you know it well...
https://youtu.be/hs5kK1c1MTI

@alchemy920

4y↑12

@@dwasd-was873 Yes family is doing fine now. We moved outside New Orleans, but Katrina wasn't the first time we lost everything. Years earlier, I lost everything to a fire. I learned then, that the things you own can't define you.

@chupacabra9357

4y↑2

@@alchemy920 I don't know if you know this (you probably do since you are from there), but that hurricane was caused by the exact same reason as the flood in this song.

@a7G-82r

3y↑8

Well they really only stole the lyrics. The riff, harmonica, drums and plants voice are what makes their version great.

2 More Replies...

@matthewpaterson5216

7y↑172

I'm just glad to finally hear the original song that became the inspiration for Led Zep's classic rock version of this. I love both of these versions.

@sombergirl2886

5y↑1

A Perfect Circle also did a cover of the song check out the live version I think it's better than the studio version

@checkle1

4y↑2

@DFS54 here comes our conscious to help us decide what we like and don't like. What a guy.

@checkle1

@DFS54 I've had quite a bit more education than you I'm sure. Currently in grad school friend. A YouTube typo doesn't exactly express intellect. Your taste in music is subjective. I stand by what I said in my original statement; when he said he loved the song, you said "you're lying your ass off" and his conscience would be his gauge on that lie. So eat shit....lol

@checkle1

@DFS54 This medium is where you shine. Don't let anyone take that from you.

@michaelgriggs8574

All of them

2 More Replies...

@rickkernell2486

3y↑192

The difference between L.Z. version and this is astounding. This sounds like 20-30's blues, Zeppelin's sounds like the end of the world...

@markperry2827

2y↑28

Exactly. Nothing against these peeps but the song would be forever lost if not for Zep.

@avi8r66

2y↑34

And they credited the original on the album, not really sneaking anything by that way. They completely overhauled this old ditty into a powerful song still appealing generations later. I say well played Led Zepplin.

@Protonixum

2y↑5

@@avi8r66 fully agree !!!!!!!!

@sexobscura

2y↑3

the mountains and the canyons start to tremble and shake

@ChitFromChinola

2y↑10

House of the Rising Sun

Hey Joe

Going Up the Country

Lots of great back-country blues re-born in the 60s and 70s. Awesome.

19 More Replies...

@pepernst

6y↑360

Funny. Back in those days, it was considered more of an honor to have someone cover their songs. I think Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie would be pretty stoked to know that Led Zeppelin covered their song.

@Yeshulion

5y↑17

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?????? HELL YEAH THEY WOULD!

@plof9882

5y↑33

Memphis Minnie died in 1973, Led Zeppelin released their version in 1971 so there is a chance that Minnie actually heard the cover.

@ShaunPhillipsAV

4y↑39

It wasn't considered an honor. It was considered stealing. LZ NEVER gave credit. Only years later after everyone was suing them did they start giving credit.

@CommonTime64

4y↑30

@@ShaunPhillipsAV they credited Minnie originally

@jamesbarrick3403

4y↑43

@@ShaunPhillipsAV you are deranged. Almost all artists from all eras consider it an honor. Zeppelin took this nice blues ditty and took it to next level. Almost all modern music is in one way or another a regurgitation of influences and things done prior. For that matter you could say the same about anything creative including all of the arts. You guys that like to run around calling everything a "rip off" are simply comical. Enjoy the art and look forward to how the next artists changes it all. Life is short you should find ways to enjoy not hate

47 More Replies...

@richardwohl2629

3y↑15

hearing this, it's amazing that LZ came up with their version.

@lulublueeyes1

9y↑10

So glad to see this. I listened to Zep's version, along with Randy Newman's Louisiana 1927, all during the weeks after Hurricane Katrina (I live in New Orleans.) However, one side of my family lived in Hamburg, La during '27 which is pictured in this video, along with other pics in Avoyelles Parish, LA. My grandfather from the other side of the family lived in Melville, LA, unfortunately not pictured herein tho we have lots of pics of his store underwater. All you see is the rooftops. I had heard OF this original version, but never actually heard it. So glad it was posted on here. Will have to show my father, who lived thru it, and is now 94 y.o. Thanks for adding this video!

@santossalinas4221

11w↑2

Thursday the 8th of February 2024 and I just found out today about this original version... I should have known, I'm glad I found it though. ❤❤

@doctorjones278

6y↑169

The reason the blues are still a thing in 2018 is directly due to the fact that artists "steal" or cover old works and re-vamp them. Blues is timeless because these old songs still get heard today. If I were a musician from 1927, I'd be thrilled that anyone remembered my stuff at all! Good for Zep, The Beatles, The Stones....everybody that still keeps these wonderful old records alive.

@MichaelRCarlson

4y↑12

This exactly. Young folks know blues because of artists keeping it alive.

@aylbdrmadison1051

4y↑8

Very true. And not only that, but it's how all genres of music are created too.

@aidank2108

4y↑18

Led Zeppelin didn't steal it, they gave Memphis Minnie a songwriting credit.

@odiltm259

4y↑3

They are still a thing because we all still feel the blues and it relates to a feeling better then the modern pop that has no meaning and feeling at all

@a4s2reckonwith

4y↑6

Musicians cover songs all the time, and Hollywood remakes movies all the time. More often than not the original versions of music are the best but not all the time. Led Zeppelin adds some extra power to the song. Same for Quiet Riot remaking some Slade songs. QR's version was better in my opinion.If it weren't such a hassle, it would be cool to have a channel that starts off with an original song and then follows up with covers and people can vote on and argue over what's best.

11 More Replies...

@thomaspartington9719

3y↑9

The fact that this song, which is a great song in its own right, became THAT song we all know and love just shows the genius of Zeppelin, but great to hear the original for the first time!

@CrayCruz

2y↑1

No doubt, Led Zep created a masterpiece, but it came from somewhere.

@bloocheez3

8y↑327

All this talk Zep but hearing this all I can think of is Canned Heat....

@radiorob7543

8y↑6

+bloocheez3 Sounds like a good one for Blind Owl. Did he ever cover this?

@waynewatkins4649

8y↑15

Sure reminds me of Canned Heat also

@RobertoWCruz

7y↑15

Sweet I wasn't the only one that heard going up the country

@spyralspyder

6y↑5

Canned heat had the flow of this song best... of course they were closer to the American blues scene.. Would have been an interesting song. They even had harmonicas. IE On the road again. Not just whaling in open notes btw.

@Theophilus200

6y↑5

See Henry Thomas.... 1928 .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYy716zmXcM&spfreload=5

21 More Replies...

@pglover64

2y↑7

This is truly the very 1st Rock-n-Roll song. It even has a guitar solo and might I say Memphis Minnie is shredding it!

@ronumpleby3517

7y↑6

This is a piece of history! Thank you for uploading it!

@nicolejttmom6061

2y↑3

Thank you for this post! My fave led zeppelin song is when the levees break , never heard the original, blowing my freaking mind!!!

@justz3973

4y↑3

I’ve been a Zeppelin fan for most of my life and I did not know that “when the levee breaks” was a cover song!
Wow.. that must be why it was so easy for A Perfect Circle- to make their own rendition of ”when the levee breaks”....

@doghousemine1

9y↑34

Glad to hear this version of the song Zep, popularized. One thing that I enjoyed in Zep's version is the harmonica is very prominent and creates a great haunting backdrop to the song. Jones' bass and Bonham's drums really create a beat that the original just couldn't do. Give credit to Jimmy Page he created / re-created a very haunting and delicate tune with a lot of balance between instruments and vocals. They really get a lot of mileage out of a very simple tune and tempo.

@burpie3258

1y↑4

I love the harmonica as well!!

@megatrollificus

23w

Truth to tell, the ominous, walking mountain apocalyptic attack of the Zep version suits the end-of-the-world threat of the '27 floods. Great song, the harmonica was genius and Bonham's drums convey a threatening power that fits the subject. I also like the slower pace. Flood don't gotta hurry.

@wendyb5528

1y↑4

Thank you for posting this song..I didnt know that Led Zeppelin didnt write it. I think it is very important that people know exactly where the song started from. Thank you so much

@jaymike3302

28w↑1

Zepplin's version didn't come from this. It came from another version of this song.

@wendyb5528

27w↑1

@@jaymike3302 I hope I am going to say this correctly and without any and all my words not getting screwed up so here goes. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 So I went back and had another listen to this post and your comment to my post. I have to do that because I stay up quite late or should I say into the early wee hours of the next day listening to music and watching reaction videos. It is my form of relaxation and also my way to deal with chronic pain. Music, in my opinion, has come into existence as a form of just that. I'm sure I'm not the only one who gets relief from just listening to music. My mood also dictates what genre I am going to be listening to. Me crazy???? maybe but I'm not hurting anyone so whatever.
Lately I have been drawn to that wonderful time of the introduction of "Doo-wop". I was not even a thought when this era came about, yet I have this very very strange "pull" or connection to it. I always have loved the sound and then these beautiful people with these beautiful voices put in their "Harmonies" just to make us that step closer to the sounds they create. In amongst all of this beauty there are those classic notes that are The Blues, or so I think it is. I am not a teacher or an expert on music at all other than having such a love for it that I cant explain. So to read about the age of this song and even the earlier version of it is remarkable to me. This is the part that I don't want to screw up...The classic group of chords that made and still make up the recognizable melody is Blues. I didn't know just how long ago that sound actually came about. I am blown away that it started way way way back. Me being stupid or uneducated about just when and where different sounds and genres started, I truly appreciate these reactions and education on music. If these types of posts are so helpful and interesting. I honestly had some idea of the fact that The Blues has been around for sooooooooooooooooo many years ago, but I didn't think it went that far back!!!! As I listened to this it all slapped me in the face, because as I listened to that classic progression of chords one of the first songs that popped into my head was "Shake Rattle and Roll", "Hound Dog" by Big Mama Thornton and of course everything "Little Richard", God Bless that Beautiful man, did, ALL these and tons more had that classic sound. So when the old interviews and shows in the 50's were introduced I had no idea that they have been around even before the 20's !!!!!!! That is crazy to me but at the same time so educational and so very interesting. I learned that the Blues has always been and for way more that even knew.
So I thank you for your comment about there being other versions and the original from way way back in histoy. Also thank you to the person who did this post in the first place. A little knowledge goes a long way!!!
ps... I apologize for rambling on and on, I am just super passionate when it comes to music. Who knows. Maybe I had a past life in that era and I died on "Dead Man's Curve" ! lol lol After all, a group of young,(and I mean young) said " Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay".

@wendyb5528

27w

@@jaymike3302 Also if you want a huge history lesson on who made a song first I suggest a documentary I watched called The Lion's Share. It is about the original The Lion Sleeps Tonight. The "Tokens" were not the first to write this song. It is one of the sadest things I have watched, actually sickening to me and many others, I would imagine.

@jaymike3302

27w

@@wendyb5528 I went back again and checked...and I'm thinkimg that maybe the version I heard was Zepplin's music with old blues voices played over it. So I have no idea if Zepplin made the music or copied it. I'll have to look more into it. Their music is nothing like in this video here.

@slothfromthegoonies8201

7y↑308

Led Zeppelin didn't "steal" this. On this rare occasion they actually credited the original songwriter.

@3alarm247

5y↑8

They didn’t steal? https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/led-zeppelins-10-boldest-rip-offs-223419/amp/

@JusSteve53

5y↑11

For once. They learned their lesson after Led Zep I.

@Turtlehands

5y↑20

“When the Levee Breaks” on their fourth album, the members of Led Zeppelin granted themselves songwriting credits, but at least they also included Memphis Minnie.

I'd say they took too much credit, it is a cover.
They did a great job, but they did not write the song!!

@JusSteve53

5y↑25

The song is by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie. Zep adapted the lyrics to a heavy slide Blues riff. Thus they wrote the music for this interpretation.

@harold9924

5y↑32

@@3alarm247 It's transformative. Just because you found some website saying they "stole" it doesn't mean they didn't change it. They made the song better with Robert's genius and Jimmy's expertise.

46 More Replies...

@flman1478

5y↑5

This is fantastic...Thank you so much for sharing. I've been able to find so many other songs that have their roots in the Delta. I listen to Bob Dylan's hall of fame induction speech and wow some of the people he thanked and musician he mentioned were jaw dropping. Names we won't here anymore in a generation or two I'm sad to say. If you ever get a chance please read some of his memoirs on highway 61 revisited. Album was pretty good too :) His love and connection to the delta south . Muddy Waters, Son House, Elvis Presley, Charley Patton and Bessie Smith..it goes on forever. Highway 61 goes from Thunder Bay (Ontario) down to New Orleans...Critic Mark Polizzotti points out that blues legend Robert Johnson is alleged to have sold his soul to the devil at the highway's crossroads with Route 49.

@ramblerdave1339

29w

Most real blues scholars credit that legend to another Bluesman, Tommy Johnson, no relation, that billed himself as "the devil's son in law". Robert sang about "Crossroads", but the legend was already there before him.

@bytheway1031

2y↑2

Happy Birthday Memphis Minnie🎂🎸06-03-2022

@gustavobecker9841

Muito obrigado por postar essa preciosidade. Como fã de Led Zeppelin é emocionante ouvir, e pensar, quão genial é a versão dos caras!

@LucillesSoul

6y↑4

Wow!... This could be one of the earliest samples of rock and roll beat

@MyDriver8

6y↑4

I love both versions.

@kincamell2

Much Gratitude.

@mikebennett3432

18w↑1

I went to our public library in the late 80’s. They had a massive collection of albums. I’d go through them and find a familiar title and borrow the album. I was amazed to find that a lot of the hits from major bands of whatever era, say the sixties, were just remakes of tunes that were written by people decades earlier. In a lot of instances black performers that never received recognition or compensation for their efforts because they were deceased or lacked the funds for legal battles.😢

@Ididdledyourwife

3y↑5

Zeps musics great. Glad they credited them on this song. Just wish they did that with the other many songs they're famous for not only cause it's right but then it'll hopefully get more people to listen to those classics like this

@garyjohn3465

Man, I read your name and looked at your profile pic. Had me Rolling!!!😆 Thanks for the Laugh Dildo!!! Zeppelin Rocks!!!💕🎸🎼🥁

@baronfyrewhine

They did. Get your facts straight.

@detweeta

3y↑3

This track straight into my top 20 high praise 🙌

@oreally8605

Praise? This isn't a gospel tune. It's about a flood.

@nuts45150

TY AMAZING BLUES HISTORY music was reborn by our recent 50 + artists

@Vmartin70EZ

17w

Respect to Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie Thank You! From a Led Zeppelin Fan.

@knee-long1255

3y↑4

Holy crap. Zeppelin is imo the greatest band of all time, had no idea one could pull two songs from one great song tho. Jimmy got a lot of inspiration for rock and roll from the guitar in this track as well as Robert with the vocals.

@smartalek180

10y↑12

This is a great history lesson, and it's great music in its own right.
Thanks for promoting it here.
The roots deserve more attention; if it weren't for earlier generations' artistry, we'd have no Zep, no Clapton, no Aerosmith, no Grateful Dead (yeah, I know what some might say on that one; they're entitled to their opinions, too, no matter how wrong)... arguably no rock'n'roll at all.

@smartluck100

We would still have the omnipotent Grateful Dead!!!!. Don’t be silly ❤️✌️.They were an unstoppable force sir 😎

@bobsch-gd6ze

47w

stumbled across this Out Standing original after listening to When The Levee Breaks feat. John Paul Jones | Playing For Change | Song Around The World , Thank You Kansas Joe, Memphis Minnie

@johncraft6603

2y↑2

This old man learned something new today, and this is as great as the LZ cover.

@tendervittlesdoobiestein2145

7y↑8

Just imagine how few, if any, people would even know this song existed if it weren't for Zeppelin covering it. I love listening to both, but only one is worthy of massive amounts of wattage and pushing speaker drivers to their limit. Just as one is only worthy of being called the original.

@damuni1

5y↑8

I can definitely hear this kind of music's influence on songs like Whole Lotta Shaking Going On

@stevesimpson2947

4y↑1

Thanks. Really like the images you chose.

@johnlujan8706

26w

Love it! I started listening to Cannrd Heat since about the age of five. Thanks! Subscribed.

@PeterTea

7y↑3

Nice to hear the original version. That's one of my favorite Zeppelin songs too.

@lazyassbum

9y↑90

When they said that rhythm & blues gave birth to rock music, They Weren't Kidding at all. I wonder how many Rock band careers are based on blues artist?

@4thDementionalBubble

8y↑9

+cordell Hughes Well rock is directly descended from blues, it's called the evolution of music

@Shavian1

8y↑10

+cordell Hughes.... All of them in one way or another. As Willie Dixon said, The Blues is the Roots and the rest is the fruits. He also was an important link between the blues and rock and roll, working with Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley in the late 1950's. His songs were covered by some of the biggest artists of more recent times, such as Cream, Jeff Beck, the Doors, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, Steppenwolf, Bob Dylan, and Jimi Hendrix. The debut albums by the first six of those artists all feature at least one Willie Dixon song.

@lazyassbum

8y↑5

Yeah I learned a lot of this slowly over time. Funny thing is The Beastie Boys were getting a lot of grief for using the drum beat from this song by Led Zeppelin Plus a guitar riff from another rock band for their song rhymin n' stealin, first track on their album license to ill

@Shavian1

8y↑2

+cordell Hughes There's always going to be haters that will bust on anything just because they can, others just base their rants on emotion rather than facts. If you check out Axis of Awesome here on you tube you will see how tons of popular songs use the same chord progression. You could also base your argument on the fact that before the blues, "bending " the string to achieve a certain feel or note was against the rules. That fact alone would mean just about all rock and roll was stolen from the blues.

@iminyomommy7889

7y↑6

cordell Hughes EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE OF THEM. because of it aint blues incorporated, it aint rock.

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@JusSteve53

Great presentation. Thanks

@maxfield9873

2y↑1

Excellent! The kids should all know where the music comes from.

@AureliaLambrechthey

8y↑22

The devastating 1927 Mississippi River Valley Flood.

@ChrisTian-rm7zm

5y↑8

Great recording, considering the limited recording technology of that time.

@jeffsanders663

2y↑2

@luismorais4791

6y↑1

@alchemy920, only now I discovered this original version. Thank you very much for your research, with song and images.

@johnallen2771

4y↑12

I usually check to see if there's an original recording of a song I can listen to. Jimmy Page was notorious for taking old blues records and changing them a little and rephrasing the words. He gets credit for almost all the songs on the 1st Led Zepplin album even though so many of the songs were blues originals. I really liked Peggy Lee's version of, "Why Don't You Do Right?" but then I saw that Lil Green had recorded it in 1941 and I liked that, too. You can trace the blues movement in the USA from about 1900-today, but it was really cranking in the '30s, '40s and '50s. John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf and so many others.

@baronfyrewhine

Liar.

@bbmtge

Politically correct garbage. Brainwashed.

@nimrodery

@@bbmtge What?

@letsgetlit2829

5y↑9

Led Zeppelin took this song to the Stars

@QuaaludeCharlie

5y↑2

Gee , this fits with whats going on along the Mississippi now days :( Love the tune and the Post . Thank You <3 QC

@brianwade879

23w

Awe man ...i haven't heard this in a while ! This is special ! I love this. 💙 I almost lost the song. I noted it now. It's a classic. Real blues.

@InsertGame1

1y↑3

I enjoyed finding this. L.Z version is great as well. Check out A Perfect Circle cover of it. I like it as well. Crazy to think how old the song is and it's still getting covered. What a great song.

@patriciomoya6663

4y↑4

Agradecido por el antecedente histórico de la magnífica versión de LZ

@moomoo-bv3ig

28w

I got the meet the last great people who sang the blues when I lived in Cairo. Use to sit with them and listen. I miss them.

@hixtonweasle6169

9y↑1

this gives me the shivers. if you have ever been through a storm, you get it.

@RetroHabit82

3y↑4

We know Zep covered all these songs, but their version still rips.

@firecloud77

5y↑26

Missing Bonham's drum intro. :(

@ericfielding2540

28w

Nice work by someone adding photos from the time of the original song to the video. It is great to hear the original music that inspired Led Zeppelin.

@georgepowell6345

Thank you for uploading and sharing this important piece of history.

@maddbutcher666

8y↑61

covered by the best blues cover band of all time

@maddbutcher666

that's right!

@terrypussypower

6y↑3

Trent Buckingham You do know you're an idiot... right?

@estebansteverincon7117

6y↑3

They're not a 'blues band.' They were a rock group. They also did rock songs and folk tunes.

@MonotoneCreeper

6y↑5

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band never covered this

@mischr13

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@beefsoda1

51w↑3

Nothing beats an original song 🎵 👌

@JoyAnne63

8y↑2

Never too old to learn..I did not realize that this wasn't a Zeppelin song. Buckwheat Zydeco got me to thinking about it-glad I poked around and found this.

@terryedwards171

+Joy Anne
Love me some Buckwheat Zydeco.

@JoyAnne63

+Terry Edwards me too!! Gotta have a daily fix

@gregmizell7861

If you like Buckwheat Zydeco's take on it, try searching for John Campbell's version that he plays on an old National Steel.

@jeremysalazar2631

41w↑2

these lyrics hit hard man

@robertwhite8835

5y↑27

I’m a Led Zeppelin fan who calls it strait when they did indulge in plagiarism, but this song was fully credited, unlike some of the songs on Zep 1 & 2. See, I’m old enough to remember CD’s and liner notes.

@ShaunPhillipsAV

4y↑7

Is wasn't fully credited when it was originally released by Led Zeppelin. They didn't start crediting it years later until they we're getting sued in court.

@doobiewoman6956

4y↑2

@@ShaunPhillipsAV You're right. I'm old enough to remember vinyl.

@Nred9999

4y↑1

ShaunPhillipsAV Ur wrong. All the songs Zeppelin were sued for are on the first two albums and another couple on third. Since The “ZoSo” or the Untitled 4th Album, every artist has been credited since the beginning of the songs they covered And they however stopped doing much of those covers/ripoffs they used to do before.Ur just replying to every single comment with the same load of hoarse shit .Stop misleading people with this kinda crap man. Just coz they’re aren’t totally aware doesn’t mean u manipulate them with crap like this. Know and acquire complete knowledge of your topic before you preach.
Peace.

@baronfyrewhine

@@ShaunPhillipsAV Wrong, liar.

@apefilms7221

@@baronfyrewhine Not wrong. Not lying. Sorry if you're a Led Zeppelin Fanboy all butthurt because you can't handle the truth about your boyfriend's.

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@CaptTim-yv3ll

10y↑8

Excellent. I have listened to the Zep version many times, and got curious about the mention of "Chicago" in the lyrics- seemed odd for a band from England. Wikipedia research led me to listen to this original version.

@GORDOTRONIC

10y↑2

exactly what i was just thinking!

@aussieboy77

10y↑1

"Chicago" is not in the Memphis Minnie version. Looks like Plant added a few lyrics of his own.

@Okeh8109

10y↑3

The "Chicago" part of "Levee" comes from Count Basie's "Going To Chicago Blues" featuring vocalist Jimmy Rushing. It was cut on September 27, 1941.

@peterf.229

6y↑5

he did, because it was the choice the people that were actually in the flood had.. as he mentioned, "you can go south to New Orleans where there's no work to do" OR you can go north to Chicago.. which is where many of the black people displaced by the floods along the Mississippi river did after this flood and why Chicago has such a great blues scene today.

@troyclookey2327

Wow! Every song is a new beginning.. apc brought me here.. love history!

@CopperKettle

Thanks! Cheers from Yekaterinburg

@drjukebox

8y↑55

@peterf.229

6y↑1

and? this is common knowledge about the Flood of 27, which was an example of what is called widespread flooding, a large area of the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys got lots of rain in early spring, the river crested in April of 1927 if I remember correctly, there was also some snow melt mixed in from up north. Add that all together and you get flooding.

@spfcasual3786

5y↑1

thanks for the info. cool bit of history

@djmadcoins2182

5y↑5

funny how "business men" have always made decisions like this as if being a business man gives you any knowledge in matters regarding, well, anything really. They are very good at failing at anything outside of "business" and often fail there too. Just glad we would never elect one to lead the country, luckily America knows better. oh wait.

@doctormcgoveran2194

those 200,000 african american were conscripted to work as slaves for the government the white people did the same jobs got paid and fed better.Lots of african americans decided that they would run away, so as not to be so handy to recruit next time.

@it51

thank you i knew i would find that anwser here

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@oldpossum

7y↑8

Cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good
Now, cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move.

Irma in Florida, 9-10, '17

@laurencejames2323

Thank you for this. I've been looking for it for so long!

@coravisser3846

This is real legend i love it with my whole soul.Thank you alchemy920 for uploading,

@phoenixpm3160

5y↑21

No one would have ever have remembered this song even existed if it weren't for Jimmy Page and the band that made the 70's music great. No not great, Legendary.

@miguelosvaldofloresdomingu8911

3y↑1

And that's kinda sad because this is pure gold

@luvit5150

3y↑3

@allenholewa7673

I was amazed to find this version unbelievable

@user-oe6bq2ww2e

48w↑2

Led zeppelin.. cover killed it!!!!!

@deutschluz

9y↑16

the thing that happened here re: zep's version and this is, is similar to what Hendrix did to All Along the Watchtower. Jimi now owns that song. Zep now owns this song! but people should still be paid for their contribution to great art.

@peterf.229

6y↑2

kinda hard when they are dead. just sayin also you wanna talk about paying back blues artists fine, how about going after Howling Wolf who bought a lot of the rights to songs for pennies and made lots of money off of them

@AnnaLVajda

6y↑1

Angel Orejel Hendrix does not own that song lots of us prefer the Dylan version.

@Kowasi

@@AnnaLVajda I hear that Mr. Noel Redding preferred the Dylan original, but even Mr. Dylan has been known to follow Mr. Hendrix's arrangement. To me, there's no contest, but fair enough, when two versions or more exist, people will compare and decide...

@bassreeves2410

zep are trash

@erikvelasco7718

@@AnnaLVajda Someone has to be incredibly stubborn to prefer Dylan's version to Hendrix. Hendrix made a timeless masterpiece of classic rock out of a gray and mediocre song.

@KyleRebar

10y↑14

Yeah, Zep's great and all, but this's got the SERIOUS pathos you can't replicate. Have to live it, I guess.

@MrMartibobs

Incredible. Defy anyone to listen to this and keep still.

@adamrichards3174

I just heard this version for the first time and my knee would not stop bouncing. Incredible. Good foot stomper like Robert Johnson's "They're Red Hot"

@kerrysmith1899

Thanks. The blues had a baby, and called it Rock n Roll.

@jimwill

7y↑57

'good artists copy; great artists steal'. Picasso.

@slothfromthegoonies8201

7y↑12

Nothing was stolen. LZ credited the original artist.

@theapocalyptist

6y↑1

Sloth from the Goonies - Correct. Every time.

@pambyrne2391

Not sure if the early pressings credited but certainly the later ones do.

@David-rx2to

Steve Jobs liked to use that quote too.

@pramilapoudel5104

4y↑1

They did more than justice to this song I guess

@rj_ramon

8y↑7

Every single lyric was used and so was the melody with a slight minor twist... Both are beautiful imo. I dig OG over here though who birthed a song out of a situation and blessed earth with a song that has lived for nearly 100 yrs. They covered it yeah, but why??? If LZ is so brilliant to you, then you should appreciate the shoulders of the giants that they stand on.

@thehiphopprophet

8y↑1

Preach!

@airimpact

8y↑1

Hey rocket scientist , if we didnt have the Blues and country western we wouldnt have rock and roll, step down off your soap box we get it,

@rj_ramon

8y↑1

You're missing the point of what I'm talking about.

@terrypussypower

6y↑1

RJ Lopez Ramon YEAH, AND, SO, WHAT? If you or anyone else can't see the obvious differences between this and Led Zep then I feel sorry for you. It's like comparing apple with oranges.

@adrian5815

Thank you for your work.

@horacio0206

7y↑1

Led Zep made a cultural rescue for this excellent and underated original. Both version have to be considered in high regard

@enabledvetnoneya2781

8y↑14

A Perfect Circle did a haunting rendition.

@liox2597

8y↑3

EnabledVet Noneya Amazing version in my opinion. Beautifully chilling, calm yet hellish. My favorite version.

@gearandalthefirst7027

I love Counting Bodies like sheep, fascinating that they did a version too, I'll check it out

@AlexLopez-vx3cr

Bad Boys?

@roncarpenter7240

3y↑3

Great slide show and song. One question: Is this the same flood as Randy Newman's "Louisiana Flood 1927", just farther down the river?

@thedruidsofstonehengeoffic4224

yes

@Foldisfitch

26w

This original is great but the musical change up in the Zeppelin song after the first 'oh well, oh well' into and including the 'don't it make you feel bad when you're trying to find your way home' part is what takes this basic blues song to a whole great 'nother level. That part is what caught my ear when I first heard it.

@CrayCruz

2y↑2

Imagine James Taylor singing "You've Got A Friend" and not giving Carole King credit for writing the damn thing.

@foobarbazquux

8y↑16

The original is perfect. Everything about its acoustic sound is truly special, yet saddening at the same time given the context of the song. With Led Zeppelin's version, you get something that wasn't necessarily present in the original; imagery.

@cba000abc000

sure they remixed the original & made millions off the remix then threw the crumbs back to the creators...typical Vulture..ain't nothing about u reptiles have changed over 500 yrs.

@foobarbazquux

+cba000abc000 Music is a borrowed element; countless artists try to emulate each other's sound or style in an attempt to craft their own and that's the way it is. While I wish Zep would've credited their influences, they were just doing what they loved.

@twiggitina21

8y↑1

They credited Memphis Millie...

@SpiralDream

7y↑4

+cba000abc000 Typical vulture lmfao. Zeppelin took this rusty piece of garbage and turned it into a classic, you geezer.

@ramonchristian6739

Yo just described blue music ma man sad but fuking dance able

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@thehiphopprophet

8y↑35

@Biohazard219

4y↑1

Wow I always thought Zeppelin were the orginal performers. Glad I know where this song first came from 🙂

@blueridgepics

Wow!!! Things you didn't know before.

@elenareed2103

8y↑32

Reading Comments down below re: "stealing". Did Led Zeppelin "steal" this song and several others. Music gets passed around, gets passed on to the next generation, mutates, grows into something other than the original = something new and unique in and of itself, yet traditional roots at the same time. The true thieves are the record labels who take the profits and royalties from the creators of the music, in whatever form that may be. This aspect is slowly changing, in part due to Prince's efforts to have complete control over HIS music, others as well such as Nirvana. The blues musicians in particular often died pennyless while their music was being played on records and radio stations. Alan Lomax recognized the dilemma and sought to alleviate some of the bluesmen's obscurity by going to their homes and recording them for OUR posterity. The good news is that 80+ years later we are still listening to the original music, and all its variations, still learning from the original masters and taking their music unto ourselves - and able to have this "conversation" because of the sharing of the Internet and YouTube. Change is constant. :>) [sorry for the spaces, I don't know how to do paragraphs evidently.]

@sing-alongwithkevinm2462

8y↑10

If Memphis Minnie is listed as the song writer on the album, (LedZep 4), then they paid royalties to the estate, hence they did not steal in this case...there are youtube videos that explore other cases.

@gearandalthefirst7027

7y↑8

Also, Led Zeppelin completely changed the song, the melody is unrecognizable, the vocals shifted to a minor tone, and the drums, oh Gods the drums...

@BCThunderthud

Yeah, I don't know whether she only got a fifth of the royalties since they credited each member of Zeppelin as well, nowadays assuming she had good representation they probably couldn't get away with that, but it's much less egregious than a lot of their other songs.

There's nothing wrong with covering stuff or borrowing parts, but there's no good excuse for not attributing it correctly.

@kostasliapas14

7y↑4

Minnie is credited for that beautiful old blues song and she deserves it but for their huge contribution to that song among others so Zep deserved to be credited too...they do not just cover that song but completely change it turned it to a real rock blues masterpiece and if it wasn't for Zep nobody would ever remember or care who Minnie was or what she did!!!

@seantravis9095

This is very informative. I never knew all that. A good point to be made for sure. As the saying goes: You learn something new everyday. I just learned this. Thank you for posting.

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@SamAceRothstein

10y↑254

listening to this version after knowing led zeppelin's version i can say that the "cover" done by led zeppelin is practically an original itself. yes, the lyrics may be similar and even have whole lines cut from it, but the style, melody, harmony, and just about every other aspect of their version does not share any similarity to the original. the lyrics are the only connecting piece. i wouldn't even consider it a true remake, but more of a taking of the the general idea of only the lyrics.

@devera770

10y↑9

Don't be fooled by effects and electronics of the late 60's compared to the 30's. Apples and oranges. Complete rip off.

@SamAceRothstein

10y↑24

sorry, i just don't hear it. maybe the different tempos are just throwing me off, but i'm trying to listen carefully and i honestly don't hear any similarities, or believe that any similarities exist in the music itself at all.

@MetalMaster49

9y↑20

Sam Ace Rothstein Some people here say that this is a rip off, no way. All Zep did was take a great song full of Blues and make it their own, so now you know about the original! otherwise most people in this forum would never had known about this song and Mc Coy and Minnie. Zep's version is a tribute to the original art adapted to contemporary hard blues rock.

@thecourierNCR

9y↑4

That's what they did or tried to do with most of their blues covers. Take the idea and make something of their own. But Robert Plant was just lazy I guess...

@SamAceRothstein

9y↑11

Bruce Wayne work on your reading comprehension. i said it's as if they took the general idea of ONLY the lyrics, the song itself is practically original because it's so different. it has absolutely nothing to do with "laziness" on robert plant's part, the song is considered a remake, they gave credit to memphis minni. in order for it to be considered a remake, it must at least have something in common with the original...a rather simple concept.

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