1999
Lost Aaraaff Lyrics


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Crash on the levee, mama
Water's gonna overflow
Swamp's gonna rise
No boat's gonna row
Now, you can train on down
To Williams Point
You can bust your feet
You can rock this joint
But oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
You're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow.

Now, don't you try an' move me
You're just gonna lose
There's a crash on the levee
And mama, you've been refused
Well, it's sugar for sugar
And salt for salt
If you go down in the flood
It's gonna be your own fault
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
You're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow.

Well, that high tide's risin'
Mama, don't you let me down
Pack up your suitcase
Mama, don't you make a sound
Now, it's king for king
Queen for queen
It's gonna be the meanest flood
That anybody's seen
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?




You're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Lost Aaraaff's song "1999" describe a flood that is about to happen. The singer warns his mother that the water is going to overflow and that the swamp is going to rise. He tells her that no boat will be able to row but she could train down to Williams Point and bust her feet and rock the joint. However, despite all this, she will have to find another best friend because the singer predicts that the flood will be mean and disastrous; "sugar for sugar, salt for salt" - if you go down in the flood, it’s going to be your own fault. The singer then goes on to tell his mama that the tide is rising and she shouldn't let him down. He tells her to pack up her suitcase, but not to make a sound, as it's king for king and queen for queen.


The song could be interpreted in different ways. Some believe it is about the Mississippi River flood that occurred in 1927, which devastated a large area in the Southern United States. The flood destroyed property and left many people dead or homeless. The song could also be interpreted as a warning about personal relationship decisions, and how choosing the wrong person could lead to disaster.


Line by Line Meaning

Crash on the levee, mama
There's going to be a huge flood that will cause destruction


Water's gonna overflow
The flood water will exceed its limits


Swamp's gonna rise
The swamp water will rise along with the flood


No boat's gonna row
It will be impossible to navigate the floodwater in any boat


Now, you can train on down
You can try to travel away from the flood by train


To Williams Point
To a certain destination named Williams Point


You can bust your feet
You can sometimes overcome the flood by walking on foot


You can rock this joint
you can dance your worries away


But oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
You will leave and lose something dear to you in the flood


You're gonna have to find yourself
You are responsible for finding a way to cope with losing something dear to you


Another best friend, somehow.
You need to find a new way to cope and replace what you have lost


Now, don't you try an' move me
Don't try to convince me otherwise


You're just gonna lose
You'll fail at convincing me


There's a crash on the levee
The flood will destroy anything standing in its way


And mama, you've been refused
You won't be able to escape the flood and its effects


Well, it's sugar for sugar
You get what you give, karma


And salt for salt
You reap what you sow, what goes around comes around


If you go down in the flood
If you get caught in the flood


It's gonna be your own fault
It's your responsibility to prepare, plan, and protect yourself from the effects of the flood.


Well, that high tide's risin'
The tide is getting higher


Mama, don't you let me down
Don't let me down, don't fail me


Pack up your suitcase
Start preparing to leave


Mama, don't you make a sound
Be quiet and move silently


Now, it's king for king
Tit for tat, retribution


Queen for queen
Tit for tat, retribution


It's gonna be the meanest flood
The flood will cause the most harm it can


That anybody's seen
The flood will be unforgettable and leave lasting effects


Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
Losing or leaving something dear to you will hurt and leave a lasting effect


You're gonna have to find yourself
You have to find your way


Another best friend, somehow.
You need to find a new way to cope and replace what you have lost




Contributed by Gianna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@Merzbowxnoise

I wish it would exist more information and footage about this band. They are incredible and actually ahead of their time! Haino and his earlier work deserve much more recognition!

@SaturnArchives

there's definitely a big shroud of mystery around Haino's early works but that's true, these recordings are pretty great

@larsmaximus6790

As a fan of Haino’s solo work n his many collaborations with jazz/noise/metal artists, this was the reference point that I always expected existed somewhere in his catalog: truly wild and cathartic yet the blues song structure is there in spurts to mediate. Thx for posting and I recommend all this channel’s uploads for fans of outre audiophiles 🤘🏾

@SuperJesse460

this is really good stuff. I found it on a psychdelic list, but i definly don't want to hear this on drugs

@juliocortes9922

NI siquiera en el libro de Julian Cope sobre Japón se habla mucho de esta gran banda.

@t0xcn253

Well, he mentions them inciting the riot at the "Farm Aid" concert when 19-year-old Heino made death threats to the entire crowd.

@user-ff1dg1nf7q

早すぎたノイズだった。もし、あの頃に理解されていたら今の音楽は違ったものになっていたかもしれない。石を投げれても屈しなかったばかりかそれを宝だと言った灰野さんとロストアラーフのメンバーを尊敬する。

@user-gm9ib9hq5e

中学生の時レコード店で試聴した幻野祭というアルバムでロストアラーフの演奏を聴いて以来頭のどこからか、時折、それは私の鼓膜を刺激しています…

@user-ff1dg1nf7q

中学生とは早いですね❗️私は二十歳を過ぎてからでした。
朝日新聞で読んで凄そうな人だと思ったらやはり凄かった。逢ったこともあるけど下らない質問にも相手が真剣ならちゃんと聞いてくれてとても優しい人でした。

@lobster8086

This legitimately is what I imagine hell sounds like.

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