The band's name derives from banjoist Leonard Podolak's earlier band Scruj MacDuhk (pronounced Scrugg MachDuke). MacDuhk was a warrior chieftain who fought with William Wallace, resisting English occupation of Scotland, during the reign of King Edward I. The entire name is a wordplay on the Disney character Scrooge McDuck created by Carl Barks.
In March of 2007 lead singer and budding songwriter Jessee Havey left the band to pursue other interests. Singer Sarah Dugas joined the band in July of 2007 and is on the road with The Duhks.
In late 2007, percussionist Scott Senior left the band to spend more time with his family, as his partner, Tara Beckta, was expecting their second child. Christian Dugas, Sarah's brother and a former bandmate of Leonard Podolak, has since joined The Duhks. Other members are fiddler Tania Elizabeth and guitarist Jordan McConnell.
In October 2007 The Duhks Sustainability Project http://www.greenduhks.com was launched to raise awareness about ways to live a more economically-viable and ecologically-sustainable lifestyle. In April 2008, The Duhks performed a post Earth Day benefit in Nederland, Colorado.
In spring 2016, the band announced that they would no longer be touring. They have not released any new music since 2014.
http://www.duhks.com
Mighty Storm
The Duhks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Death came howling on the ocean
Death calls you gotta go
Galveston had a sea wall to keep the water down
and a high tide from the ocean spread the water
over the town
Wasn't that a Mighty Storm (x3)
You know the trumpets gave in the morning
You better leave this place
Now no one thought of leaving
till death stared them in the face
And the trains they all were loaded
the people were all leaving town
The tressels gave way to the water
and the trains they went all down
Wasn't that a Mighty Storm (x3)
It blew the people all away
Burning walls are falling
Thunder began to roll
Lightning flashed like hell fire
The wind began to blow
and the sea began to rolling
and the ships they could not stand
and I heard a captain crying
Oh God save a drowning man
Death your hands are clammy
You've got them on my knee
You come and took my mother
Won't you come back for me
Death you cruel master
When the wind began to blow
Rode in on a team of horses
Cried Oh Death won't you let me go
Wasn't that a Mighty Storm
Wasn't that a Mighty Storm (in the morning)
Wasn't that a Mighty Storm
It blew the people all away
Wasn't that a Mighty Storm
Wasn't that a Mighty Mighty Storm
Wasn't that a Mighty Storm
and it blew the people all away
Oh.
The Duhks's "Mighty Storm" is a haunting and powerful song that tells the story of the Galveston hurricane of 1900. The lyrics describe the destruction caused by the storm, which swept through the city and left chaos and destruction in its wake. The song begins by describing the year of the hurricane, 1900, and how death came howling on the ocean. The lyrics then describe how the storm caused a high tide to flood the city, despite the presence of a seawall, and how the wind blew people away.
The second verse of the song continues with the theme of death, as the lyrics describe how the inhabitants of Galveston did not initially think of leaving until death was staring them in the face. The trains were loaded with people leaving the town, but they were unable to escape as the trestles gave way to the water, and the trains were swept away. The chorus repeats the phrase "wasn't that a mighty storm" and emphasizes the power and destruction caused by the hurricane.
The final verses of the song continue to explore the themes of death and destruction, as the lyrics describe burning walls falling, thunder rolling, and lightning flashing. The sea also began to roll, and ships were unable to withstand its power. The lyrics describe a captain crying out for God to save a drowning man, and the singer pleading with death to come back for them. The song ends by repeating the chorus and emphasizing the might and power of the storm.
Line by Line Meaning
You know the year was 1900 15 years ago
The song references the devastating 1900 Galveston hurricane that hit the town 15 years ago
Death came howling on the ocean
The hurricane brought death with it through the strong winds and waves of the ocean
Death calls you gotta go
People had to face the possibility of death during the hurricane
Galveston had a sea wall to keep the water down
Galveston had a protective wall built to prevent water from reaching the town
and a high tide from the ocean spread the water over the town
However, high tide combined with the hurricane resulted in water spilling over the wall, causing widespread damage
Wasn't that a Mighty Storm (x3)
It blew the people all away
The chorus emphasizes the mightiness of the storm and how it caused significant damage and loss of life
You know the trumpets gave in the morning
The trumpet was likely used to signal a warning to people about the incoming storm
You better leave this place
Now no one thought of leaving
Till death stared them in the face
Despite the warning, many people didn't leave until it was too late and they faced the possibility of death
And the trains they all were loaded
the people were all leaving town
Many people tried to leave Galveston via trains, but the demand was greater than the supply
The tressels gave way to the water
and the trains they went all down
The train trestles couldn't withstand the strong winds and water, resulting in the trains being destroyed
Burning walls are falling
Thunder began to roll
Lightning flashed like hell fire
The wind began to blow
and the sea began to rolling
and the ships they could not stand
and I heard a captain crying
Oh God save a drowning man
These lines describe the chaos and destruction caused by the hurricane - walls were falling, thunder and lightning were prevalent, and the sea was violent and caused ships to sink. A captain is heard crying for help
Death your hands are clammy
You've got them on my knee
You come and took my mother
Won't you come back for me
The song talks about death taking away loved ones and how the artist fears being taken away next
Death you cruel master
When the wind began to blow
Rode in on a team of horses
Cried Oh Death won't you let me go
The song personifies Death and describes his arrival and impact during the hurricane
Wasn't that a Mighty Storm
Wasn't that a Mighty Storm (in the morning)
Wasn't that a Mighty Storm
It blew the people all away
Wasn't that a Mighty Storm
Wasn't that a Mighty Mighty Storm
Wasn't that a Mighty Storm
and it blew the people all away
The chorus is repeated at the end of the song to emphasize the significance and aftermath of the hurricane in Galveston
Oh.
This line could be interpreted as a sigh of sadness or disbelief about the event or a contemplative statement about the destructive power of nature
Contributed by Jordyn D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.