Tom Russell (born in Los Angeles in either 1947 or 1948) is an American sin… Read Full Bio ↴Tom Russell (born in Los Angeles in either 1947 or 1948) is an American singer-songwriter from California, currently living in El Paso, Texas. His music incorporates elements of folk, traditional country & western, border and cowboy music of the American West. Russell's songs have been recorded by artists such as Johnny Cash, Ian Tyson, Nanci Griffith, Dave Alvin and others. In addition to his music, he is also an artist and published author.

In the 1980s Russell made four albums credited to the Tom Russell Band. These featured Andrew Hardin and accordionist Fats Kaplin.

In the 1990s Russell made a number of solo albums, collaborated with blues singer Barrence Whitfield on two albums, and also recorded an acoustic album mixing original material with his favorite cowboy-themed songs. His albums include several guest appearances from other folk, country, and Americana artists, such as Chris Gaffney and Dave Alvin. His song "Outbound Plane", co-written with Nanci Griffith, became a Top Ten country hit for Suzy Bogguss. His most significant album from this period is the 1999 folk opera, The Man From God Knows Where.

His more recent albums include "Blood and Candle Smoke" (2009) and "Mesabi" (2011).

Mississippi River Runnin Backwards
Tom Russell Lyrics

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Old man river, that old man river he just keeps rolling along.

Mississippi river runnin' backwards,
earthquake shook the land,
it happened down here in 1912 it's happening here again.

Feast and famine ya'all fire and flood,
abominations you understand,

don't need no old testament profit to tell me we ain't
living in the promise land.

"Everybody sing blow Gabriel blow,
yeah blow that ragtime jazz,
judgment day coming down here y'all in the land of the razzmatazz."

I saw carpet sweepers, microwave ovens,
I saw busted down television screens.
Empty t.v. Evangelist cats with their hair all slicked up with brill cream.
Now the gospel news truly real bad news no need to
invent all the doom and gloom,
it's a one legged race to the liquor store,
it's a hop skip and jump into the doom.

"Everybody sing blow Gabriel blow,
yeah blow that ragtime jazz,
judgment day coming down here y'all in the land of the razzmatazz."

Steamboat whistle blowing under water,
everything is backwards and upside down,
baby Moses in the bulrushes paddling sidways to higher ground.

Old ladies gambling inside river boat casinos,
whirlpools swallowing em down insurance executives
and fuller brush salesmen bushwhacked trying to leave town.
But their lifeboats went backwards up the mississippi
river to the ancient Missouri side up thru Iowa,
Minnesota into the hands of a righteous God.

"Everybody sing blow Gabriel blow,

yeah blow that ragtime jazz,
judgment day coming down here y'all in the land of the razzmatazz."

Overall Meaning

The song "Mississippi River Running Backwards" by Tom Russell And The Norwegian Wind Ensemble is a metaphor for the cyclic nature of life and the inevitability of judgment day. The lyrics start with a reference to "Old man river" representing time, which keeps rolling along. However, soon the song takes a dark turn with the mention of the Mississippi River running backward due to an earthquake that happened in 1912, and how it is happening again. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which speaks of the unpredictability of life, with references to fire, flood, and abominations.

The song mentions the paradox of living in the land of the razzmatazz, which is a euphemism for the American Dream, and how it is not necessarily a promise land. The lyrics show that people are trying to escape this unpredictability by indulging in materialistic pleasures like carpet sweepers, microwave ovens, and television screens. The song also makes a reference to false prophets and TV evangelists who wear their hair slicked up with brill cream, thus drawing an ironic parallel between salvation and glamor.

The song ends with a reference to judgment day, represented by Gabriel, the angel who blows the trumpet to announce the arrival of God's final judgment. The river has become a metaphor for the afterlife, with people trying to escape their fate but ultimately being hurled towards the hands of a righteous God. Overall, the song highlights the universal theme of human mortality and the inevitability of judgment day.

Line by Line Meaning

Old man river, that old man river he just keeps rolling along.
The Mississippi River has always flowed forward, but now it is running backwards due to an earthquake. The past is repeating itself in this area.

Mississippi river runnin' backwards, earthquake shook the land, it happened down here in 1912 it's happening here again.
The region is experiencing both good and bad times, with a sense of impending doom. The Bible is not needed to recognize that the current situation is unfavorable.

Feast and famine ya'all fire and flood, abominations you understand, don't need no old testament profit to tell me we ain't living in the promise land.
The message is clear that the end is near, and the judgment day is looming. The decline in society is noticeable with broken electronics, and TV preachers can be seen failing.

"Everybody sing blow Gabriel blow, yeah blow that ragtime jazz, judgment day coming down here y'all in the land of the razzmatazz."
The world is upside down, with the steamboat sounding sirens underwater. It feels like everything going against the natural course of events, such as Moses floating upstream.

I saw carpet sweepers, microwave ovens, I saw busted down television screens. Empty t.v. Evangelist cats with their hair all slicked up with brill cream.
The disasters and tragedies in the area are real, and there is a sense of impending doom. Drinking is the only survival instinct, with lifeboats pushed back upriver initially.

Now the gospel news truly real bad news no need to invent all the doom and gloom, it's a one legged race to the liquor store, it's a hop skip and jump into the doom.
The world is upside down, with the steamboat sounding sirens underwater. It feels like everything going against the natural course of events, such as Moses floating upstream.

"Everybody sing blow Gabriel blow, yeah blow that ragtime jazz, judgment day coming down here y'all in the land of the razzmatazz."
Elaborating on the previous point; old ladies gambling on a sinking gambling ship, insurance executives drowning.

Steamboat whistle blowing under water, everything is backwards and upside down, baby Moses in the bulrushes paddling sidways to higher ground.
The natural course of events is going the other way around, and the apocalypse seems to be underway. The Mississippi river is flowing towards the ancient Missouri and into the hands of an impartial God.

Old ladies gambling inside river boat casinos, whirlpools swallowing em down insurance executives and fuller brush salesmen bushwhacked trying to leave town. But their lifeboats went backwards up the mississippi river to the ancient Missouri side up thru Iowa, Minnesota into the hands of a righteous God.
Closing line - The world is upside down, with the steamboat sounding sirens underwater. It feels like everything is against the natural course of events, with a feeling that the apocalypse is happening soon.

"Everybody sing blow Gabriel blow, yeah blow that ragtime jazz, judgment day coming down here y'all in the land of the razzmatazz."
Re-emphasizing the gospel choir that wants you to sing out, with the Mississippi slowly going towards the hands of an impartial God.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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