I've been sitting here in a Johnson County Kansas basement, waiting out a tornado warning, and the Weather Channel is shifting back and forth between us and Hurricane Ike, particularly landfall in Galveston. In one segment, they said the surge could top the seawall for the first time since the 1900 hurricane. That made me think of an old folk song, recorded by the Chad Mitchell Trio (lyrics below). Let's hope/pray that this time has a better outcome.
A Mighty Day
I remember down in Galveston,
When storm winds swept the town,
The high tides from the ocean, Lord,
Put water all around.
[Chorus:]
Wasn't that a mighty day,
a mighty day,
a mighty day,
great God that morning
When the storm winds swept the town
The winds began to blowin'.
The rains began to fall.
The lightning shafts were cracklin', Lord,
And the thunder started to roll
[Chorus:]
Wasn't that a mighty day, (etc.)
The trumpets warned the people,
"You'd better leave this place".
But they never meant to leave their homes
Till death was in their face.
The seas began to rollin'.
The ships they could not land,
I heard a captain crying, "God,
Please save this drowin' man!"
[Chorus:]
Wasn't that a mighty day, (etc.)
The trains they all were loaded
With people leavin' town,
The tracks gave way to the ocean, Lord,
And the trains they went on down.
The waters like some river
They went a-rushin' to and fro
I saw my father drownin', Lord,
And I watched my mother go
[Chorus:]
Wasn't that a mighty day, (etc.)
Now death your hands are icy.
You've got them on my knee.
You took away my mother now.
You're comin' after me.
[Chorus:]
Wasn't that a mighty day,
a mighty day,
a mighty day,
great God that morning
When the storm winds swept the town