Song of the Day 7/8: Dave and Phil Alvin, “Southern Flood Blues”

As the death count rises from the Texas flood, Republicans are doing what they do best – not offering thoughts and prayers, blaming other people for their fuck-ups. Ultimately, they call it an “act of God” without ever concluding that God must be an asshole, because he’s been killing innocent people with floods for a long time now. The songs written about them would make a long playlist.

Dave and Phil Alvin recorded this one for their 2014 reunion album “Common Ground,” their first collaboration in almost 30 years, the common ground being 12 songs by one of their early influences, Big Bill Broonzy. Why it’s called “Southern Flood Blues” when the lyrics specify the Ohio River I don’t know.

Broonzy’s original 78-rpm shellac recording was released in 1937 under the name Big Bill, one of several names used by the bluesman born Lee Conley Bradley (his father, Frank Bradley, was also called Broonzy).