Luigi Monge – Wasn’t That A Mighty Day
African American Blues and Gospel Songs on Disaster
University Press Of Mississippi
520 Pages Softcover edition
Every author has to do plenty of research in order to be able to write a non-fiction book that conveys accurate information in addition to placing the details in a meaningful historical context. One can usually get a good sense of the author’s efforts from a review of the “Notes” and “Bibliography” sections. While lots of listing don’t necessarily equate to guaranteeing a book of merit, they at least show that the author made a concerted effort to gain a broad understanding of the topic at hand.
Living in Italy, scholar Luigi Monge undoubtedly faced numerous obstacles in gathering research for his stellar opus that delves into songs across more than five decades, songs that spring from the pain and suffering caused by floods, tornadoes, fires, and other disasters. The 77 pages in the “Notes” section, and the 21 pages of “Bibliography,” attest to Monge’s diligence in research. Even more impressive, as mentioned in the author’s “Introduction,” Monge spent 17 years developing this project, making every effort to be as thorough as possible. That represents an amazing level of commitment, which is readily apparent as you delve into his book.
Divided into four chapters, the book starts out examining songs associated with natural disasters including storms, hurricanes, floods, dry spells, and earthquakes. The first event under consideration, the 1893 Sea Islands Hurricane, was one of the deadliest storms in US history. The death toll in total was more than 3,000 people with tens of thousands displaced. Monge unearthed several field recordings that attest to the storm’s destructive force. As it often occurs throughout the book, Monge traces how one song birthed a sequence of others tunes that maintain the structure of the original while changing the lyrics or the perspective. These songs weren’t recorded until more than 40 years later. Monge discovered them during countless hours of internet research from a variety of sources.
The author allows the song lyrics to tell a story, to not only describe the disaster, but also capture the reactions to the event, and the impact on the immediate African American community. He also examines how religion factors into discussion, noting that some song lyrics will testify to God punishing the wicked, while other songs on the same disaster give thanks for God’s mercy in limiting the death and destruction. He limits the scope of his study up to the mid 1950s, feeling that, with the exception of Hurricane Katrina, very few songs were composed about natural disasters after that point.
The four chapters are divided into individual sections for each event, providing readers with natural breakpoints as you work your way through the book, and giving you a chance to reflect on the sometimes overwhelming human toll of each disaster. As noted by the author, the 1927 Mississippi River flood affected millions of people along the river’s path through seven states, spawning songs recorded by numerous blues legends including Lonnie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Sippie Wallace, and Charley Patton. Also included is a more recent song, “Flood Water,” recorded by Eric Bibb. The book’s title comes from the lone African American song the author uncovered on the 1900 Galveston, Texas hurricane that devastated much of city with over 6,000 people killed, leading Monge to surmise that a major event does not guarantee an outpouring of related songs.
The next, Accidental Disasters, is primarily devoted to two events – songs about the train wreck that claimed the life of railroad engineer Jonathan Luther Jones, the legendary “Casey” Jones, and the sinking of the Titanic. Monge’s research disclosed the first printed reference to a song about Jones in a 1908 edition of Railroad Man’s Magazine. Many of his lyrical references from the early part of the 20th century are taken from broadsheets (ballets), which had the lyrics and music printed for sale purposes, before the advent of recorded music. For 50 pages, Monge examines numerous songs about the Titanic, including many that stem from the song “God Moves On The Water,” written by Madkin Butler, a blind evangelist, based on newspaper accounts read to him by his wife. He would sell the song’s ballet for ten cents a copy. Also covered is the 1940 Rhythm Club fire in Natchez, Mississippi, that claimed over 200 lives, all African American. Numerous songs were written as the event lingered through time, with Howlin’ Wolf and John Lee Hooker cutting memorable records.
The boll weevil infestation ranks up there with the Titanic for generating the most songs as covered by Monge’s research. That is understandable given that the parasite crossed the Mexican border, entering Texas in the 1890s. From there, it worked its way across the southern states, ravaging cotton crops all the way to Georgia. The pest lingered until chemicals managed to finally eliminate it in the US for the most part by 1960. Given that the cotton crop was the anchor of the economy for many southern African Americans, the boll weevil posed a dangerous ongoing threat to an already fragile way of life. Ma Rainey, Lead Belly, and Charley Patton all recorded songs that delve into the impact of the weevil’s voracious appetite, often personalizing the parasite while trying to invent methods of eliminating the pest.
The Infestations, Pandemics, Epidemics, and Diseases chapter also examines songs related to two outbreaks of influenza, which spread across the globe, killing untold millions. The author traces the initial spread from its first observation in Kansas to songs by Blind Willie Johnson and the obscure Sugar Smith. He also tracks songs related to Jake Leg paralysis, caused by a chemical added to a patent medicine valued for it’s high alcohol content. The chemical would cause major damage to the spine and muscles after consumption, leaving victims in pain and walking in a distinctive manner that left no doubt as to what had happened. There is also a section on material that focuses on the ravages of tuberculosis.
The final, shortest chapter finds the artist expounding on the role that these disaster songs play in forming the collective memory of the Afro-American culture. After summarizing what came before, Monge offers four points of commonality that in his estimation, hold true for most disaster songs, whether they are in the blues or gospel format. It is a fitting way to end a thoroughly researched, engaging study that certainly offers a different perspective on the songs at hand. Hearty commendations to Luigi Monge for his devotion to completing this book!
