It's high water in the east, has flooded all that river town It's high water in the east, has flooded all that river town Ev'rybody's gettin' warnin' to go to the hills before the dawn So I caught a train, I got back home at the break of day Oh, I caught a train, got back home about the break of day I looked for my house, the river had taken my house away I rowed a boat across the river, the water was rough as it could be I rowed a boat across this river, water was rough as it could be I hear the women and children screamin', "Ooh-hoo, please save poor me!" And then I tried so hard to turn my boat around Then I tried so hard to turn my boat around But that water was so rough, it turned my boat upside down Oh, I was satisfied, I didn't have to moan and cry I was satisfied, I didn't have to moan and cry Because when I looked upstream, I seen that mule come swimmin' by I caught that mule and went swimmin' down the stream I caught that mule and went swimmin' down the stream And I rode that mule, ooh-hoo, to the nearest hill I seen