Dust Storm Disaster
On the 14th day of April of 1935,
There struck the worst of dust storms that ever filled the sky.
You could see that dust storm comin', the cloud looked deathlike black,
And through our mighty nation, it left a dreadful track.
From Oklahoma City to the Arizona line,
Dakota and Nebraska to the lazy Rio Grande,
It fell across our city like a curtain of black rolled down,
We thought it was our judgement, we thought it was our doom.
The radio reported, we listened with alarm,
The wild and windy actions of this great mysterious storm;
From Albuquerque and Clovis, and all New Mexico,
They said it was the blackest that ever they had saw.
From old Dodge City, Kansas, the dust had rung their knell,
And a few more comrades sleeping on top of old Boot Hill.
From Denver, Colorado, they said it blew so strong,
They thought that they could hold out, but they didn't know how long.
Our relatives were huddled into their oil boom shacks,
And the children they was cryin' as it whistled through the cracks.
And the family it was crowded into their little room,
They thought the world had ended, and they thought it was their doom.
The storm took place at sundown, it lasted through the night,
When we looked out next morning, we saw a terrible sight.
We saw outside our window where wheat fields they had grown
Was now a rippling ocean of dust the wind had blown.
It covered up our fences, it covered up our barns,
It covered up our tractors in this wild and dusty storm.
We loaded our jalopies and piled our families in,
We rattled down that highway to never come back again.
Desastre da Tempestade de Poeira
No dia 14 de abril de 1935,
A pior tempestade de poeira que já encheu o céu chegou.
Você podia ver a tempestade se aproximando, a nuvem parecia negra como a morte,
E por nossa poderosa nação, deixou um rastro horrível.
De Oklahoma City até a linha do Arizona,
Dakota e Nebraska até o preguiçoso Rio Grande,
Caiu sobre nossa cidade como uma cortina negra descendo,
Pensamos que era nosso julgamento, achamos que era nosso fim.
O rádio reportou, ouvimos com alarme,
As ações selvagens e ventosas dessa grande tempestade misteriosa;
De Albuquerque e Clovis, e todo o Novo México,
Disseram que era a mais negra que já tinham visto.
De Dodge City, Kansas, a poeira soou seu sino,
E mais alguns camaradas dormindo em cima do velho Boot Hill.
De Denver, Colorado, disseram que soprava tão forte,
Pensaram que poderiam aguentar, mas não sabiam por quanto tempo.
Nossos parentes estavam encolhidos em suas cabanas de boom de petróleo,
E as crianças estavam chorando enquanto o vento assobiava pelas frestas.
E a família estava apertada em seu pequeno quarto,
Pensaram que o mundo tinha acabado, e acharam que era seu fim.
A tempestade aconteceu ao pôr do sol, durou a noite toda,
Quando olhamos pela manhã seguinte, vimos uma cena terrível.
Vimos do lado de fora da nossa janela onde os campos de trigo tinham crescido
Agora era um oceano ondulante de poeira que o vento havia soprado.
Cobriu nossas cercas, cobriu nossos celeiros,
Cobriu nossos tratores nessa tempestade selvagem e empoeirada.
Carregamos nossos carros velhos e juntamos nossas famílias,
Rangemos pela estrada para nunca mais voltar.
Composição: Woody Guthrie