Frost Texas Tornado Blues is a song by Texas Alexander lamenting the destruction of the F-4 tornado that struck the town of Frost, Texas on May 6th, 1930. The tornado had caused an estimated two million dollars in damage during its rampage, killing many and toppling many buildings before relenting.
The song itself is fairly straightforward in its lyrics, using just as many words as necessary to get the point across. The word choice and overall style it was written in paints a surprisingly vivid picture of what the people were like in Frost at that time. The first thing that is apparent about the phrasing is the several references to religious themes that are packed into the short piece. Most obviously, the lines “Lord have mercy on me” and “Does it seem like hell was broke out” clearly point to a religious perspective on the storm, viewing it as a sort of divine wrath. Additionally, he pleads that he has done no wrong and does not deserve such punishment a couple of times throughout the track. This calls attention to his feelings of grief at the uncaring nature of the disaster, how the storm would have ravaged the town regardless of how little the people within may have deserved to be punished.
Another aspect of the song that shines though is the mentality of one who lives in a town as rural and out of the way as Frost. Texas Alexander sings about smaller things than one might expect for a song about something as grandiose as this one is. Showing the raw, natural reactions of somebody who intimately knew the whole town as much as a permanent resident would. Instead of Singing about how structures were toppled like Jenga towers, he decided to turn his attention to the sounds the animals were making at the time, and how a specific infant was allegedly blown away from their mother far enough that the body was not found until the next day.
This piece is one that puts on display the biases that many Texans exhibit when faced with tragedy. Like many people, religion can be a source of comfort or closure for them, although in this instance it seems like it could have even been an object of blame. It also demonstrates their potential to be morbidly objective and blunt with the truth; I certainly wouldn’t have thought to so transparently reference an infant child who was killed if I were writing this piece.
I was sitting looking: way out across the world
Said the wind had things switching: almost in a twirl
Says I been a good fellow: just good as I can be
Says it’s Lord have mercy: Lord have mercy on me
Mmm: mmm
Says I been a good fellow: just as good as a man could
be
Some *lost their baby*: was blowing for two three miles
around
When they come to their right mind: they come on back to
town
Said rooster was crowing cows was lowing: never heard
such a noise before
Does it seem like hell was broke out: in this place
below
Works Cited:
arwulf arwulf. “Texas Alexander.” AllMusic. www.allmusic.com/artist/texas-alexander-mn0000031908/biography.
Basham, James. “Frost tornado – May 6, 1930.” Corsicana Daily Sun [Corsicana, Texas], 2 May 2010. www.corsicanadailysun.com/news/local_news/frost-tornado-may-6-1930/article_d5257b9e-9286-599f-96ba-b1079219d9fd.html.
Kaan. “Frost Texas Tornado Blues Lyrics.” ELyrics.net. www.elyrics.net/read/t/texas-alexander-lyrics/frost-texas-tornado-blues-lyrics.html.
