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"If The Good Lord's Willing and the Creek Don't Rise" is a 1955 American country song by Jerry Reed which was particularly popularized by the 1958 recording of Johnny Cash and has been covered by multiple artists. [1]
The lyrics play on the expression Lord willing and the creek don't rise, which is thought to originate from Alabama. The catchphrase itself was associated with Hank Williams. Marty Stuart places the words "If the Good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise, we'll see you in the mornin'." in Williams' mouth in his tribute album Hillbilly Heaven. [2] In the Reed song and Cash cover the verses vary the rhyme, so the opening line commences:
If the good Lord's willing and the creek stays down I'll be in your arms time the moon come around.
But in following verses the rhyme changes through "creeks don't rise", "creek stay low", back to "creeks don't rise".
The expression is incorrectly attributed on modern social media[ citation needed ] to an Indian agent, Benjamin Hawkins, in the late 18th century in a rumored letter not found in any archive to the U.S. President. In response to a request that he return to Washington D.C., he wrote, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." However, the first President to move to Washington was John Adams on 1 November 1800. [3] The capitalization of the word Creek supposedly referred to the Creek behind his house rather than a tribe of indians. [4] [5]
By date order (spelling and titling may vary):
John LaGale Horton was an American country, honky tonk and rockabilly musician during the 1950s. He is best known for a series of history-inspired narrative country saga songs that became international hits. His 1959 single "The Battle of New Orleans" was awarded the 1960 Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording. The song was awarded the Grammy Hall of Fame Award and in 2001 ranked No. 333 of the Recording Industry Association of America's "Songs of the Century". His first No. 1 country song was in 1959, "When It's Springtime in Alaska ".
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The expression "...the creek don't rise" is an American slang expression implying strong intentions subject to complete frustration by uncommon but not unforeseeable events. It presumably evokes occasional and unpredictably extreme rainfall in Appalachia that has historically isolated rural neighborhoods and interrupted travel.