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Ballad of the Big Thompson Flood, 1976 (See Her Run)

from Good Water Safe Camp (Remastered) by James Dean Cotton

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The Big Thompson Flood of 1976 was the most deadly natural disaster in Colorado history, taking 144 lives, among them my grandparents. The story of this event was a part of the fabric of our family for over 40 years before I figured out how to write a song about it. I studied the history of this magical canyon, including when it was straightened in the early 20th century to allow for a road the be placed alongside the river. In doing so, some of the natural flow buffers that existed were removed. I read dozens of excellent yellowed Denver Post articles my mom and Uncle Gene had saved, along with many other articles recounting the sequence of events. I visited and walked the canyon many times, and attended the memorial events that were held annually for decades. This song is written in the first person, as if I were there with my grandparents, and dedicated to the victims and their families, and the loss that carries through generations.

Appreciation is particularly expressed to:
1. Will Wright, Master's Thesis, Colorado State Univ., "Accelerating Waters: An Anthropocene History of Colorado's 1976 Big Thompson Flood," 2016
2. Barbara Anderson, longstanding President of the Big Thompson Canyon Flood Memorial committee and kind fundraiser and organizer
3. My Appelbaum Uncles, who searched so long and diligently up and down the canyon and along the flood plain for the bodies of their dad and step-mom

lyrics

BALLAD OF THE BIG THOMPSON FLOOD, 1976

We were celebrating on a Colorado night
You could see the campfires glistening along the riverside
From Loveland up to Estes and all the way back to the Great Divide

I could hear the laughter as my grandpa made a joke
The women did the dishes as the men stepped out to smoke
And somewhere up the canyon, a breeze began to rise and thunder spoke

But see her run
She’s beautiful and deadly as a gun
And only made of water, anyone
Who’d listen to that melody, oh son,
If you could only see that river run

We could see the water rising, and we knew we couldn’t stay
And by the time the truck was started up, the bridge had given way
And a wall of rocks and water then descended and took everything away

We could hear the helicopters circling overhead
And feel the boulders grinding in the bottom of the riverbed
A morning sun would shine upon a hundred and forty-four dead

See Her Run
She’s beautiful and deadly as a gun
And only made of water, anyone
Who’d listen to that melody, oh son,
If you could only see that river run

They straightened out the Thompson back in ‘32
For Roosevelt, The New Deal, just to bring the West to you
To sit beside a river in the loveliest of places with a view

To see her run
She’s beautiful and deadly as a gun
And only made of water, anyone
Wouldn’t blame her for the thing she’s done
If you could only see that river run
Shining like a diamond in the sun
Only made of water, anyone
Who’d listen to that melody, oh son,
If you could only see that river run

credits

from Good Water Safe Camp (Remastered), released April 26, 2023
Words & Music: James Dean Cotton
Vocals, guitars, keyboards: James Dean Cotton
Violin: Bryan Djunaedi
Cello: Susannah Miller
Drums programmed in Apple Logic Pro X by James Dean Cotton

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James Dean Cotton Seattle, Washington

James Dean Cotton hails from the Missouri Ozarks where bluegrass and Americana infused an easy, 70's acoustic style. He writes and performs solo and with the acoustic duo, American Sons, in the Seattle area.

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