Song Lyric Sunday – “Seminole Wind” by John Anderson

Posted on February 28, 2021 by

39 Comments

This week Jim Adams has prompted us with choosing a song pertaining to Breeze | Cloud | Sky | Wind for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday. I chose “Seminole Wind” by John Anderson.

John Anderson is an American country music singer-songwriter from Apopka, Florida. A true Floridian who wrote a song filled with imagination and truth in his native land. The lyrics take us on a journey of the destruction of natural habitat, financial gain, the devastation of the Seminole Indian people and progress. The music video features a large group of Seminole Indian tribes performing with Anderson beside a campfire. Anderson had to get permission from the tribes’ masters before filming could begin on their land.

“Seminole Wind” is a song close to my heart. It was released on August 10, 1992. A few days later, a tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on August 14th that would eventually be one of the largest hurricanes to hit the United States. On August 24th, Hurricane Andrew made landfall in south Florida as a powerful Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 165 mph and gusts as high as 174 mph. It is the most destructive hurricane to ever hit Florida in relation to structural damage when it flattened homes from their concrete foundations in Homestead, Florida in, then Dade County. The area is now known as Miami-Dade County. Andrew destroyed over 63,500 houses, damaged more than 124,000 others, cost over $27.3 billion in damage, and killed 63 people.

When Hurricane Andrew devastated south Florida, I was on bedrest (10 weeks at this point) with my third child after multiple times in early labor. I was hooked up to an IV and had to monitor my contractions twice a day, sometimes more. We lived in Brandon, Florida near Tampa at the time and I watched this all unfold on television. It caused a lot of stress as we were not sure if it would pass through the state closer to Tampa. Lucky for us, we got some tropical conditions, but nothing earth shattering and my condition didn’t get any worse.

  • 1992
  • 2020

On September 17, 1992, I went into labor again, only 3 weeks from my due date at this point so the doctor’s let me go into labor. After 7 hours, I was wheeled into the delivery room. I had an epidural so I was awake and wasn’t in much pain. Upon entering the sterile room, there was a radio playing country music in the background. My doctor asked me if I wanted it turned off. “Not a chance”, I said. At the moment my daughter, Kaela was born, “Seminole Wind” was playing on the radio. She is the only native Floridian in our family and I’ve always believed it was a sign. She blew into our lives the day before my 27th birthday.

In 2016, “Seminole Wind” was re-issued on a project called Country Grass on Pinecastle Records by the Bluegrass performer Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road. John Anderson sang the vocals for the release.

Song Facts:

  • Written and performed by John Anderson.
  • Released on August 10, 1992.
  • The fourth single and title track from the album of the same name.
  • Peaked at #2 on the U.S. Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
  • Reached #1 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.
  • Before its release as a single, it was included on the “B” side of the album’s second single release “Straight Tequila Nights”.
  • The music video was directed by Jim Shea and filmed in the Florida Everglades. It was featured on CMT’s 100 Greatest Videos in 2004 and 2008.

Seminole Wind

Ever since the days of old
Men would search for wealth untold
They'd dig for silver and for gold
And leave the empty holes
And way down south in the Everglades
Where the black water rolls and the saw grass waves
The eagles fly and the otters play
In the land of the Seminole
So blow, blow Seminole wind
Blow like you're never gonna blow again
I'm callin' to you like a long-lost friend
But I know who you are
And blow, blow from the Okeechobee
All the way up to Micanopy
Blow across the home of the Seminole
The alligator and the gar
Progress came and took its toll
And in the name of flood control
They made their plans and they drained the land
Now the Glades are goin' dry
And the last time I walked in the swamp
I stood up on a cyprus stump
I listened close and I heard the ghost
Of Oseola cry
So blow, blow Seminole wind
Blow like you're never gonna blow again
I'm callin' to you like a long-lost friend
But I know who you are
And blow, blow from the Okeechobee
All the way up to Micanopy
Blow across the home of the Seminole
The alligator and the gar
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: John David Anderson
Seminole Wind lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Category: family, feelings, kids, music, Songs, Uncategorized, Writing PromptsTags: , , , , , , , , , ,

39 Comments on “Song Lyric Sunday – “Seminole Wind” by John Anderson”

    • It was the best Dora! In a Florida hospital, about to have my 3rd child after 13 weeks on bedrest and a couple of stents in the hospital and that song was playing the moment she came out. It was surreal. 🙂

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  2. What a great post, Lisa. Your personal connection to the song is amazing. In 1992 I had not yet met my hubby, but my soon to be mother-in-law left Charleston and headed to Miami for a week or two to help the recovery efforts. Years later after we married we bought our first home – in Apopka and would ride through several hurricanes together through the years. Before we left Florida, we lived south of Brandon in Lithia. I am so glad things went well with the birth of your daughter. She has quite a story to tell.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks Maggie! You were just down the road a bit if you were in Lithia and I was in Brandon. I left Brandon in 2007 and moved to Jacksonville. It was a tough pregnancy, but I did what I needed to do to keep her from being really really premature. The fact that “Seminole Wind” was playing when she came out was just shy of a miracle. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      • I am glad to know a difficult pregnancy ended up so well. My DIL also had a difficult pregnancy. My granddaughter (also born in Florida) was born to “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”.

        Liked by 1 person

      • You just made my day! 🙂 What a song to be born to. So in 28 years, she can talk about her daughter. I’m sorry she had a difficult pregnancy. All mine were difficult. 30 days of bedrest for both my 2 older kids, but 13 weeks with Kaela. Plus the IV and home monitoring, twice in the hospital during that time to stop the labor. I’m just thankful we got through it and she didn’t have any problems when she was born. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      • That sounds like you went through a lot. Our granddaughter was in the NICU for 10 days. That was tough but you would never know it now. I am glad you and yours are well.

        Liked by 1 person

      • That was what I wanted to prevent. My nephew who was born 3 months before Kaela, was 2 1/2 months premature. He was in NICU at St. Joseph’s Children Hospital in Tampa for 3 months and had to undergo several heart surgeries. He is fine now too, but it was worrisome for me because I was already on bedrest when he was born. I’m glad they are all okay. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Wow, what a powerful post, Lisa. I am so glad that you and your family are safe. The hurricanes are the main reason I don’t live in Florida now but lived in Dunedin in 1993. Your daughter is so lovely!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks John. We have lived through a bunch of them over the years. I know you moved to Vegas because of the hurricanes. Knocking on wood (hear it), we have only had minor damage throughout the years and the most damage ever was the “no name” storm in 1994 where we had roof damage, tore down our shed and fences. It was just like a hurricane all night long so I know it wasn’t a tornado. Thank you for the compliment on my daughter. She is my mini-me but 5’7″ to my 5’1″. LOL! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      • Your welcome she’s beautiful. I remember that storm, we were in Dunedin right on the coast. Lost our new Pontiac Bonneville and too much of our personal belongings. The rental home was ruined, the pool popped out of the ground! My daughter was just 2 years old. She’s happily married today!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Kaela was 18 months at the time. So your daughter is 28-29 now? Do I have the year right? 1994 or 1996? I thought it was 1994. Ugh. Old age is settling in. Y’all lost a lot. No wonder you left! 🙂 We were inland a bit in Brandon so we didn’t get the coastal damage that you had in Dunedin.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Brandon is indeed a bit off the water, lucky you! Yeah, we lost too much. Ended up going back to Michigan. The insurance company refused to total our car, in spite of being flooded with salt water, how stupid! My family owned a GM car dealership there in those days which is where I was working. When dad got wind of this, suddenly, the insurance company paid up. Damn companies! I have no idea what he said, but it worked! Yes, daughter was born in 94, such a sweet gal today. Our girls are nearly the same age!

        Liked by 1 person

    • I love the song too and especially since it has such a special moment for me. Thank you for the compliment. I always thought she could be a model, but she had no interest. Kaela followed in my footsteps. She’s a graphic designer. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Lisa I really enjoyed your story about your daughter Kaela being born when “Seminole Wind” was playing on the radio. Nice music and Kaela is very beautiful.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you for the prompt. It was the perfect opportunity to bring it out. I think I do better with my post when I find a personal connection. KInda my MO. Thank you for the kind words. This prompt made me think of a theme I’d love to see if it hasn’t been done. Have you ever done one like this? I suppose you could add Province or other municipalities around the world. Just a suggestion. 🙂 Town|City|State|County|Country

      Liked by 1 person

      • Back in 2016 Helen had City/State/Town and on April 19, 2020 I had Home Town or City but there are so many songs that would fit this prompt, so let’s go for it. On May 30, 2021 the prompt will be City/Country/County/State/Town.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Awesome! I’ll have to give it some thought. I have 2 in mind and might have to do them both. 😊 I do remember the hometown because I featured my courthouse in Decatur, TX.

        Like

    • Thanks Jill! It was the opportune time for it. I love the song because of my personal feelings of everything that happened all over the US regarding the native people. Because it was on when Kaela was born, it has been close to my heart for 28 years. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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  10. Such a beautiful song Lisa. I loved your story about the song and reminding us all of the sheer devastation Florida received from Hurricane Andrew. It’s no wonder the song has a special place in your heart seeing as your daughter was born when it was playing in the middle of Andrew. Phew ☺️❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    • Well, she wasn’t born in the middle of Andrew. Andrew hit on Aug 24th which was the anniversary day of my grandfather’s passing. My daughter was born Sept 17th, the day before my birthday. It was the state of preterm labor I was in at the time Andrew came through. Coincidentally, the song was released 2 weeks before Andrew and Kaela was born to the song 3 weeks after Andrew. Like it all happened on purpose and in a straight line. I’m glad you like the song. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Super song I’ve always liked, plus lots of his songs, too. What a happy ending to your story of the birth of your sweet daughter.
    It was awful about the hurricane, though. For some reason we remember songs and occasions that bring us right back to that time. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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