One More River To Cross

Explosions of Soufrière Hills Volcano became more violent through 1996 and 1997, and as a result the South of the island became gradually uninhabitable. Montserratians were forced to leave their homes or shelters and evacuate to safer parts of the island. As volcanic activity increased, they often had to relocate several times, causing persistent loss and hardship for the islanders.

One More River To Cross

‘First it was the White River / So they evacuate Long Ground
The weakening of the Gages wall / Fort Ghaut now threaten town
So the whole population / South of Belham valley
No matter how many rivers we cross / This snake still follow me

One more river to cross
One more river to cross
Every time we start to count the loss
One more river to cross

One more river to cross
One more river to cross
Every time that we think that we paid the cost
One more river to cross

Heard the announcement made / B the chief and governor
In the next 72 hours / Nantes’ is to cross over
But the risk maps say / Don’t feel too much at home
From Nantes’ to Lawyers’ / Is the only buffer zone

[Chorus]

So we cross it one by one / Every ghaut and valley
And when there’s no more rivers to cross / We’ll have to cross the sea
But they say them people say / All their crossings down
The only other river they’re going to cross / Is the river Jordan’

– Song 'One More River To Cross' by Cupid

I can remember sometimes during the eruption, you did not focus as you normally would have been focusing before the eruption. For me, I was thinking what next, ‘cause they used to have some songs like One More River to Cross, they used to have some different alerts, red alert, amber alert, next stage of the volcano, so there are times you keep thinking about what is going to happen next so you were a bit uncomfortable. Really uncomfortable. The volcanologist would come on the radio and they would speak about how the volcano is erupting and its different stages, so I myself was rather concerned about what would happen, where do we go if we have to relocate again from one point to another? At one time they said Salem have to relocate, Nantes River, that was close-by, Rams I think, and you keep asking yourself questions. Well if we have to be relocating from one place to a next, one place to a next, where else do we have to go?

– Montserrat Resident, 2019