Blind Willie Johnson (in 1919)
In the year of 19 and 18, God sent a mighty disease.
It killed many a-thousand, on land and on the seas.
...
Great disease was mighty and the people were sick everywhere.
It was an epidemic, it floated through the air.
...
The doctors they got troubled and they didn't know what to do.
They gathered themselves together, they called it the Spanishin flu.
...
Soldiers died on the battlefield, died in the counts too.
Captain said to the lieutenant, "I don't know what to do."
...
Well, God is warning the nation, He's a-warning them every way.
To turn away from evil and seek the Lord and pray.
...
Well, the nobles said to the people, "You better close your public schools."
"Until the events of death has ending, you better close your churches too."
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/how-people-turned-pandemic-pain-into-song-across-history
