Thirty miles on the gulf stream

I hear the south wind moan

The bridges getting lower, shrimp boats coming home

The old man down in the quarter slowly turns his head

Takes a sip from his whiskey bottle and this is what he said.

I was born in the rain on the pontchartrain

Underneath the louisiana moon

I don't mind the strain of a hurricane

They come around every june

The high black water, a devil's daughter

She's hard, she's cold, and she's mean

But nobody taught her it takes a lot of water

To wash away new orleans.

Man came down from chicago, he gonna set that levee right

He said, "It needs to be at least three feet higher

It won't make it through the night"

But the old man down in the quarter

He said, "don't you listen to that boy

The water be down by the morning

And he'll be back to illinois".

I was born in the rain on the pontchartrain

Underneath the louisiana moon

I don't mind the strain of a hurricane

They come around every june

The high black water, a devil's daughter

She's hard, she's cold, and she's mean

But nobody taught her it takes a lot of water

To wash away new orleans.

Thirty miles on the gulf stream, I hear the south wind moan

Bridges getting lower, shrimp boats coming home

The old man down in the quarter slowly turns his head

Takes a drink from his whiskey bottle and this is what he said.

I was born in the rain on the pontchartrain

Underneath the louisiana moon

I don't mind the strain of a hurricane

They come around every june

The high black water, a devil's daughter

She's hard, she's cold, and she's mean

But nobody taught her it takes a lot of water

To wash away new orleans

Nobody taught her it takes a lot of water

To wash away new orleans.