Levon Helm Follow

Thirty miles out in the Gulf Stream,
I can hear them south winds moan
The bridges are looking lower
Shrimp boats hurrying' home

The Old Man down in the Quarter
Slowly turned his head
Took another sip from his whiskey bottle
And this is what he said:

REFRAIN:
I was born in the rain on the Ponchatrain
Underneath the Louisiana moon
I don't mind the strain of a hurricane
They come around every June

That high black water - the devil's daughter
She's hard and she's cold and she's mean
But nobody taught her it takes
A lot of water to wash away New Orleans

The man come down from Chicago
Gonna set that levy right:
It's got be up about 3 feet higher
Or it won't make through the night

The Old Man down in the quarter
Said don't you listen to that boy,
The water'll be down by morning,
And he'll be on his way to Illinois

REFRAIN

Thirty miles out in the Gulf Stream,
I can hear them south winds moan
The bridges looking lower
Shrimp boats hurrying' home

The Old Man down in the Quarter
Slowly turned his head
Took another sip from his whiskey bottle
And looked at me and he said

I was born in the rain on the Ponchatrain
Underneath the Louisiana moon
I don't mind the strain of a hurricane
They come around every June

That high black water - the devil's daughter
She's hard and she's cold and she's mean
But we finally taught her it takes
A lot of water to wash away New Orleans

Thirty miles out in the Gulf Stream,
You can hear them south winds moan
Bridges looking lower,
Shrimp boats comin' home.