Lyrics:

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 looked at me and he said:
REFRAIN:
I was born in the rain by the Ponchatrain
Underneath the Louisiana moon
I don’t mind the strain of a hurricane
They come around every June
High black water – a devil’s daughter
She’s hard and she’s cold and she’s mean
But nobody’s taught her that it takes
A lot of water to wash away New Orleans
A man come down from Chicago
Gonna set that lady right
It’s got be up about 3 feet higher
We might make through the end of the night
The Old Man down in the quarter
Said “Don’t you listen to that boy!”
The water will be down by morning, son
And he’ll be back on his way to Illinois
REFRAIN
Thirty miles out in the Gulf Stream
I can hear them south winds moan
The bridges are looking down 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 by the Ponchatrain
Underneath the Louisiana moon
I don’t mind the strain of a hurricane
They come around every June
High black water – a devil’s daughter
She’s hard and she’s cold and she’s mean
But we finally taught her that it takes
A lot of water to wash away New Orleans