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Sleeping On The Streets Of New Orleans

from Lightning In The Dark by Tom Fairnie

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A song about Katrina and the aftermath.

lyrics

Sleeping On The Streets Of New Orleans

I’m standing at the crossroads, where the crossroads used to be
The crossroads got washed away to Memphis Tennessee
She took away my geography and the better part of me
Now I’m sleeping on the streets of New Orleans

The devil is a sailor in the Gulf of Mexico
His pitchfork is a waterspout with sulphur down below
An’ saltpetre, brine and brimstone twisted head to toe
And he’s sleeping on the streets of New Orleans

The money took to higher ground and listened to the wind
The Projects got abandoned; senorita she blew in
She’s been the ruin of this old own; she done pure got everything
And I’m sleeping on the streets of New Orleans
Sleeping on the streets of New Orleans

Who’s gonna save the shotgun shack when the mission house is gone?
Who’s gonna read the gospel; is it Noah, Mark or John?
And who’s gonna walk on this water with your father and your son?
When they’re sleeping on the streets of New Orleans

She was just an uptown Indian and she had a downtown beaux
A Wild Bogacheeta woman and her brave young Navaho
But both of them got washed away in some kinda quid pro quo
They’re sleeping on the streets of New Orleans

Well it's big but it sure ain't easy, swallowing this mud
It's the wind of the apocalypse; the fire after the flood
It’s Joanie on a pony with the pony spitting blood
And I’m sleeping on the streets of New Orleans
I’m sleeping on the streets of New Orleans

Well Basin Street ain’t big enough to take this overflow
We’re gonna’ need a handy man don’t want no sloppy Joe
Silver Sam’s arising; dryin’ out on ol’ Skid Row
He’s sleeping on the streets of New Orleans

There’s Preservation Hall ‘n’ rosaries at Mardi Gras
There’s tourists drinkin’ hurricanes in Pat O’Brien’s bar
It’s business as usual on the Canal and Broad streetcar
But I’m sleeping on the streets of New Orleans

And you don’t need no Joshua to hear sweet trumpets blow
There’s plenty on Napoleon at Tipitina’s swinging low
Just build your levees higher and don’t say you don’t know
That I’m sleeping on the streets of New Orleans
I’m sleeping on the streets of New Orleans

© Sleeping On The Streets Of New Orleans; music by Tom Fairnie, words by Bob Shields and Tom Fairnie 11th December 2011

credits

from Lightning In The Dark, released December 9, 2022

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Tom Fairnie Edinburgh, UK

I live in Edinburgh and I'm a singer songwriter. My style of writing cuts across Americana, folk, country and blues and I try to write melodic, accessible songs that make the best use of my guitar skills to provide sensitive uncluttered arrangements.

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