On the day that the levee broke The water did rise and the flowers did choke I sat in my living room, took one last toke Then I watched it all drift away My credit card's ringing up at 30% There's a man in India wond'ring where the money went But I can't pay So I sat on my roof in Lake Pontchartrain Singing woe to my children, singing woe to the rain A stranger came by – I never caught his name Said he's rowing to the Rio Grande Air Force One – a blue streak in the sky Mr. President, you can afford to lie Cause I can't afford to pay [Chorus] Hurricane Angel I'm lifting my eyes over Baton Rouge Lift up your wings – let me hear your voice singing Can you turn these black skies to blue again Oh, I'm laying on the floor of a trailer at night With sixteen refugees waiting on the daylight But I still can't pay Caught a flat-bed Ford up to Baton Rouge Four worn out souls and one old corkscrew You can drown New Orleans but you can't drown the blues So bartender, just pour away Exxon's having one helluva year Three bucks a gallon, man they're making it clear That I can't pay [Repeat chorus or piano interlude] Lord, Lord, we haven't spoken in many a day I got myself in trouble downin the Ninth Ward Thought I'd send a prayer your way On my window sill's a stack of insurance bills There's a man in Delaware who says I can't have the pills Until I can pay [Repeat chorus] Somebody should pay.... On the day that the levee broke The water did rise and the flowers did choke I sat in my living room, took one last toke Then I watched it all drift away