Fat Tuesday and the Mardi Gras season has thankfully rekindled the quickly fading images of the jazz-singin?, sax-swingin?, feather-flyin?, tap-dancin?, pirate-prancin? city of New Orleans. Six months have moped by since Katrina evicted so many good folks from their homes; this is the time when the aid runs dry, the buzz runs low, and the poor are run out. I chose to write a reminder song to everyone who may have forgotten the grief that continues to seep into the lives of these hard hit folks.
Click Here to Here "When the Saints Return"
When the Saints Return
2/26 & 2/27/2006
Home is where the jazz band rings Home is where the streetcar sings Home?s a dance at Mardi Gras My home in New Orleans is gone
It?s hard, it?s hard. When you ain?t got no home it?s hard
One sad day the winds tore through Drowned us in the Delta blues Left us lost and lonesome few Like a levy: broke in two
Father, father, where is he? Flood done cast him out to sea. Mother, mother, where are you? Wind done washed away her too.
Stayed awhile with a friend My hungry mouth he could not tend A job of work I search and seek But ain?t no work for guys like me
Swept into a shelter bed Barely room to rest my head Swept away from all I know Where am I supposed to go?
They call us all the refugees They call us all evacuees All our names, they don?t know But they know it?s time we?re on our own
Now listen to me everyone Who calls us homeless lazy bums Do not slander and accuse Until you?ve walked in my poor shoes
Like the saints marched in before Like old Satchmo?s trumpet roared Like Tennessee and Faulkner penned New Orleans will be home again
