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Goin' Back To New Orleans 3:46
1. Over The River Tonight
© February 6, 2006 by Gary E. Andrews
All Right Reserved for the Globe

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(Verse 1)
:I'm Goin' Ba-ack, To New Or-leans.
My folk nee--d, My helpin' hand.
I'm Goin' Back, To New Orleans, a-gain.

(Verse 2)
I ran a-way-a-ay years a-go-o-o.
Me and my Daddy, Used to argue so.
I'm Goin' Back, To New Or-leans,
A full-grown man.

(Chorus)
Oh---- hit by a hurricane!
Oh--- watch for the levee break!
Oh--- I'm goin' back again,
To see what difference my love might make.

I'm Goin' Ba-ack, To New Orleans,
Just to see, My old friends.
I'm Goin' Back, To New Orleans, a-gain.

I'm Goin' Ba-a-ack, To New Orleans.
My folk need, My helpin' hand.
I'm Goin' Ba-ack, To New Orleans, a-gain.

(Repeat Chorus)

---

More Info...
"Goin' Back To New Orleans" Copyright February 6, 2006 by Gary E. Andrews.
All Rights Reserved For The Globe

The Gulf Coast of the United States was hit by Hurricanes Rita and Katrina in August 2005. Katrina devastated the coast and towns inland. New Orleans, which is below sea level, though far from the sea, was hard-hit by a storm surge which came over the Mississippi River delta, partly due to man''s manipulation of the watercourses through it that used to maintain the Delta as a barrier. The ocean surged up man's canals and the river, loaded into Lake Ponchartrain, overtopped the levees and flooded the city.

Every so often, Mother Nature and Old Man river like to show The Human Phenomenon who's in charge. Nothing personal; just doing what they do. Folks still needed a lot of help there a year and a half later. Fewer than half those displaced from New Orleans had been able to go back. In 2008, I don't think the numbers have changed much.

"Goin' Back To New Orleans" is on the minds of the diaspora of flood refugees scattered over the country when their homes were destroyed. Some despair of ever going back. We found out the 'hollowed-out' government, run by people who don't believe in government, can't help us when nature happens. There were big paychecks at the top but not enough workers down the chain of command to get anything done. Private contractors made billions of dollars.

A spirit of 'home' inspires many and draws them back. A musician at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 2006 said, "People keep askin' us if we're comin' back. You goddamned right we're comin' back!" he said, " 'cause we cain't eat y'all food, and we hate y'all music."

More power to him. Home is where you make music that you love. Then the rest of the world gets to love it too, and write new songs, imagining your reality, flavoring their own with it.

I stood by the Ohio River at Portsmouth, Ohio a few days after I wrote this song. As I began to play it, what boat should push a raft of barges around the bend under the Carl Perkins bridge and up the river but "The Orleanian"?

I took it as a good sign.

A friend told me (6/2006) Harry Connick, Jr. was doing a New Orleans CD. And Tim McGraw and Faith Hill were touring, proceeds to benefit hurricane victims. Tipitina''s restaurant may have a foundation to help too. Your folks sure need your helpin' hand.

The recording of this is a fluke, flawed because it was a hurried, one-take opportunity and I took it.

YOU could do a better job and have a hit. Contact me: garyeandrews@yahoo.com