Robert Burns (1759-1796) wrote: "Oh wad some power the giftie gie us to see oursels as others see us." This look at ourselves comes from Australia.

CITY Or NEW ORLEANS LYRICS: Keith McHenry SUNG TO THE TUNE OF: "City of New Orleans" By Steve Goodman [C] 1970, 1971 Turnpike Tom Music

   Bearing on the city of New Orleans
   Katrina--massive Force Five
      hurricane
   The order came to flee the helpless
      city
   Take the kids and run from the
      coming gale
           All along the northbound odyssey
   The folk pull out and try to flee
   Rollin' long past houses, farms and
      fields
   Leaving those that have no means
   Women, children, old black men
   In the graveyard of American ideals

CHORUS:

   Good morning America, where
      are you?
   Don't you know, we're begging
      you to come?
   We're the town they call the
      city of New Orleans
   There'll be thousands of us
      dead when day is done
   The dead lie with the living in the
      stadium
   And more arrive--ain't no one
      keepin' score
   Pass the paper bag that holds the
      bottle
   Feel the whole world crumblin' 'neath
      the floor
   And the sons of Pullman porters
   Daughters of engineers
   Hide their fears 'neath the mighty
      roof of steel
   Mothers with their babes asleep
   Are rockin' to a deafening beat
   For the hurricane's horror's all
      they feel

   Nighttime in the city of New Orleans
   This is not the way things ought
      to be
   Help you say it should be here by
      morning
   But it's four days now, we're dying
      can't you see?
   And all the stricken people scream
   "If only this could be a dream"
   And the ruling class still ain't heard
      the news
   The President sings his song again
   "You citizens, please stay calm"
   This town's got the disappearing
      government blues

FINAL CHORUS:

   Good night America, where
      were you?
   Don't you know, we all begged
      you to come?
   We're the ghosts that haunt
      the city of New Orleans
   We were abandoned here, our
      day is done

In addition to the one above from Australia, we have received many submissions about the tragedy of New Orleans from U.S. writers. We don't have room to print them all, but here's one from Oakland, California.

THE DAMN FOOL
TOOK FOUR DAYS
LYRICS: Ed Silberman
SUNG TO THE TUNE OF: "The Big Muddy"
By Pete Seeger
[C] 1963 Ludlow Music

   Oh, the wind was ragin' and the
      water was risin'
   The sky was dark and mean
   And when the lake broke through
      the levee
   Such a sight I'd never seen
   People were crying, people were dying
   People walking 'round in a haze
   We were knee deep in the big muddy
   And the damn fool took four days

   People were lootin', people were rootin'
   In the shelves for whatever they
      could find
   If you had money you got out of
      town
   But, the poor folk got left behind
   In the land of plenty our stomachs
      were empty
   We looked for a helping hand
   We were waist deep in the big muddy
   And the damn fool took four days

   Well, I don't claim to know the
      answers
   No, I don't claim to have a plan
   But when a person has the title of
      "Chief"
   You're relying on that man
   My house was a ruin, my neighbors
      were dead
   We thought help was on the way
   We were neck deep in the big muddy
   And the damn fool took four days

Here is one more hurricane song, this one from former Sing Out/ editor Bob Norman. He writes: "I started out to sing ["Iko Iko"] straight at the Raritan River Festival with my friend Ted Klett, who has a band called Snapperhead Zydeco. It's the bestknown of the famous Mardi Gras Indian songs (SO! v23#5), and we planned to sing it as a tribute to the people of New Orleans who've been through so much in the past month. But, once we got going, the new words just flowed right out. I'm sure your readers can think of lots more."

IKO IKO
LYRICs: Bob Norman
SUNG TO THE TUNE OF
"Iko Iko"

(CHORUS: same as original)

   Jakamo fino hey to tan te rey
   (lko-lko anday)
   Hurricane comin', get the hell out
      the way
   (lko-lko anday)

   Hurricane come, and it flood the
      town ...
   People in charge they nowhere
      around ...

   People on the rooftop moan and cry
   Where's the Big Chief who left us
      to die?

   Big Chief come in a great big plane
   He's five days late and he can't
      explain

   Big Chief say he's gonna fix it now
   Gonna bring a lot of money, but he
      don't say how

   Gonna bring a lot of money, gonna
      make a big fix
   Make everybody pay except for
      the rich

The traditional song "Rivers of Texas" inspired the suggestion that every state should have a song about its rivers. We printed one for California in this column (v.44#2), there is one for Illinois and now we have one for New York City. May this inspire others to write a song for the rivers of their state, city or region.

RIVERS OF NEW YORK CITY
LYRICS: Stephen 1. Suffet
SUNG TO THE TUNE OF:
"Rivers of Texas"

   We crossed the Bronx River, we
      forded the Harlem
   We swam the East River, we
      followed the Flushing
   Arthur Kill is all smelly, just like
      stale beer
   But, it's down by the Hudson I
      courted my dear

CHORUS:

   Oy-oy-oy-oy-oy, don't be a jerk
   Oy-oy-oy-oy-oy, don't be a jerk
   Oy-oy-oy-oy-oy, don't be a jerk
   There's many a river that
      waters New York

   The Hutchinson River floods the
      parkway in spring
   Above Newtown Creek the bridges
      do swing
   Richmond Creek clogs with leaves
      in the fall
   And the Kill Van Kull ain't no river
      at all

   Trade Center wreckage lines the
      banks of the Fresh Kills
   Alongside the mountains that
      used to be landfills
   Marine Park Creek runs to the sea
      shore
   But, I'll never walk down by the
      Hudson no more

   She hugged me and kissed me and
      called me her dandy
   Coney Island Creek is muddy, and
      Spring Creek is sandy
   I hugged her and kissed her and
      called her my own
   But, down by the Hudson she left
      me alone

This song is dedicated to Pete Seeger "with the thanks of the generations you have brought together." Out of those generations have come many voices of our people who "carry it on" in back yards, on stages, in kitchens and front rooms across the United States, keeping the dream of a peaceful, just and loving world alive and Strong.

THE VOICE WITHIN OUR PEOPLE LYRICS: William R. Phillips SUNG TO THE TUNE OF: "There's a River of My People" Words: Pete Seeger; Music: Traditional [C] 1953 Stormking Music, Inc.

   There's a voice among our people
   And his spirit touches all
   We discover our own harmonies
   In answer to his call

   There's a leader in our chorus
   With a voice that's soft and pure
   He has taught our sons and
     daughters
   Our traditions proud and pure

   There's a singer of our spirit
   Hate Surrenders to his ring
   'Cross streams, between the
      mountains
   We together sail and sing

   His sisters and his brothers
   Make his music rise and swell
   Those who learn to sing along with
      him
   Are his hammer and his bell

   There's a voice within our people
   Forever will it sing
   Together raise our chorus
   And hear our freedom ring

Sing Out? contributing writer Michael Miles of Glenview, Illinois, works a variety of musical jobs, one of which is teaching. For a recent project, "Send a Song to the President," coupling education and politics, he adapted the tune "Down By the Riverside" with these words:

   If you want to know what's going on
   Listen to the children
   Listen to the children
   Listen to the children
   If you want to know what's going on
   Listen to the children
   Listen to what the children say

CHORUS:

   If I were the president
   If I were the president
   If I were the president
   Here's what I'd do
   If I were the president
   If I were the president I would ...