Hello, my neighbor, I surely recognize you
Well, all right I suppose, how do you do?
So where you at, babe? Yeah me, I've been a refugee too
But I know we're can see this through

I'll try to keep smiling and stay strong for you
Right now, that's all I can do

But don't you cry no more unless you really need to
Oh and darlin', if you do, you know that I will cry with you
If you can hear what I say, we'll cry tears of joy one day
We've been as low as we can go, we will rise again I know

New Orleans will sing and dance my friend
And we'll be together again
We'll be among the few those who really knew
How it feels to go way below zeron

Mama, she's in Texas, no, she ain't feeling well
Sissy's in Oklahoma friend and Awlins been through hell
Me, I've been in Baton Rouge too close to far, way too homesick blue
Just wanna go home and start over again as soon as they'll let me back in

I'll try to keep smiling and stay strong for you
Over right now, that's all I can do

I know some went crazy, I know some done wrong
But that's just one verse, it's not the whole song
If you've been hungry and thirsty and left alone in the dark
You know, madness is contagious, you lose hope's sweet spark

Don't you cry no more unless you really need to
Oh and darlin', if you do, you know that I will cry with you
If you can hear what I say, we'll cry tears of joy one day
We'll be in our second line, let the pain go and we'll be fine

And New Orleans will sing and dance, my friend
We'll be together again
We'll be among the few those who really knew
How it feels to go way below zeron