New Orleans Is Sinking
The Tragically Hip
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Bourbon blues on the street, loose and complete Under skies all smoky blue-green I can't forsake a Dixie dead-shake So we danced the sidewalk clean My memory is muddy, what's this river that I'm in? New Orleans is sinking man, and I don't wanna swim Colonel Tom, what's wrong? What's going on? Can't tie yourself up for a deal He said "hey north you're south shut your big mouth, You gotta do what you feel is real" Ain't got no picture postcards, ain't got no souvenirs My baby, she don't know me when I'm thinking 'bout those years Pale as a light bulb hanging on a wire Sucking up to someone just to stoke the fire Picking out the highlights of the scenery Saw a little cloud that looked a little like me I have my hands in the river My feet back up on the banks Looked up to the Lord above And said, hey man thanks Sometimes I feel so good I gotta scream She said Gordie baby I know exactly what you mean She said, she said, I swear to God she said My memory is muddy, what's this river that I'm in? New Orleans is sinking man and I don't wanna swim Swim
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4 fans
Written by: Gordon Downie, Gordon Sinclair, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, Robert Baker
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
11 facts about this song
Origins of the Song"New Orleans Is Sinking" was released by The Tragically Hip, a Canadian rock group from Kingston, Ontario. The song is one of the band's most popular and recognized pieces.
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Album InformationThe song is the second single from their first full-length studio album, "Up to Here," released in 1989.
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Chart Performance"New Orleans Is Sinking" was the band's first top-10 hit, reaching no. 1 on the RPM (Records, Promotion, Music) Canadian Singles Chart.
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SongwritingThe song was written by the band itself. The lyrics were penned by the late Gord Downie, the band's lead vocalist and lyricist.
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Popularity"New Orleans Is Sinking" is often considered one of The Tragically Hip's signature songs, frequently played at their concerts and on Canadian radio stations.
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Disaster ConnectionAfter the Hurricane Katrina disaster in 2005, several radio stations in the U.S. and Canada temporarily stopped playing the song out of respect for the victims.
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AccoladesThe song was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.
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Musical StyleThe song is noted for its hard-edged sound and Gord Downie’s explosive, gritty vocal performance.
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Versions and Variations"New Orleans is Sinking" has become famous for its live "killer whale tank" versions, in which Gord Downie included an improvised monologue in the middle of the song.
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Iconic LineThe opening line, "Bourbon blues on the street, loose and complete," has become iconic and immediately recognizable to fans of The Tragically Hip.
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Closing Concert"New Orleans Is Sinking" was played at The Tragically Hip’s final concert in August 2016, just a few months before Gord Downie’s untimely passing from brain cancer.
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Citation
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"New Orleans Is Sinking Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/23642675/The+Tragically+Hip/New+Orleans+Is+Sinking>.
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