Originally Posted by Tragically Hip - New Orleans Is Sinking

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?
you 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

I had a job before this
I had a job before this
Ultimately it was that job that drove me into this
I worked at an aquarium
An aquarium with lots of money from the government
So it was HUGE
I was clean & scrub man, they called us in the CNS Union
I scrubbed the inside of the killer whale tank
And after a while the boys in the CNS, the Clean & Scrub, we just sorta made it one word
The Killerwhaletank, the killerwhaletank, the killerwhaletank, i'm goin into the killerwhaletank
I got along with these two big beasts so well,
it was like they knew me
they'd look at me with their 100 year old eyes
and it was like they knew me
I'd put on my scuba gear, my mask, my regulator
and I'd fall into the tank with nary a sound
and I was underwater
sometimes -- I'd JUMP OUT -- right in front of the window
when people were expecting a killer whale
and they'd see a human
and they'd get spooked ... SPOOKED. yeah I'd do that
but I was in the water this particular day
unbeknownst to me, Shamu and Bartholomew, their relationship had gone stale
seems I was going in there so much
and I was looking so good
Shamu took a shining to me
And their so smart those things you know
they've got all these human emotions
love, lust, green 100 year old jealousy,
Bartholomew... WAS LIVID!
Unbeknownst to me I can't hear a goddamn thing underwater
He was bumping up against me
The stale
killer whale
bumping up against someone so pale
and frail
how was I to know the killerwhalerelationship had gone stale
he bumpedup against me
his skin was like sandpaper
and he circled around
I thought we were all patched up and
I was cleanin and scrubbin
and he took my...
he came up and...
he ripped my left arm off...
and their quite docile and friendly in captivity but
he took my left arm
he took my fuckin left arm

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 had my hands in the river
my feet back up on the banks
looked up to the Lord above
and said "hey Carol 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