Sunlight blinking through the cypress knees
Lays shadow steps in front of Jacob and me
As if we're guided by the heavens' eye
On a ladder road down to the levee town

Quick as lightning, news is frightening
Kayla, my neighbor, where you running to?
Yelling, "Thunder! The prophets have not blundered
The great locks are opening soon."

The river is high and the sandbags are sinking low
Whoa, they're rocking the cradle
But some day we'll rock-a-bye and roll
Out the red carpet 'long the Atchafalaya
And we'll snake up the river and rejoice in style
Break out a bottle of fine gulping wine
And raise Cain down in the levee town

I heard old Moses was hired to go
By the Corps of Engineers to run this show
Out of the Basin, two by two
Just ask Noah, he knows what to do

The river is high and the sandbags are sinking low
Whoa, they're rocking the cradle
But some day we'll rock-a-bye and roll
Out the red carpet 'long the Atchafalaya
And we'll snake up the river and rejoice in style
Break out a bottle of fine gulping wine
And raise Cain down in the levee town

In the eye of the storm, we will face our fears
At the reckoning place, all channels wind up here

Live oaks point the way with twisted trunks under mossy drapes
So pull back the curtain, the Devil be damned
Into the fog, we will make our stand
But the word gets around, so don't be surprised
At who shows up down in the levee town

The river is high and the sandbags are sinking low
Hey, they're rocking the cradle
But some day rock-a-bye and roll
Out the red carpet 'long the Atchafalaya
And we'll snake up the river and rejoice in style
Break out a bottle of fine gulping wine
And raise Cain down in the levee town