A Mighty Day
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Music: traditional
Katrina disaster lyrics by Theodore Bikel

I remember one September,
When storm winds swept the town;
The high tide from the ocean, Lord,
Put water all around.

Chorus:
          Wasn't that a mighty day,
          A mighty day
          A mighty day, Great God, that morning
          When the storm winds swept the town!

There was a sea-wall there in New Orleans
To keep the waters down,
But the high tide from the ocean, Lord,
Put water in the town.

Chorus

The mayor warned the people,
"You'd better leave this place!"
But thousands could not leave their homes
Till death was in their face.

The cars they were all loaded
The rich were leaving town
But the poor were left for the ocean’s wrath
And the ocean took them down,

Chorus

The waters, like some river,
Came rushing to and fro;
I saw my father drowning, God,
And I watched my mother go!

Dear Lord, the poor kept prayin’
Please save us from this fate
When will the rescue come for us
But the rescue came too late.

Chorus

The memories of three years ago
Are drenched in storm and rain
They said that it would not be long
Before we’re home again.

Yet here we swat in FEMA shacks
No money and no hope
They told us to just hang in there
And handed us a rope.

Chorus

Now, the leaders of our nation
They tell us all is well
But we know that there’s a special place
Reserved for them in hell.

They’ll twist and turn forever
In the blinding wind and rain
And they’ll only stop for a photo op
When they hear this sad refrain:

         Wasn't that a mighty day,
          A mighty day
          A mighty day, Great God, that morning
          When the storm winds swept the town!