Wooh... 

G  C  F  C 

G 
A baby's born 

C 
The father's gone 

F                         C 
Can't live with what he's done 

             G 
You know now mama's torn 

    C 
She can't afford 

F            C 
   To raise her son 

             Em           G              C 
You know the ills of this world they can get you down 

             Em           G              C 
You know the ills of this world they can get you down 

                      G      C      F      C 
But then you get back up 

GCFC 

            G 
Way down in New Orleans 

    C 
The city screams 

F                          C 
    They've gone black and white 

             G 
And when the levy's broke 

              C 
(Woo hoo) the city float 

F                         C 
    And people lost their lives 

              G 
You know they needed aid 

     C 
They hoped and prayed 

F                       C 
    But it was just too late 
            G 
And now the family's cried 

C 
They know inside 

F                             C 
      Doesn't have to be that way 

             Em           G              C 
You know the ills of this world they can get you down 

             Em           G              C 
You know the ills of this world they can get you down 

                      G      C      F      C 
But then you get back up 

GCFC 

             Em           G              C 
You know the ills of this world they can get you down 

             Em           G              C 
You know the ills of this world they can get you down 

                      G      C      F      C 
But then you get back up