It was the blackbirds that loiter
Silhouetted on wires
It was the old window fan
Catchin' rusty twirls
Like a cheese puff in the rain
No, I didn't stand a chance
I was a little piece of street debris
Dancin' down Decatur Street

What was this? What did I find?
Rollin' on this New Orleans tide
When I went down to the riverside
When I went down to the riverside

It was the breath of sweet olive trees
Steeped through summer's heat
As they heave their breath into the street
And dangle from the feet of bees
It was the baskets and the beads
Hangin' from those balconies
It was them flowers and them flags
It was the Fleur-de-lis
Maybe you were listening
When the saints go marching in?
It was that steamy fog
Rollin' off the Mississippi!

What was this? What did I find?
Rollin' on this New Orleans tide
When I went down to the riverside
When I went down to the riverside

It was the baskets and the beads
Hangin' from those balconies
It was them flowers and them flags
It was the Fleur-de-lis!
It was you, it was you
It was you who'd take my heart
On the water

There's secrets in the water
There's secrets in the water
There's secrets in the water
Secrets in the water

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