Deep Water Blues

They say a black woman got steel for a spine

She'll carry your weight, she'll carry it fine

She'll think of you 'fore she'll think of herself

She don't mind not being on the mind of nobody else

But I don't want to rescue you

From the deep water washing over my neighbors, and

Deep water, I won't be your savior

Won't give you my life to keep you alive

You're gonna learn to swim or you will die tonight in

Deep water, deep water

Now it's been too many times I've been put in a place

To have to wipe up a mess a white man made

Like my grandmom, indeedy, and her mama did too

So I'll be awful glad to get me clean of you

Let the water do what water do

In the deep water washing over my neighbors, and

Deep water, I won't be your savior

Won't give you my life to keep you alive

You're gonna learn to swim or you will die tonight in

Deep water, deep water

So when the water rises and the levees break

If you're looking for me that's your last mistake

I've packed my bag, I'm going up and gone

I fare thee well, that water deepen as it come

But I'll remember to say a prayer for you

In the deep water washing over my neighbors, and

Deep water, I won't be your savior

Won't give you my life to see you arise

You're gonna learn to swim or you will drown tonight in

Deep water, deep water

Deep water, deep water

Deep water, deep water