[Intro]
Ooh, ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

[Verse 1]
She was born in New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana (Ba-ba-doo, ba-ba, ba-ba)
Branded with the name Lisa Sawyer (Ba-ba-doo, ba-ba)
Circa 1963 (Ba-ba, ba-ba-doo, ba-ba)

[Verse 2]
Grandmother was Indian, Indian (Ba-ba, ba-ba-doo, ba-ba)
Her mother's name was Eartha, swift as the wind (Ba-ba, ba-ba-doo, ba-ba)
Fierce as fire (Ba-ba)
Her father's name was Victor (ba-ba-doo, ba-ba)
Worked two jobs to provide for his flock (Ba-ba, ba-ba-doo, ba-ba)

[Verse 3]
She was the youngest of seven, seven (Ba-ba, ba-ba-doo, ba-ba)
She grew up on Louisa Street (Ba-ba, ba-ba-doo, ba-ba)
Chaos around, but inside cozy (Ba-ba)
Small, but a mansion in her eyes (Ba-ba-doo, ba-ba)
Eyes, eyes, mansion
[Verse 4]
Never had much money, money (Ba-ba-doo, ba-ba)
But was filthy rich (Ba-ba, ba-ba-doo, ba-ba)
With the wealth you couldn't get from a dark casino (Ba-ba)
Or a lottery ticket
They had love, love, love (Ba-ba-doo, ba-ba)
Rich in love

[Interlude]
Won't you play that for me one time?

[Saxophone Solo]
Ba-ba, ba-ba-doo, ba-ba
Ba-ba, ba-ba-doo, ba-ba
Ba-ba, ba-ba-doo, ba-ba
Ba-ba, ba-ba-doo, ba-ba

[Verse 5]
She had the complexion of (Ba-ba, ba-ba-doo, ba-ba)
The complexion of a sweet praline (Ba-ba, ba-ba-doo, ba-ba)
Hair long as the sea, heart warm like the Louisiana sun (Ba-ba, ba-ba-doo, ba-ba)
Voice like a symphony
Of the most beautiful instruments, woah
Beautiful

[Verse 6]
At the age of sixteen, sixteen (Ba-ba, ba-ba-doo, ba-ba)
She found Christ at an altar (Ba-ba-doo, ba-ba)
All along He was calling her name (Ba-ba, ba-ba-doo, ba-ba)
The Gospel spoken from an old wrinkly man
Man, man
Gospel
[Outro]
She was born in New Orleans
She was born in New Orleans
She was born in New Orleans
New Orleans
'Preciate y'all for rocking with us tonight, uh, today
This a little old tune of mine called "River"