The t… Read Full Bio ↴The Band of Heathens are an Americana band from Austin, Texas.
The three principal songwriters - Colin Brooks, Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist - shared the bill at Momo's, an Austin club. Originally, each singer/songwriter performed his own set. However, they eventually started sharing the stage, and collaborating together with bassist Seth Whitney. The Wednesday night series was billed as "The Good Time Supper Club". A misprint in a local paper billed the act as "The Heathens." In 2007, drummer John Chipman joined the band.
In 2009, the band was nominated for a "New Emerging Artist" award by the Americana Music Association. In 2010, the band was again honored by the Americana Music Association as nominees for the "Best Duo/Group of the Year".
Hurricane
The Band of Heathens Lyrics
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I hear the south wind moan
The bridges getting lower
The shrimp boats coming home
The old man down in the Quarter
Slowly turns his head
Takes a sip from his whiskey bottle
I was born in the rain on the Pontchartrain
Underneath the Louisiana moon
I don't mind the strain of a hurricane
They come around every June
The high black water, a devil's daughter
She's hard, she's cold and she's mean
But nobody taught her, it takes a lot of water
To wash away New Orleans
Man came down from Chicago
He gonna set that levee right
He says, "it needs to be at least three feet higher
It won't make it through the night"
But the old man down in the Quarter
He said "don't you listen to that boy
The water be down by the morning
And he'll be back to Illinois"
I was born in the rain on the Pontchartrain
Underneath the Louisiana moon
I don't mind the strain of a hurricane
They come around every June
The high black water, a devil's daughter
She's hard, she's cold and she's mean
But nobody taught her, it takes a lot of water
To wash away New Orleans
Thirty miles on the Gulf Stream
I hear the South wind moan
Bridges getting lower
The shrimp boats coming home
The old man down in the Quarter
Slowly turns his head
Takes a drink from his whiskey bottle
And this is what he said
I was born in the rain on the Pontchartrain
Underneath the Louisiana moon
I don't mind the strain of a hurricane
They come around every June
High black water, a devil's daughter
She's hard, she's cold and she's mean
But nobody taught her, it takes a lot of water
To wash away New Orleans
I was born in the rain on the Pontchartrain
Underneath the Louisiana moon
I don't mind the strain of a hurricane
They come around every June
The high black water, a devil's daughter
She's hard, she's cold and she's mean
But nobody taught her, it takes a lot of water
To wash away New Orleans
Nobody taught her, it takes a lot of water
To wash away New Orleans
The song “Hurricane” by The Band of Heathens is a captivating tale of the resilience of the city of New Orleans and its inhabitants in the face of natural disasters. Thirty miles out on the Gulf Stream, the singer hears the moaning of the south wind and sees the bridges getting lower, signaling the arrival of a hurricane. The old man down in the Quarter takes a sip from his whiskey bottle and tells the story of his birth in the rain on the Pontchartrain underneath the Louisiana moon and how he is not bothered by the strain of hurricanes, which come around every June.
The old man describes the high black water as a devil’s daughter that is hard, cold, and mean, but nobody taught her that it takes a lot of water to wash away New Orleans. The singer then tells of a man from Chicago who claimed that the levee needs to be three feet higher, but the old man advises that the water will be down by the morning, and the Chicagoan will be headed back. The final chorus repeats the imagery of the devil’s daughter and emphasizes that it takes a lot of water to wash away New Orleans.
Overall, “Hurricane” is a powerful tribute to the resilience of the people of New Orleans and their ability to endure even the harshest natural disasters. The rambling style of the song with its repeated chorus has a hypnotic effect, allowing the listener to get lost in the imagery and emotion of the story.
Facts about the song “Hurricane” by The Band of Heathens:
Line by Line Meaning
Thirty miles on the Gulf Stream
The singer is on the Gulf Stream, 30 miles away from New Orleans.
I hear the south wind moan
The wind is blowing hard and is moaning, indicating that a storm may be coming.
The bridges getting lower
The water levels are rising, making the bridges appear lower.
The shrimp boats coming home
The boats are returning to the harbor, indicating that a storm is coming and they need to take cover.
The old man down in the Quarter
The singer sees an old man in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
Slowly turns his head
The old man turns his head slowly, indicating that he is deep in thought.
Takes a sip from his whiskey bottle
The old man takes a sip from his whiskey bottle, indicating that he is relaxed and has something to say.
And this is what he said
The old man is about to offer his thoughts or wisdom.
I was born in the rain on the Pontchartrain
The old man is telling his own story of being born in a storm on the Pontchartrain river.
Underneath the Louisiana moon
The old man is emphasizing that he is from Louisiana and has lived through many hurricanes.
I don't mind the strain of a hurricane
The old man is used to the strain and damage of hurricanes and isn't scared of them.
They come around every June
The old man knows that hurricanes are a regular occurrence in June in Louisiana.
The high black water, a devil's daughter
The old man describes the dangerous and destructive force of the hurricane as a 'devil's daughter.'
She's hard, she's cold and she's mean
The old man emphasizes the toughness and unforgiving nature of the hurricane.
But nobody taught her, it takes a lot of water
The old man is saying that hurricanes are natural disasters that no one can control and it takes a lot of water to cause significant damage.
To wash away New Orleans
The old man is referencing the fact that hurricanes have the potential to cause catastrophic damage to the city of New Orleans.
Man came down from Chicago
A man from Chicago has come to help protect New Orleans from the storm.
He gonna set that levee right
The man from Chicago is going to fix the levee to prevent flooding.
He says, 'it needs to be at least three feet higher
The man from Chicago believes the levee needs to be raised at least three feet higher to prevent flooding.
It won't make it through the night'
The man from Chicago is worried that the levee won't be able to withstand the storm.
He said 'don't you listen to that boy
The old man doesn't trust the man from Chicago and advises against listening to him.
The water be down by the morning
The old man believes the storm will pass quickly and the water levels will be back to normal by morning.
And he'll be back to Illinois
The old man believes the man from Chicago will leave once the storm is over and go back to Illinois.
High black water, a devil's daughter
The singer emphasizes the danger and destruction of the hurricane once again.
She's hard, she's cold and she's mean
The singer once again emphasizes the toughness and unforgiving nature of the hurricane.
But nobody taught her, it takes a lot of water
The singer is repeating the old man's words to emphasize the uncontrolled nature of hurricanes.
To wash away New Orleans
The singer once again references the destruction that hurricanes can cause to the city of New Orleans.
Nobody taught her, it takes a lot of water
The last line of the song is a repeat of the previous line to emphasize the destructive power of hurricanes and how difficult they are to control.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Stewart Harris, Thomas Schuyler, Keith Stegall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind