Where Were You Songtext / Lyric

Where were you when the sky cracked open

Waiting for shelter and barely coping

Thinking you could ride the storm out

Hoping you would be all right

Where were you when they gave a warning

Hundred-fifty mile winds by morning

Category four making landfall in the wild gray light

Where were you

Where were you



Where were you in the social order

Lower nine or a hotel in the Quarter

Which side of the Quarter between rich and poor...

Where were you gonna evacuate to

Assuming there was any way to

Where if you didn't own a car...

Where were you

Where were you






Where were you when you understood

However decent, however good

However hard some people try

They only barely make it by

They're born to live their entire lives

In harm's way



Where were you when you heard the stranded

The injured and the empty-handed

Running out of food and water at the Superdome

The newborn and the elderly

Exposed to even more misery

While those in charge of rescue

Waited for the Guard to come

And those who left the Convention Center

Were stopped on the bridge when they tried to enter

The safety of the Westbank and higher ground...



And when the Guard finally did arrive

And got to work on about day five

Mainly they were used to keep the looting down...

Where were you

Where were you



Where were you when you realized

However strong, however wise

However true our leaders appear to be

They talk about prosperity

However hard this country strives

When property is valued more than lives

How strong will we ever really be

How long do we imagine we'll be free



We hold the truth self evident

The photograph of the President

From Air Force One he viewed the devastation

Shaved face and rested eyes

Looking down he circles twice

On the way home from his vacation

Where were you

When you got the picture

Where were you

Where were you when the streets filled up with black water

Where were you when defeat and destruction reigned in the Crescent

Where were you when it blew from every direction

Where were you when the promise was made

To retrurn and rebuild

To restore to its people

The city that gave us the first American music

The true inspiration and the freedom to use it

Where will we find it again if we lose it

And where will we be

If we ever cease to love

If we ever cease to love