You left them swimming for their lives
Down in New Orleans
Can't afford a gallon of gasoline
With your useless degrees and your contrary statistics
This government business is straight up sadistic

(And it's) a black rain
(Oh it's) a black rain is gonna fall

You don't fight for us but expect us to die for you
You have no sympathy for us but still I cry for you
Now you may kill the revolutionary
But the revolution you can never bury

And it won't be long 'til the people (fill) the streets
(Now) we come for you
One and all

(That's) a black rain
(Yeah that's) a black rain is gonna fall

Don't you dare speak to us like we work for you
Selling false hope like some new dope we're addicted to
I'm not a desperate man
But these are desperate times at hand
This generation is beyond your command

And it won't be long 'til the people flood the streets
To take you down
One and all

(It's) a black rain
Talking 'bout a black rain is going fall
- is going fall
- is going fall
- one and all


Musicians

Ben Harper : Vocals, Bass, Drums, Percussion
Jason Yates : Keys
Alyssa Park : First violin
Joel Pargman : Second violin
Brett Banducci : Viola
Timothy Loo : Cello
Matt Cory : Bass


Comments

Song written and recorded in september 2005 after hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans.

Comments by Danny Kalb (recording engineer) :

"We tracked all of the music, then the vocals, then the guitar on this. While we were tracking the music, the working title was something else — I can't remember — but it was nothing close to "Black Rain". Hurricane Katrina had struck and we were watching cable news every spare chance we could get. We had no idea what the song was going to be about. When Ben got up on the mic to do the vocals, we were blindsided and blown away when he sang the first lines..."You left them swimming for their lives down in New Orleans". I think Mike (Mike Laza, the assistant engineer), Jason (Jason Yates, co-writer of the song), and I all had our jaws hit our shoes at the same time. That was a really powerful moment."

"Most of that sound you're hearing is Ben, Jason, and the string players — it comes from them. Ben's string arrangement really gives the song power. And obviously his vocals and the lyrics! The one thing we did out of the ordinary was record the drums the way they often did in the 70s. I recorded them in a very small iso booth in mono with very few microphones. We also put lots of tape on the drums and put a wallet on the snare. After we got the sound up, Ben tore it up on the drums!"