New Orleans

Lyrics by S. Nicks; Music by Neale Heywood 

In the city of dreams
Lies the city's ghost
There's a beginning
There's a middle and an end
In this city
We reach out for the middle ground
We throw a 
Great party
So hearts will start to mend
We forgive... at least we try

In the midst of the sea of dreams
Lies a perfect storm
In the sea of tears
Lies a city ghost
In the spirit of the Mardi Gras
Well, the people hope
That their lives will get better
The people hope
That their lives will get better

I wanna get a room in New Orleans
I wanna sing
In the streets of the French Quarter
I wanna dress up
I wanna wear beads
I wanna wear feathers and lace
I wanna brush by Anne Rice
And go down Bourbon Street

I see a sea of smiles
I see a haunted city reachin' out
I see hope in all their faces
Behind the mask of Mardi Gras
Where the good and the righteous walk
And the wicked as well
I wanna get a room in New Orleans
I wanna sing
In the streets of the French Quarter
I wanna dress up
I wanna wear beads
I wanna wear feathers and lace
I wanna brush by the vampires
I wanna dress up, ooh yeah
I wanna wear feathers and lace
I wanna brush by Anne Rice
And go down Bourbon Street
Mmmm, go on down
Bourbon Street
Within these rooms
I go up to my balcony
And I hang the paintings
On the wall
And I open up my gallery
And I open up my doors
I stare at the city
I stare at my city
I wanna get a room in New Orleans
I wanna sing
In the streets of the French Quarter
I wanna dress up
I wanna wear beads
I wanna wear feathers and lace
I wanna brush by the vampires

I wanna get back to New Orleans
I wanna sing out
In the streets of the French Quarter
I wanna dress up
I wanna wear beads
I wanna wear feathers and lace
I wanna brush by Anne Rice
Go down Bourbon Street
Go down Bourbon Street
Go on down Bourbon Street
Go on down Bourbon Street
Go on down
Go on down
Go on down
Go on down Bourbon Street
In the city of tears
Lies the city ghost

WEBMISTRESS speculates:

This song was inspired by the devastation caused by levee failures in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in 2005; the entire city was catastrophically flooded. While the initial destruction was bad enough, the ensuing suffering of the city's refugees continued long afterwards. Stevie's song acknowledges the pain of the city, but also honors their rich heritage and their ability to come back from such tragedy and continue on. New Orleans culture is famous for its parties, especially Mardi Gras with its beads and costumes; the wild times on the aptly named Bourbon Street; the supernatural ghost sightings and hauntings many claim to have experienced; the historic French Quarter. Apparently, Stevie enjoys Anne Rice's famous New Orleans-set 1994 vampire novel Interview with the Vampire; she associates it so strongly with the city that Anne Rice gets prominently mentioned despite not living there. We all know she's fascinated by vampires, so it's not surprising.

I have heard Stevie perform this in New Orleans and I can testify that her song was much appreciated by many who experienced the traumatic events of that time.

 

In Your Dreams | SN Albums