[Verse 1]
Floating in the lower nine
Waiting for a boat to throw me a line
See my Stella smile
Sitting on a roof eating alligator pie
First day the water rise
Second day the sun is high
Third day Stella cries
Cause night time's dark as a dead man's eyes

[Chorus]
Lord
Tell me when help is gonna come
Stella said, "Daddy when you gonna put me in a song?"

[Verse 2]
Storm went right on by
Thanked the Lord everybody's alright
Don't mean to throw off a second line
But the devil broke the levee and left us here to die

[Chorus]
Stella said, "Daddy when you gonna put me in a song?"

[Breaks]
Need a dance hall to get y'all down
Need a dance hall to get y'all down
[Bridge]
All the things we know and
Everything we hope for
All the things we wanted
Everything that was sure
Now there is a scar where
The old men used to be
The corner store and market
Where Stella used to sing to me
Grace is all I'm asking
When will grace return?
Grace is all I'm asking

[Verse 3]
Remember how it feels
Lazy days in the summertime
Then my Stella smiled
Stella said, "Daddy when you gonna put me in a song?"

[Chorus]
Stella said, "Daddy, when you gonna put me in a song?"
She said, "Daddy, when you gonna put me in a song?"
She said, "Daddy, when you gonna put me in a song?"
Tell me, Lord, when help is gonna come

[Outro]
She said, "Daddy, when you gonna put me in a song?"