They say a black woman got steel for a spine
She'll carry your weight, she'll carry it fine
She'll think of you 'fore she'll think of herself
She don't mind not being on the mind of nobody else
But I don't want to rescue you
From the deep water washing over my neighbors, and
Deep water, I won't be your savior
Won't give you my life to keep you alive
You're gonna learn to swim or you will die tonight in
Deep water, deep water
Now it's been too many times I've been put in a place
To have to wipe up a mess a white man made
Like my grandmom, indeedy, and her mama did too
So I'll be awful glad to get me clean of you
Let the water do what water do
In the deep water washing over my neighbors, and
Deep water, I won't be your savior
Won't give you my life to keep you alive
You're gonna learn to swim or you will die tonight in
Deep water, deep water
So when the water rises and the levees break
If you're looking for me that's your last mistake
I've packed my bag, I'm going up and gone
I fare thee well, that water deepen as it come
But I'll remember to say a prayer for you
In the deep water washing over my neighbors, and
Deep water, I won't be your savior
Won't give you my life to see you arise
You're gonna learn to swim or you will drown tonight in
Deep water, deep water
Deep water, deep water
Deep water, deep water