Listen, folks, we're bleeding People can't survive Levees are seeping Water's filling up our lives There's sweeping devastation And there's rising pain There's growing hunger And choking thirst Makes you wonder what's worse? Givin' up or hangin' on Looking on the river Hundreds waiting to be saved Families on the rooftops In bed-linen graves Listen of the governor The pleading of the mayor The politickin' senators Think nobody cares Makes you wonder all along 'Bout givin' up or hangin' on Hey, Mr. Bush have pity On this forsaken land Care done forgot us, Mercy's in your hand Twenty-four choices of MREs May get us to tomorrow, But what about next week When can we get back Our beloved city! Look at us on TV We're floating away The tide's at our rooftop This Labor Day There's too much a-water And there's too much sun Too much o-dor-iferous funk Makes you want to write a song About givin' up and hangin' on How's Bush sends legions of press Caravaned on in and carried on? The military made it Though it took them a week Now half's the city's looted The sh**'s piled up high People better off If their place caught fire Hey, Mr. President, Vacation's gone There's a million of us down here With our jones' on Too many gunshots And too much dread Too much time, Things go to your head It makes you wonder what's worse? Givin' up or hangin' on You wonder what's worse? Givin' up or hangin' on