Intro: I built this house with my bare hands On the shores of Louisian Took my sweet cher Jolie-Ann For my own, my very own Now every man has got his pride I tried to shelter and provide But I can't stop this poison tide Rolling in, rolling in Now I've nothing left to give her No answer to her prayers Black ribbons on the water Black ribbons for her hair Then came the wind, then came the rain We defied that hurricane And we built this house again Stone by stone, stone by stone But in the gulf of Mexico Some five thousand feet below Oh, the devil's blood it flows On and on, on and on I've nothing left to give her No answer to her prayers Black ribbons on the water Black ribbons for her hair Instrumental: