In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 , Newman 's " Louisiana 1927 " became an anthem and was played heavily on a wide range of American radio and television stations , in both Newman 's 1974 original and Aaron Neville 's cover version of the song . The song addresses the deceitful manner in which New Orleans 's municipal government managed a flood in 1927 , during which , as Newman asserts , " The guys who ran the Mardi Gras , the bosses in New Orleans decided the course of that flood . You know , they cut a hole in the levee and it flooded the cotton fields . " In a related performance , Newman contributed to the 2007 release of '' Goin ' Home : A Tribute to Fats Domino '' ( Vanguard ) , contributing his version of Domino 's " Blue Monday " . Domino had been rescued from his New Orleans home after Hurricane Katrina , initially having been feared dead
flood in 1927
Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
Randy Newman