"What I Do" lyrics

Down in Nola where we listen
Some of that, some of this
In keys beyond the normal range
Everything's a little strange
But mostly it's a place to be
Got to leave it 'fore you see
It sticks to you

I left before it did me in
Down-and-dirty don't begin
To talk about my state of mind
All I wanted was to find
A way to get between the funky and
The play-it-cleaner too

Forget about my feelings, I don't mind
But don't forget that second line

Can't you come on out and play?
Let's see what you got today
How you make it sound that way?
I never know just what to say
It's beans and rice, sticky nights, étouffée
To keep it in the groove

It just comes out that way, won't go back in
Like gumbo runnin' down your chin
Filé's just a little thin
But slick as glass, dark as sin
With downbeats on the upside
Just to take you for a ride
And make it move

"Oh, I see," they say, "Well, no wonder"
It's a miracle you ain't six feet under

Fish don't understand the water
They just do the things they oughta
Birds don't understand the air
They don't even know it's there
They don't have a clue
But just like me they do
The things they do

It's what I do
It's what I do
It's what I do