My transcription from hearing the song on Spotify:


BORN IN NEW ORLEANS
Written by Paul Soniat
As recorded by Paul Soniat on "Born in New Orleans" (2005)

I'm what you call a lucky guy,
Born in the land of deep fried
Seafood platters.
You know that it matters
Where you come from,
Where you come from.
So glad I was born here in New Orleans.
So glad I was born here in New Orleans.

We love our food, yeah, we live to eat.
Even white people like the second line with their pretty white feet.
Love our parties like our Mardi Gras.
Shiny beads and plastic cups are what we jump up for.
So glad I was born here in New Orleans.
So glad I was born here in New Orleans.

And this is the City that Care Forgot,
But you know we care about a whole lot,
Care about a hurricane that could blow us away,
Care about catchin' a coconut in the Zulu parade,
Care to live our life in our own way,
And we pray that the saints are gonna win someday.
So glad I was born here in New Orleans.
So glad I was born here in New Orleans.

Some people they say they're from "N'Awlins."
If you're from Uptown, you might say you're from "New Oryuns."
But me, I just say I'm from "New Orlins,"
But you never, never, never say "New Orleens,"
But you never, never, never say "New Orleens,"*
'Cause if you do, they will know that you are not from here,
And some may say, "He must be from away."
Born and raised, spent my days in New Orleans.
Couldn't write this song if I wasn't born in New Orleans.
Tryin' to make a livin', tough to pay tuition in New Orleans.
Still livin' on Soniat Street in New Orleans.

[* Regardless, there are a lot of recorded songs that use the pronunciation "New Orleens." Even Louis Armstrong, who was born there and grew up there, sang songs in which he used the pronunciation "New Orleens." Sometimes it's necessary for the rhyme, for example, "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?" (See the link at the beginning of this thread.) Can we assume all those songs were written by non-natives? I haven't figured that out yet. Anyway, Soniat consistently sings "New Orlins" except where I have used other phonetic spellings and put them in quotes.]