Good God Have Mercy

Down in South Carolina in the piny woods
Where they make sweet turpentine
There I first saw the light of day
Landin on my mind
Runnin' in the sunshine laughin'
Rollin' in the red dirt cryin'
I said mmm, mmm
Good god have mercy

Canary Warehouse, baby, I went to school
I eat lunch from the cans that I stole
Heatin' 'em up on a hot-bellied stove
I used to keep out in the cold
Sittin' around, you know, just a-tellin lies about
What I'd be when I grew old
I said mmm, mmm
Good god have mercy

Trestle Track now, mama, where the BNN used to haul
Freight train caught daddy one day
He took a long, long fall
I'd only been taught to think on life
Never thought on death at all
I said mmm, mmm
Good god have mercy

Now every sunday after church, there'd be a meetin' on the ground
"Some good soul" she would always say
"It's a shame about Freida Brown"
Mama and the ladies they formed a society
They run Freida out of town
I said mmm, mmm
Good god have mercy

Daddy's on the mainline, Mama wants him home
Daddy's on the mainline, the kids all need him home
Good god have mercy