Leadbelly Lyrics

Good Night Irene

by Leadbelly

Last Saturday night, I got married,
me and my wife settled down
Now me and my wife are parted,
I'm gonna take another stroll downtown
Sometimes I live in the country,
sometimes I live in town
Sometimes I take a great notion,
to jump into the river and drown
I love Irene, God knows I do,
I'll love her till the seas run dry
But if Irene should turn me down,
I'd take the morphine and die
Stop rambling, stop your gambling,
stop staying out late at night
Go home to your wife and your family,
stay there by your fireside bright

Jumpin' Judy

Jumpin' Judy, Jumpin' Judy
Jumpin' Judy, Jumpin' Judy
Jumpin' Judy, Jumpin' Judy
All over this world, all over this world
Well you kick and stomp and beat me
Well you kick and stomp and beat me
Well you kick and stomp and beat me
Tha's all I know, thats all I know
Yonder come my captain
Yonder come my captain
Yonder come my captain
Who has been gone so long, who has been gone so long
Gonna tell him how you treat me
Gonna tell him how you treat me
Gonna tell him how you treat me
So you better git gone, so you better git gone

Keep Your Hands Off Her

by Leadbelly

Keep your hands off, keep your hands off her
Keep your hands off her, keep your hands off her
Keep your hands off her, you know what I said
You know she don't belong to you
She's a heavy-hipped1 mama, she's go the great big legs
She's a heavy-hipped mama, she's got the great big legs
She's a heavy-hipped mama, she's got the great big legs
Walking like she walkin' on soft boiled eggs
Keep your hands off, keep your hands off her
Keep your hands off her, keep your hands off her
Keep your hands off her, you know what I said
You know she don't belong to you
Her name is Josie and she ain't so nosey
Her name is Josie and she ain't so nosey
Her name is Josie and she ain't so nosey
But boy, she sure is cosey
Keep your hands off, keep your hands off her
Keep your hands off her, keep your hands off her
Keep your hands off her, you know what I said
You know she don't belong to you
She's a heavy-hipped mama and she's built up straight
She's a heavy-hipped mama and she's built up straight
She's a heavy-hipped mama and she's built up straight
She's got just what it takes
Keep your hands off, keep your hands off her
Keep your hands off her, keep your hands off her
Keep your hands off her, you know what I said
You know she don't belong to you

Linin' Track

by Leadbelly

Oh boys, is you right?
Done got right!
All I hate 'bout linin' track
These ol' bars 'bout to break my back
Oh boys, can't you line 'em, Jack-a Jack-a
Oh boys, can't you line 'em, Jack-a Jack-a
Oh boys, can't you line 'em, Jack-a Jack-a
See Eloise go linin' track
Moses stood on the Red Sea shore
Smotin' that water with a two-by-four
If I could I surely would
Stand on the rock where Moses stood
Mary an' the baby lyin' in the shade
Thinkin' on the money I ain't made

Midnight Special

by Leadbelly

Well you wake up in the morning, hear the ding dong ring,
You go a-marching to the table, see the same damn thing
Well, it's on a one table, knife, a fork and a pan,
and if you say anything about it, you're in trouble with the man
Let the midnight special, shine her light on me
Let the midnight special, shine her ever-loving light on me
If you ever go to Houston, you better walk right, you better not stagger, you better not fight
Sheriff Benson will arrest you, he'll carry you down
And if the jury finds you guilty, penitentiary bound
Yonder come little Rosie, how in the world do you know
I can tell her by her apron, and the dress she wore
Umbrella on her shoulder, piece of paper in her hand
She goes a-marching to the captain, says, "I want my man"
"I don' believe that Rosie loves me", well tell me why
She ain't been to see me, since las' July
She brought me little coffee, she brought me little tea
Brought me damn near ever'thing but the jailhouse key
Yonder comes doctor Adams, "How in the world do you know?"
Well he gave me a tablet, the day befo'
There ain't no doctor, in all the lan'
Can cure the fever of a convict man