Midnight Special - words and music by Huddie Ledbetter
Covered by Johnie Rivers, amoung others
D G
Well, you wake up in the mornin'
D
You hear the work bell ring
A7
And they march you to the table
D
You see the same old thing
G
Ain't no food upon the table
D
And no fork up in the pan
A7
But you'd better not complain, boy
D
You'll get in trouble with the man
CHORUS:
N/c G
Let the midnight special
D
Shine the light on me
A7
Let the midnight special
D
Shine the light on me
G
Let the midnight special
D
Shine the light on me
A7
Let the midnight special
D
Shine the ever-lovin' light on me
One day, one day, Sir
I was walking along
I heard that Midnight Special
Singing a lonesome song
Oh, let the Midnight Special
Shine her light on me
Let the Midnight Special
Shine her ever lovin light on me
If you ever go to Houston
You know you better walk right
You know you better not stagger
You know you better not fight
'Cause the sheriff will just arrest you
You know he'll carry you down
And you can bet your bottom dollar
Oh Lord, you're penitentiary bound
Chorus
Yonder come Miss 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
Goes a marchin to the Captain (or come to see the Governor)
Says I want my man (or she's gonna free her man)
Chorus
Now here comes jumpin' Judy
I'll tell you how I know
You know, Judy brought jumpin'
To the whole wide world
She brought it in the morning
Just about the break of day
You know, if I ever get to jumpin'
Oh Lord, I'll up and jump away.
This may seem like a fictitious tale from the 1940s,
but up until the 1980s, vagrients and hipppies were
sent to the Harris County Pea Farm for 30 days -
Without notice to even your family.
Quite often we'd find missing band members out in the field,so to speak.
Midnight Special - words and music by Huddie Ledbetter
Covered by Johnie Rivers, amoung others
D G
Well, you wake up in the mornin'
D
You hear the work bell ring
A7
And they march you to the table
D
You see the same old thing
G
Ain't no food upon the table
D
And no fork up in the pan
A7
But you'd better not complain, boy
D
You'll get in trouble with the man
CHORUS:
N/c G
Let the midnight special
D
Shine the light on me
A7
Let the midnight special
D
Shine the light on me
G
Let the midnight special
D
Shine the light on me
A7
Let the midnight special
D
Shine the ever-lovin' light on me
One day, one day, Sir
I was walking along
I heard that Midnight Special
Singing a lonesome song
Oh, let the Midnight Special
Shine her light on me
Let the Midnight Special
Shine her ever lovin light on me
If you ever go to Houston
You know you better walk right
You know you better not stagger
You know you better not fight
'Cause the sheriff will just arrest you
You know he'll carry you down
And you can bet your bottom dollar
Oh Lord, you're penitentiary bound
Chorus
Yonder come Miss 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
Goes a marchin to the Captain (or come to see the Governor)
Says I want my man (or she's gonna free her man)
Chorus
Now here comes jumpin' Judy
I'll tell you how I know
You know, Judy brought jumpin'
To the whole wide world
She brought it in the morning
Just about the break of day
You know, if I ever get to jumpin'
Oh Lord, I'll up and jump away.
This may seem like a fictitious tale from the 1940s,
but up until the 1980s, vagrients and hipppies were
sent to the Harris County Pea Farm for 30 days -
Without notice to even your family.
Quite often we'd find missing band members out in the field,so to speak.