There is a spring, not far from here The water runs both sweet and clear Both sweet and clear, and cold Could crack your bones with veins of gold I stood, a-wagging, at the tap Just a-waiting on the lagging, rising sap I held the cold tin ladle to my lip At the Shrine of the Thousand Arms, I lowered my eyes to sip What a beautiful day to catch my drift Or be caught up in it You want your love, love? Come and get your love I only took it back because I thought you didn't How my ears did ring at the municipal pound From that old hangdog to which I was bound Curled 'round the bottom rung, doesn't nobody want you? Well, come on, darlin', I could use someone like you around I am not like you, I ain't from this place And I do reserve the right to repeat all my same mistakes And in the night, like you, I certainly bite and chew What I can find and never seem to lose the taste What a horrible face, I feel me make
For Pete's sake What you have told me, cannot erase Though I keep on saying and I do believe, it is not too late All day, you're ha**ling me with trifles Black nose of the dog as cold as a rifle Indicating, with a nudge God, no God, God, no God Sweet, appraising eye of the dog Blink once if God, twice if no God My mama may be ashamed of me With all of my finery Carrying on, whooping it up till the early morn' Lost and lorn among the madding revelry Sure, I can pa**, honey, I can pa** Particularly when I start to tip my gla** I'll be a sport and have a go at that old song, singing unabashed About them city girls with their ribbon bows and their fancy sash But though I get so sad, could swear the night makes a motion to claim me Around that second verse, I reckon I've felt worse and still held fast But, later on, when I am alone, alone at last Well I take my God to task, I take my daggone God to task