Down in South Carolina in the piney woods
Where they make sweet turpentine
There I first saw the light of day
Standin' on my mind
Runnin' in the sunshine, laughin'
Rollin' in the red dirt cryin'
Said, Mmmmmm, Good God have mercy
Cannery warehouse, baby
I went to school
I eatin' lunch from the cans that I stole
Heatin' them up on a pot-bellied stove
I used to keep out in the cold
Sitting around, you know, just tellin' lies about
What I'd be when I grew old
Said, Mmmmmm, Good God have mercy
Trestle track now mama
Where the B and N 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 d**h at all
Said, Mmmmm, 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
Said, Mmmmm, 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