Mississippi Sand

Cash Johnny

I was born down in the bottoms of the flat black Delta land 
I grew up picking cotton in the Mississippi sand 
My mama said son take that girl and go make her your wife 
Or you'll be stuck here in this mud all of your life 

Will the water roll it all way this secret that I hold 
Will the water roll it all away will it cleanse my aching soul 
But a man's gotta make it sometime a man's gotta take a stand 
Or he'll get left in the Mississippi sand 

A stranger came to town with two torn shoes upon his feet 
Singing songs of sadness picking girls off of the street 
He made a little bit of music was a leader of a band 
And they call him the muddy Mississippi band 

My girl was Ruby Colter and she was on her teens 
I took her out to churches to socials schools and things 
She was a rose just right for picking and he nipped her in the bud 
And he left her here in the Mississippi mud 

Will the water roll it all way this secret that I hold 
Will the water roll it all away will it cleanse my aching soul 
But a man's gotta make it sometime a man's gotta take a stand 
Or he'll get left in the Mississippi sand 

Then me and old Carl we caught him right down by the store 
We choked him just a little bit and held him to the floor 
We relived him of his pocketbook his blood and other things 
Now the Mississippi man's no longer mean 

Will the water roll it all way this secret that I hold 
Will the water roll it all away will it cleanse my aching soul 
But a man's gotta make it sometime a man's gotta take a stand 
Or he'll get left in the Mississippi sand