Down in South Carolina, in the piney woods
Where they make sweet turpentine
There I first saw the light of day
Landin' on my mind
Runnin' in the sunshine laughing
Rollin' in the red dirt crying
I said mmmm mmmm
Good God have mercy
Cannery warehouse baby, I went to school
I eat lunch from the cans of our store
Heatin' them up on a pot-bellied stove
I used to keep out in the cold
Sittin' around, you know, just tellin' lies about uh
What I'd be when I grew old
I said mmmm mmmm
Good God have mercy
Trestle track, now mama
Where the BNN 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 death at all
I said mmmm mmmm
Good God have mercy
Solo
Now every Sunday after church
There'd be a meeting on the ground
Some good soul she would always say
It's a shame about Frieda Brown
Mama and the ladies they formed a society
They run Frieda out of town
I said mmmm mmmm
Good God have mercy
Daddy's on the main line, mama wants him home
Daddy's on the main line, the kids all need him home
Good God have mercy