I was home in Macon, Georgia
They kept my Daddy in the Macon jail
He said, "Son, if you keep your hands clean, uh huh
You won't hear those bloodhounds on your trail"
I fell in with bad companions
I asked the jailer, said "When's my time up?"
He said "Son, you know we won't forget
And if you try and just keep your hands clean, uh huh
Why we may just make a good man of you yet"
But I didn't wait to get my time in
I washed my hands in muddy water
I washed my hands, but they didn't come clean
I tried to do like my daddy told me, now
I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream
(repeat last line twice)