Delta Cotton Wail

down in the delta where the river runs slow feels heavy with sorrow under that midnight blow mama sang the pain from her weary calloused hands chains of the cotton breaking free in the sand blue notes crying out like a lonesome train's wail guitar strings bending telling tales without fail from the two joints hidden where the spirits convene resilience rising like the moon on the scene oh the blues they whisper through the storm hardships fire keeping the soul warm raw and true expressing voices oh african roots deep in the southern clay emotions pouring like rain on a judgment day harmonica howling bass thumping the ground drums echoing heartbeats in this raw sacred sound no silver lining just the truth in the band blue notes healing what the world can't mend from the deep south's cradle a nation's lament resilient and intimate till the very oh the blues they whisper through the storm hardships fire keeping the soul warm raw and true expressing voices now i pick these strings let the story unfold personal trials and melodies bold the blues ain't just music it's the breath of the free carrying hardships but said in the spirit oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh