Muddy Delta Lament

Down in the delta where the cotton fields sway, River runs muddy, carryin' my blues away. Sweat on my brow from the break of the dawn, Plowin' this earth till my hands are all worn. Lost my sweet mama to the fever last spring, Now the whippoorwill sings like a lonesome thing. But I keep on walkin' these weary old roads, Carryin' the weight of these heavy loads.

Oh, the blues come callin' in the dead of night, Stealin' my joy, but I hold on tight. Through the storm and the rain, I rise up again, Singin' my sorrow till the hurtin' ends. Lord, have mercy on this ramblin' soul, In the heart of the South, where the wild winds blow.

She left me for the city lights up north, Promised she'd write, but it's been too long, of course. Harmonica wailin' like a cry in the dark, Guitar strings weepin' for a broken heart. Boss man's hollerin', chain gang's in line, Pickin' that bale till the sun starts to shine. But deep in my chest, there's a fire that burns, Resilient as the oak where the Spanish moss turns.

Oh, the blues come callin' in the dead of night, Stealin' my joy, but I hold on tight. Through the storm and the rain, I rise up again, Singin' my sorrow till the hurtin' ends. Lord, have mercy on this ramblin' soul, In the heart of the South, where the wild winds blow.

One day I'll lay these burdens down low, Find peace in the levee where the tall grasses grow. No more chains, no more tears in my eyes, Just the river's soft whisper under midnight skies. I've bent like the willow in the hurricane's gale, But my spirit won't break, no, it never will fail.

Echoes of ancestors in the call and response, Voices from the fields, payin' hardship's cost. Blue notes risin' like smoke from the fire, Tellin' my story, liftin' me higher. From the juke joint shadows to the crossroads sign, I've danced with the devil, but the dawn is mine.

Oh, the blues come callin' in the dead of night, Stealin' my joy, but I hold on tight. Through the storm and the rain, I rise up again, Singin' my sorrow till the hurtin' ends. Lord, have mercy on this ramblin' soul, In the heart of the South, where the wild winds blow...