Muddy Water

songwriting credits unavailable

performed by Johnny Rivers

tab transcribed by Collins Crapo <roxtar@srv.net>

G / / / 2 /

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"

Verse 2:

I fell in with bad companions

I robbed a man up in Tennessee

And I got caught way up in Nashville, uh huh now

And they locked me up and threw away the key

CHORUS (same pattern as above 2 verses):

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

Verse 3:

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"

Verse 4:

But I didn't wait to get my time in

I broke down, broke out the Nashville jail

I just crossed Atlanta, Georgia, oh now

And I can hear those bloodhounds on my trail

(chorus; same pattern as above 2 verses)

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)