The Midnight Special (adapted by John A. and Alan Lomax) Songtext
von Lead Belly

Well you wake up in the morning, hear the ding dong ring,
You go a-marching to the table, see the same damn thing
Well, it′s on a one table, knife, a fork and a pan,
And if you say anything about it, you're in trouble with the man

Let the midnight special, shine her light on me
Let the midnight special, shine her ever-loving light on me

If you ever go to Houston, you better walk right, you better not stagger, you better not fight
Sheriff Benson will arrest you, he′ll carry you down
And if the jury finds you guilty, penitentiary bound


Yonder come little Rosie, how in the world do you know
I can tell her by her apron, and the dress she wore
Umbrella on her shoulder, piece of paper in her hand
She goes a-marching to the captain, says, "I want my man"

"I don' believe that Rosie loves me", well tell me why
She ain't been to see me, since las′ July
She brought me little coffee, she brought me little tea
Brought me damn near ever′thing but the jailhouse key

Yonder comes doctor Adams, "How in the world do you know?"
Well he gave me a tablet, the day befo'
There ain′t no doctor, in all the lan'
Can cure the fever of a convict man