Midnight Special

Huddie Ledbetter

[D]Well, you wake up in the mornin’ [G]

You hear the work bell ring [D]

And they march you to the table [A7]

You see the same old thing [D]

Ain’t no food upon the table [G]

And no fork up in the pan [D]

But you’d better not complain, boy [A7]

You’ll get in trouble with the [D]man

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CHORUS:

Let the midnight [G]special

Shine the light on [D]me

Let the midnight [A7]special

Shine the light on [D]me

Let the midnight [G]special

Shine the light on [D]me

Let the midnight [A7]special

Shine the ever-lovin’ [D]light on me

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One day, one day, Sir

I was walking along

I heard that Midnight Special

Singing a lonesome song

Oh, let the Midnight Special

Shine her light on me

Let the Midnight Special

Shine her ever lovin light on me

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If you ever go to Houston

You know you better walk right

You know you better not stagger

You know you better not fight

‘Cause the sheriff will just arrest you

You know he’ll carry you down

And you can bet your bottom dollar

Oh Lord, you’re penitentiary bound

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Chorus

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Yonder come Miss 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

Goes a marchin to the Captain

Says I want my man (or she’s gonna free her man)

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Chorus

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Now here comes jumpin’ Judy

I’ll tell you how I know

You know, Judy brought jumpin’

To the whole wide world

She brought it in the morning

Just about the break of day

You know, if I ever get to jumpin’

Oh Lord, I’ll up and jump away.

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”This may seem like a fictitious tale from the 1940s,

but up until the 1980s, vagrants and hipppies were

sent to the Harris County Pea Farm for 30 days –

Without notice to even your family.

Quite often we’d find missing band members out in the field,so to speak.”