My daddy was an honest man just a red dirt georgia farm boy
my mama spent her young life raisinand' kids and bailinand' hay
now i was just fifteen when i ached inside to wander
so hopped a freight in waycross and i rode it to la
i met a girl known on the strip as san franciscoand's mabel joy
destitutionand's child born on an la street called shame
the sleep came and left this little waycross country boy
mabel joy was gone lord iand'd never see her again
growinand' up came quietly in the arms of mabel joy
laughter found the mornings brought the meaning to my life
i woke up one day lord finding i was by myself
with dreams of georgia cotton and a california wife
lord the cold nights had no pity on a waycross georgia farm boy
most days he went hungry and then the summer came
sunday morning found me standinand' neath the red light at her door
right cross sent me reelinand' put my face down on the floor
in place of my mabel joy he found a merchant mad marine
who said your georgia neck is red but sonny youand're still green
but i turned twenty one in a grey rock federal prison
the judge had no mercy for this waycross georgia boy
sometimes at night in silence lord iand'd listen
that midnight freight to take me back to mabel joy
the cold nights had no pity on this waycross georgia farm boy
springtime turned to summer and then the winter came
starinand' at those four grey walls in silence lord iand'd listen
somewhereand's in the distance to the whistle of a train
sunday morning found me lying neath the red light at her door
with a bullet in my side i cried have you seen mabel joy
stunned and shaken someone said son she donand't live here anymore
she left this town ten years ago i heard sheand's looking for
some georgia farm boy