- Sam Collins (1927)
Let the Midnight Special shine her light on me.
Let the Midnight Special shine her ever-livin' lights on me.
When you get up in the morning, when that ding dong ring.
You make it to the table, see the same old thing.
And up on the table, than the pots and the pans, Lordy.
And if you say a thing about it, have trouble with the man.
Let the Midnight Special shine her light on me.
Let the Midnight Special shine her ever-livin' lights on me.
Yonder comes a little Nora, how do you know?
I know her by the apron and the dress she ware.
Umberella on her shoulder, piece of paper in her hand,
Well, I'm callin' that sergeant to release her man.
Let the Midnight Special shine her light on me.
Let the Midnight Special shine her ever-livin' lights on me.
Ernest "Mexico" Williams (1933)
When you get up in the morning, and hear the ding dong ring.
You go marching to the table, you find the same old thing.
Well it's ona one table, knife, fork and a pan.
And if you say anything about it, you'll have trouble with the man.
Let the Midnight Special shine its light on you.
Let the Midnight Special shine its ever-lovin' light on you.
Yonder comes Miss Rosie, how in the world do you know?
Well, I tell her about apron and the dress she wore.
Umberella on her shoulder, piece of paper in her hand,
Well, I heard her tell the captain, "I want to free my man."
Let the Midnight Special shine its light on you.
Let the Midnight Special shine its ever-lovin' lights on you.
Leadbelly (Version 1934)
Yonder comes Miss Rosie. How in the world do you know?
Well, I know her by the apron and the dress she wore.
Umberella on her shoulder, piece of paper in her hand,
Well, I'm callin' that Captain, "Turn a-loose my man."
Let the Midnight Special shine her light on me.
Oh let the Midnight Special shine her ever-lovin' light on me.
When you gets up in the morning, when that big bell ring.
You go marching to the table, you meet the same old thing.
Knife and fork are on the table, ain't nothing in my pan.
And if you say a thing about it, have a trouble with the man.
Let the Midnight Special shine her light on me.
Oh let the Midnight Special shine her ever-lovin' light on me.
If you ever go to Houston, boy, you better walk right,
And you better not squabble and you better not fight.
Benson Crocker will arrest you, Jimmy Boone will take you down.
You can bet your bottom dollar that you're Sugarland bound.
Let the Midnight Special shine her light on me.
Oh let the Midnight Special shine her ever-lovin' light on me.
Well, jumping Little Judy, she was a mighty fine girl.
Well, Judy brought jumpin' to this whole round world.
Well, she brought it in the morning just a while before day.
Well, she brought me the news that my wife was dead.
That started me to grievin', whoopin', hollerin', and cryin'.
And I began to worry about my very long time.
Let the Midnight Special shine her light on me.
Oh let the Midnight Special shine her ever-lovin' light on me
Leadbelly (version 1940 (with The Golden Gate Quartet))
Yonder comes Miss Rosie. How in the world do you know?
Well, I know her by the apron and the dress she wore.
Umberella on her shoulder, piece of paper in her hand,
Well, I'm callin' that gov'nor, "Turn a-loose my man."
Let the Midnight Special shine her light on me.
Oh let the Midnight Special shine her ever-lovin' light on me.
Well you get up in the morning, when that ding dong ring,
You go a-marching to the table, see the same damn thing
Knife and fork are on the table, ain't nothing in my pan.
And if you say anything about it, having trouble with the man
Let the midnight special, shine her light on me
Let the midnight special, shine her ever-loving light on me
Well I went to the nation, and...
Thought about the girl I love ... in Mexico
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, oh, you better walk right,
And you better not stagger and you better not fight
... Benson will arrest you, he will take you down
If the juris find you guilty, you'll be penitentiary bound
Well, jumping Little Judy, she was a mighty fine girl.
Well, Judy brought jumpin' to this whole round world.
Well, she brought it in the morning just a while before day.
Well, she brought me the news that my wife was dead.
That started me to grievin', whoopin', hollerin', and cryin'.
And I began to worry about my very long time.
Let the Midnight Special shine her light on me.
Oh let the Midnight Special shine her ever-lovin' light on me.
Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)
Well you wake up in the mornin', you hear the work bell ring
And they march you to the table to see the same old thing.
Ain't no food upon the table and no pork up in the pan.
But you better not complain boy you get in trouble with the man.
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me
Let the Midnight Special shine a everlovin' light on me.
Yonder come miss Rosie, how in the world did you know?
By the way she wears her apron, and the clothes she wore.
Umbrella on her shoulder, piece of paper in her hand;
She come to see the gov'nor, she wants to free her man.
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me...
If you´re ever in Houston, well, you better do the right;
You better not gamble, there, you better not fight, at all
Or the sheriff will grab ya and the boys will bring you down.
The next thing you know, boy, Oh! You´re prison bound.
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me...
other lyrics...
"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
Lord, Thelma said she loved me, but I believe she told a lie
'Cause she hasn't been to me since July
She brought me little coffee, she brought me little tea
She brought me nearly everything but the jailhouse key
Well, the buscuits on the table, just as hard as any rock
If you try to eat them, break a convict's heart
My sister wrote a letter, my mother wrote a card
If you want to come to see us, you'll have to ride the rods
I'm goin' away to leave you, and my time ain't long
The ma is gonna call me, and I'm goin' home
Then I'll be done all my grievin', whoopin', hollerin' ad a-cryin'
Then I'll be done all my studyin' 'bout my great long time
Yonder comes doctor Adams (Melton), "How in the world do you know?"
Well he gave me a tablet, the day befo'
There ain't no (never was a) doctor, in all the lan' (travel through by lan')
Can cure the fever of (on) a convict man
Yonder comes Bud Russell, how in the world do you know?
Tell him by his big hat an' his 44
He walked into the jail-house with a gang o' chains in his hands
I heard him tell the captainm I'm the transfer man
Looky, look yonder, what in the world do I see?
Well, that brown-skin woman, comin' after me
She wore a mother hubbard, yes, like a mournin' gown
Trimmin' on her apron, Lawd God, how it do hang down
T.K. Erwin went to austin with a paper in his hands
To get the intermediate sentence passed on the convict man
He hand the paper to the gov'nor, and there it stood
I know she gonna sign it, 'cause she said she would
I'm gwine away to leave you, an' my time ain't long
The man is gonna call me and I'm goin' home
Then I'll be done all my grievi', whoopin', hollerin' and a-cryin'
About my great long time