San Francisco Mabel Joy

By Mickey Newbury

MY DADDY WAS AN HONEST MAN, JUST A REDNECK GEORGIA FARM BOY

MY MOMMA SPENT HER SHORT LIFE RAISIN' KIDS AND BAILING' HAY

AND I WAS JUST FIFTEEN WHEN I ACHED INSIDE TO WONDER

SO I HOPED A FREIGHT IN WAYCROSS AND I RODE IT TO L.A.

WELL, I MET A GIRL KNOWN ON THE STRIP AS SAN FRANCISCO'S MAYBEL JOY

DESTITUTIONS CHILD, BORN ON A L.A. STREET CALLED SHANE

AND SLEEP CAME AND LEFT THIS LITTLE WAYCROSS, GEORGIA COUNTRY BOY

MAYBEL JOY WAS GONE, LORD, ID NEVER SEE HER AGAIN

GROWING' UP CAME QUIETLY IN THE ARMS OF MAYBEL JOY

LAUGHTER FOUND OUR MORNING'S, BROUGHT NEW MEANING TO MY LIFE

I WOKE UP ONE DAY, LORD, TO FIND THAT I WAS BY MYSELF

WITH DREAMS OF GEORGIA COTTON AND CALIFORNIA WINE

SUNDAY MORNING' FOUND ME STANDING' NETH THE RED-LIGHT OF HER DOOR

RIGHT CROSS SENT ME REELING', LAID ME FACE DOWN ON THE FLOOR

IN PLACE OF MAYBEL JOY I FOUND A MERCHANT MAD MARINE

WHO SAID, " YOUR GEORGIA NECK IS RED, BUT, SON YOUR STILL GREEN!"

WELL, I TURNED TWENTY ONE IN GREY ROCK FEDERAL PRISON

THE JUDGE, HE HAD NO MERCY ON THIS WAYCROSS, GEORGIA BOY

SOMETIMES AT NIGHT IN SILENCE, LORD, I'D LISTEN

THAT SAME OLD FREIGHT TO TAKE ME BACK TO MAYBEL JOY

COLD NIGHTS HAD NO PITY ON THIS WAYCROSS, GEORGIA FARM BOY

SPRINGTIME TURNED TO SUMMER, AND THEN THE WINTER CAME

STARING' AT THOSE FOUR GREY WALLS IN SILENCE, LORD, I'D LISTEN

SOMEWHERE IN THE DISTANCE TO THE WHISTLE OF THE TRAIN

SUNDAY MORNING FOUND ME LYING NEATH THE RED LIGHT OF HER DOOR

WITH A BULLET IN MY SIDE I CRIED "HAVE YOU SEEN MAYBEL JOY?"

STUNNED AND SHAKEN SOMEONE SAID, "SON, SHE DON'T LIVE HERE NO MORE"

SHE LEFT THIS TOWN TEN YEARS AGO, I HEARD SHE'S LOOKING FOR...

SOME GEORGIA FARM BOY"