William (for Leadbelly) Lyrics

Put both hands up and receive your rights

All about some trouble on a moonless night

Two plainclothes stand in your door

Asking, Are these the clothes you wore?

You left home with the world gone wrong

With your mouth poked out and your back of brawn

To test your mettle against the world at large

Till the world went and showed you who's in charge

Tie one on

Tear up the town

Right your wrongs

Can't live it down

Can't help yourself but to spill blood

Go out and show the world what you're made of

You've been living in a conversation

And the other side has run out of patience

As for sometimes friends, there was no short

Telling possum lies in a possum court

What, do you hope, of it will live on?

Will they read your words, will they hear your songs?

Go on, now

Tie one on

Tear up the town

Why so long?

Ah, settle down

Can't help yourself but to spill blood

Go out and show the world what you're made of

It's violence or conversation

And the other side has run out of patience

Now you rock that shovel till your wrist's numb

And you hike that bucket to the well, son

Hope a freight train light can save you

Hope a freight train light will save you