Johnny Cash - Mississippi Sand lyrics

I was born down in the bottoms
Of the flat black Delta land
I grew up picking cotton
In the Mississippi sand
My mama said son take that girl
And go make her your wife
Or you'll be stuck here in this
Mud all of your life

Will the water roll it all away
This secret that I hold
Will the water roll it all away
Will it cleanse my aching soul
But a man's gotta make it sometime
A man's gotta take a stand
Or he'll get left in the Mississippi sand

A stranger came to town with two
Torn shoes upon his feet
Singing songs of sadness picking girls
Off of the street
He made a little bit of music
Was a leader of a band
And they call him the muddy Mississippi band
My girl was Ruby Colter and
She was in her teens
I took her out to churches
To socials schools and things
She was a rose just right for picking
And he nipped her in the bud
And he left her here in the Mississippi mud

Then me and old Carl we caught
Him right down by the store
We choked him just a little bit
And held him to the floor
We relived him of his pocketbook
His blood and other things
Now the Mississippi man's no longer mean

Will the water roll it all away
This secret that I hold
Will the water roll it all away
Will it cleanse my aching soul
But a man's gotta make it sometime
A man's gotta make a stand
And I left him in the Mississippi sand