Lyrics

Down at the first precinct They ain't got no law at all I was deep in then No reason to talk No reason to talk I met old Johnny Old Johnny Saxon He was a banker Had game in his day Had game in his day But the only crime then Of which he guilty He just don't have no Social scene nor between Social scene nor between They bring in the morning Something like coffee Something like coffee Called chicory Called chicory They bring a sandwich And in between Was a slice of something Called hog's head cheese Called hog's head cheese I met Elihuе Elihue Murphy He seemed likе a grifter I could trap and leave I could trap and leave He spoke of the lonely Town he had walked down He felt like the only Man walking on the street Man walking on the street And the only sign in town When Elihue walked down 'Bout put his sweet lips A little closer to the phone Turn the jukebox way down They allow one phone call One phone call, that's all That just cost a nickel A nickel is all A nickel is all That made me wish I Was out at TJ's bar I could get a new beer For three nickels For three nickels I could get a bowl of red beans Red beans and dirty rice That'd be thirty-five cents That'd be pretty nice That'd be pretty nice In 1961 Me and him ruled the car We decided to hitchhike To New Orleans To New Orleans Hitchhike in Alabama This little town we walked down This old man came along Boys, where are you bound? Boys, where are you bound? And we said, "New Orleans" And he said, "Don't go there" That place ain't nothin' But a crawdad hole But a crawdad hole And Elihue whistled A tune in that steel cell He whistled very well Called "Silver Bells" Called "Silver Bells" And down the corridor Where all the Black folks are I could hear them singing This jailhouse blues This jailhouse blues