Mama, sweet mama
Where are you going
With all your babies
And that casserole
I’m going to the jailhouse
In Camilla, Georgia
To see a woman
And ask for her parole
Mama, sweet mama
Why are you beaten
Why are your babies
Scattered on the ground
The sheriff slapped me
And then he struck me down
He kept on kicking
Till I blacked out
This old Georgia town
Knocked me from my feet
I see a blue-eyed devil
Looking down at me
Mama, sweet mama
Why did you do it
Why did you not move back
Into the crowd
Ella Mae was watching
From the jailhouse window
I had to show her
I was proud
This old Georgia town
Knocked me from my feet
I see a blue-eyed devil
Looking down at me
This old Georgia town
Knocked me from my feet
I see a blue-eyed devil
Looking down at me
Mama, sweet mama
What’s happened to you
Your pregnant body
Standing so tough
My unborn baby
Is no longer
Now I’m a lawyer
Is that enough
Is that enough?