San Francisco Mabel Joy

His daddy was a honest man,a red dirt Georgia farmer
His mama lived a short life having kids and bailing hay
He had fifteen years of ache inside to wander
He jumped a freight in Waycross and wound up in L.A.

The cold nights had no pity on that Waycross Georgia farm boy
Most days he went hungry,then the summer came
He met a girl known on the strip as San Francisco Mabel Joy
Destitutions child born on an L.A. street called shame

Growing up came quietly in the arms of Mabel Joy
Laughter found their mornings it brought new meaning to his life
The night before she left sleep came and found that Waycross country boy
With dreams of Georgia cotton and California wine

Sunday morning found him beneath the red light at her door
A right cross sent him reeling and put him face down on the floor
In place of Mabel Joy he found a merchant mad marine
He said your Georgia neck is red,but sonny you're still green

He turned twenty-one in grey rock federal prison
The judge had no mercy on this Waycross,Georgia boy
Staring at those four grey wall in silence,Lord he listened
To the midnight freight he knew could take him back to Mabel Joy

Sunday morning found him beneath the red light at her door
With a bullet in his side he cried,have you seen Mabel Joy
Stunned and shaken someone said she don't live here no more
She left this house four years ago she was looking for
Some Georgia farm boy