Judge give me life this mornin' Down on Parchman Farm Judge give me life this mornin' Down on Parchman Farm I would hate it so bad But I left my wife in mournin' Oh, goodbye wife All you have done gone Oh, goodbye wife All you have done gone But I hope that some day You will tell my lonesome song Oh, listen you men I don't mean no harm Oh, listen you men So don't mean no harm If you wanna do good You better telephone Parchman Farm We got to work in the mornin' Just a dawn of day We got to work in the mornin' Just a dawn of day Just to the sayin' if the sundown When your work is done I'm down on old Parchman Farm But I sho' wanna go back home I'm down on old Parchman Farm But I sho' wanna go back home But I hope someday I will overcome