Mississippi Sand
Tales of Struggle and Redemption in Mississippi's Soil
Lyrics
I was born down in the bottoms of the flat black Delta land
I was born in the lowlands of the flat black Delta region.
I grew up picking cotton in the Mississippi sand
I grew up working in the cotton fields in the Mississippi sand.
My mama said son take that girl and go make her your wife
My mother advised me to marry a girl or risk being stuck in poverty.
Or you'll be stuck here in this mud all of your life
Warning of a stagnant life if marriage is not pursued.
Will the water roll it all way this secret that I hold
Questioning if time and nature will erase the undisclosed burden.
Will the water roll it all away will it cleanse my aching soul
Wondering if water can cleanse a troubled soul.
But a man's gotta make it sometime a man's gotta take a stand
Acknowledging the necessity for a man to make a stand in life.
Or he'll get left in the Mississippi sand
Emphasizing the consequence of being left behind in the difficult circumstances of the Mississippi sand.
A stranger came to town with two torn shoes upon his feet
Describing a stranger with worn-out shoes singing melancholic songs and preying on vulnerable girls.
Singing songs of sadness picking girls off of the street
Illustrating the stranger's actions and intentions.
He made a little bit of music was a leader of a band
Highlighting the stranger's musical talent and leadership in a band.
And they call him the muddy Mississippi band
Referring to the stranger as the leader of the muddy Mississippi band.
My girl was Ruby Colter and she was on her teens
Introducing the narrator's girl, Ruby Colter, and their social activities.
I took her out to churches to socials schools and things
Detailing the narrator's time with Ruby.
She was a rose just right for picking and he nipped her in the bud
Describing Ruby as a promising girl who was harmed prematurely.
And he left her here in the Mississippi mud
Explaining how Ruby was left in despair in the Mississippi mud.
Will the water roll it all way this secret that I hold
Repeating the question about the cleansing power of water on hidden secrets.
Will the water roll it all away will it cleanse my aching soul
Repeating the inquiry about water's ability to soothe a troubled soul.
But a man's gotta make it sometime a man's gotta take a stand
Reiterating the importance of taking a stand in life.
Or he'll get left in the Mississippi sand
Reemphasizing the risk of being left behind in the challenging circumstances of the Mississippi sand.
Then me and old Carl we caught him right down by the store
Narrating an encounter with the stranger, Carl, involving physical confrontation.
We choked him just a little bit and held him to the floor
Explaining the physical restraint imposed on the stranger.
We relived him of his pocketbook his blood and other things
Detailing the robbery of the stranger and the end of his malevolence.
Now the Mississippi man's no longer mean
Declaring the transformation of the Mississippi man after the confrontation.
Will the water roll it all way this secret that I hold
Repeating the question about the erasure of a hidden burden by water.
Will the water roll it all away will it cleanse my aching soul
Repeating the inquiry about water's potential to cleanse a tormented soul.
But a man's gotta make it sometime a man's gotta take a stand
Reiterating the importance of making a stand in one's life journey.
Or he'll get left in the Mississippi sand
Reemphasizing the risk of being left behind in the challenging circumstances of the Mississippi sand.
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