it's gonna swallow me whole
the ground'll open up and in I'll fall
down down down

mama set me up with a fine young thing
and he was gonna buy me everything
but he grabbed the hook and took out for deep water
and pretty soon that fish - he pulled me in

it's gonna follow me home
somewhere in the shadows there's a place for me
in the cold cold ground

trouble's right behind me there's hard times ahead
the devil's got his hammer he's poundin' on my bed
lost most my money I'm on my last hand
I'm knockin' at hell's door with no weapon and no plan
feelin' kinda timid like an egg without a shell
but if I've been just bluffing I ain't gonna tell

it's gonna swallow me whole
the ground'll open up and in I'll fall
papa set me up with a sharp-eyed boy
and I was gonna have him for my toy
but he stole my heart and took out for deep water
and pretty soon that shark - he pulled me in

sky's full of lightning the wind's spitting sand
sun burning oh so hot it gave the earth a tan
the fish have all stopped jumping the bedbugs are asleep
I'll lay myself beside you and pray my soul to keep
I wish I had a needle as fine as I could sew
I'd stitch my baby to my side and down the road we'd go

my shovel struck sorrow and the tears came running down
my shovel struck sorrow and the tears came running down
my shovel struck sorrow and the tears came running down
my shovel struck sorrow and the tears came running down

little fishes in the brook
papa catch them with a hook
brother clean it like a man