I was born in Macon Georgia
Kept my daddy over in Macon jail
He told me if you keep your hands clean, yeah
You won't hear them bloodhounds on your trail

Well I fell in with bad companions
Robbed a man, oh up in Tennessee
They caught me way up in Nashville
They locked me up and threw away the key

What'd you do, son?

I washed my hands in muddy water
Washed my hands, oh, but they didn't come clean
Tried to do what my daddy told me, yeah
But I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream

Well, I asked the judge, now when's my time up?
He said son, oh, you know we won't forget
Now, if you try just to keep your hands clean, yeah
We might just make a good man of you yet

Oh, I couldn't wait, well, to get my time up
I broke out, broke out of Nashville jail
I just crossed the state-line of Georgia
Well, well, I can hear those bloodhounds on my trail

What'd you do?

Washed my hands in muddy water
I washed my hands, oh, but they didn't come clean
Tried to do, tried to do like my daddy told me
Yeah, but I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream

Yeah, washed my hands in muddy water
I washed my hands, oh, but they didn't come clean
Tried to do, tried to do like my daddy told me, oh yeah
But I must have washed my hands in a muddy, oh, oh

Yeah, washed my hands in muddy water
I washed my hands, oh, but they didn't come clean
I tried to do, tried to do like my daddy told me
But I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream

Yeah, I washed my hands in the muddy water
Wiped my hands, oh, but they didn't come clean
I tried to do like my daddy told me, oh yeah
But I must have washed my hands in the muddy stream

Yeah, I washed my hands in the muddy water
Washed my hands, oh, but they didn't come clean
Well, I tried to do like my daddy told me, oh yeah
But I must have washed my hands in the muddy stream

Yeah, I washed my hands in the muddy water
Washed my hands, oh, but they didn't come clean
Well, I tried to do, tried like my daddy told me, oh yeah
But I must have washed my hands in the muddy stream, yeah

Washed my hands in the muddy water
Washed my hands, oh, ma-ma-ma-ma, come clean, mu-mu-mu
I tried to do, tried like my daddy told me, yeah lord
But I must have washed my hands in the muddy stream, come on!

Washed my hands in the muddy water
Washed my hands, oh, but they didn't
Well, I tried to do like my daddy told me, oh yeah
But I must have washed my hands in the muddy stream, yeah...


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I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water Lyrics as written by Joe T. Babcock

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I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water [Alternate Take] song meanings
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