Mammie

Mammie delivered me into this world

Mammie watched my mama die at my birth

And Mammie she loved me she took me to raise

Mammie was all I had on this earth

Let's get in the firewood, I'd hear Mammie say

Let's go to the spring before it gets dark

And you do up the dishes while the water's still hot

And don't throw that dishwater out in the yard

Oh Mammie taught me how to sing a song

She taught me to play her old guitar

And at night before bedtime we'd sing for hours

As the teakettle whistled along on the fire

And at night as I laid alone in my bed

I'd hear Mammie praying and each night she said

Oh dear God help me raise her to know right from wrong

And I pray she'll do right even after I 'm gone

I'd wait until Mammie had fallen asleep

Then out of my window I'd quietly sneak

And I'd wait by the mill pond according to plans

And there in the darkness I'd meet a man

Oh it's not that I wanted to bring Mammie shame

I just couldn't control wild blood in my veins

They tell me my mama could not name my dad

So I guess it was natural for me to be bad

One night I awoke at the sound of my name

Come quickly, I heard Mammie cry

She said you be good and I told her I would and

That night I watched as my Mammie died

All I have now are the memories of Mammie

And the goodness that loving her brought me

Although she is gone in my heart she lives on

And I know how much good she taught me

Ah Mammie, I'm being good Mammie ...