Taneytown

I went down to Taneytown
I went down to Taneytown
To see what I could see
My mama told me never go
I'm damn near 22 years old
Sometimes I fear this holler swollow me
She ran off to Gettysburg
Went off with that new boy of hers
I snuck off after dark
It's long way down the county road
Stars were bright
And the moon was low
Down to where the black top highway starts

I went down to Taneytown
I went down to Taneytown
I went down to see what I could see

Now everybody stared at me
You'd think that they ain't never seen
A colored boy before
They chunked at me at me
And they called me names
They'd have whipped me sure but the sheriff came
I slipped off, ran through the dry goods store
I ran down Division Street
Some of them boys followed me
Down to the railroad track
Well, there's four of them and I can't fight
But I got my old Randall knife
I cut that boy and I never did look back

I went down to Taneytown
I went down to Taneytown
I went down to see what I could see

Cross the fields and woods I run
Like a bullet from a rabbit gun
Back home to my bed
Ma came in from Gettysburg
Her and that new boy of hers
"Boy you look like hell" was all she said

Month went by without a word
Somebody down the holler heard
About that boy they hung
He begged those men to spare his life
But I dropped my bloody Randall knife
He picked it up so they thought he was the one

I went down to Taneytown
I went down to Taneytown
I ain't goin' back there anymore