Cold iron shackles
|
And ball and chain
|
Listen to the whistle
|
Of the evenin' train
|
|
You know you
|
Bound to wind up dead
|
If you don't head back
|
To Tennessee Jed
|
|
Rich man step on
|
My poor head
|
When you get back
|
You better butter my bread
|
|
You know you
|
Well, it's like I said
|
You better head back
|
To Tennessee Jed
|
|
Tennessee, Tennessee
|
There ain't no place I'd rather be
|
Baby, won't you carry me
|
Back to Tennessee
|
|
I woke up
|
But feelin' mean
|
Went down to play
|
The slot machine
|
|
The wheels turned around
|
Baby, the letters read
|
You better head back
|
To Tennessee Jed
|
|
I dropped four flights
|
And cracked my spine
|
Honey, come quick
|
With the iodine
|
|
Catch a few winks
|
Down, under the bed
|
And then we head back
|
To Tennessee Jed
|
|
Tennessee, Tennessee
|
There ain't no place I'd rather be
|
Baby, won't you carry me
|
Back to Tennessee
|
|
I run into
|
Charlie Fog
|
Blacked my eye
|
And he kicked my dog
|
|
My doggie turned to me
|
And he said
|
"Let's head back
|
To Tennessee Jed"
|
|
Drink all day
|
Baby, rock all night
|
The law come to get you
|
If you don't walk right
|
|
Catch a few winks
|
Down, under the bed
|
Then we head back
|
To Tennessee Jed
|
|
Tennessee, Tennessee
|
There ain't no place I'd rather be
|
Baby, won't you carry me
|
Back to Tennessee
|
|
Tennessee, Tennessee
|
There ain't no place I'd rather be
|
Baby, won't you carry me
|
Back to Tennessee
|
|
-----------------
|
Tennessee Jed
|
| Levon Helm |
