Haw River

Oh, holy man

Why do you do the things you do?

Oh, holy man

There's a place in Hell for you

Before Alamance was Alamance, white man rolled in with the current

He brought his guns, brought his God, and some brimstone-fire insurance

He took 'em down by the river to pray

But it wasn't their sins he'd take

He said, "Come now, you black-haired sinner

Come down, get your soul delivered

I'll wash you clean by the timber

Follow me down to the Haw River"

One by one, he worked his way till he washed the whole town whiter

Slow and steady, he made his bed, settin' innocence on fire

Mom and Daddy didn't know the game

But the youngest daughter felt the shame

He said, "Come now, you black-haired sinner

Come down, get your soul delivered

I'll wash you clean by the timber

Follow me down to the Haw River"

See, there's a million ways that a sister's rage can end up taking over

She told the holy man, "I wanna wash my hands on a cold night in October"

She took him down by the river to pray

But it wasn't his sins she'd take

She said, "Come now, I'm your black-haired sinner

Come down, get your soul delivered"

Dropped that hammer when she squeezed that trigger

Sent his ass down that Haw River

Oh, holy man

Why do you do the things you do?

Oh, holy man

Now there's a place in Hell for you