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, oh yeah
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 to get my time up
I broke out, broke out of Nashville jail
I just crossed the state-line of Georgia, yeah
Well, well, I can hear those  bloodhounds on my trail
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 ( tried to do)  what my daddy told me, yeah
But I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream,
Yeah, I washed my hands in muddy water
Washed my hands, oh but they didn't come clean
Tried to do ( tried to do)  what my daddy told me, oh yeah
But I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream, oh, oh
Yeah, 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, oh yeah
But I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream,
Yeah, 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, oh yeah
But I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream,
Yeah, I washed my hands in muddy water
Washed my hands, oh but they didn't come clean
Well, tried to do what my daddy told me, oh yeah
But I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream,
Yeah, I washed my hands in muddy water
Washed my hands, oh but they didn't come clean
Well,tried to do ( tried to do)  what my daddy told me, oh yeah
But I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream,
Yeah, I washed my hands in muddy water
Washed my hands, oh, ma-ma-ma-ma, come clean, mu-mu-mu
Tried to do  what my daddy told me, yeah Lord
But I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream,
Uhhh
I washed my hands in muddy water
Washed my hands, oh but they didn't come clean
Well, tried to do  what my daddy told me, yeah.....
