Death Letter Blues, Pt. 1

Yes they wrote me a letter, what do you reckon it read? Yes they wrote me a letter, what do you reckon it read? Come home big papa, your lovin' baby's dead "Spoken": Sure enough he goes to the graveyard He goes back home. He goes to his friend When he got that letter, he goes to the depot And he catch the longest train he seen And he didn't stop at no short stop He read somethin', got it in the heart And when he got home here with his, told his mama Yes I went to the depot, (cause the train to fly?) I went to the depot, caught the train (up long?) When he walks in Lord, she was low lay down "Spoken": His Mama met him at the door step Papa run to the bed side, told his daughter and daughter-in-law goodbye My Mama said "Howdy!" Papa said "Goodbye" My Mama said "Howdy!" Papa said "Goodbye" Poor boy couldn't do nothing but, hang his head and cry Poor boy couldn't do nothing but, hang his head and cry "Spoken": He went to the bedside and looked down in the baby's face She didn't know him from nobody else 'cause it's too late When he looked down in her face, here' what he said to his Mama: Yes he went to the bed Lord, looked down in her face Yes he went to the bed Lord, looked down in her face "Lord I love you pretty mama, just can't take your place"