San Francisco Mabel Joy Lyrics - The Illustrated David Allan Coe: 4 Classic Albums 1977-1979 - David Allan Coe

My daddy was an honest man, just a redneck Georgia farm boy 

My momma spent her short life, raisin' kids and bailin' hay 

And I was just fifteen when I ached inside to wonder 

So I hoped a freight in Waycross and I rode it to L.A. 

Well, I met a girl known on the strip as San Francisco's Maybel Joy 

Destitution's child, born on a L.A. street called Shane 

And sleep came and left this little Waycross Georgia country boy 

Maybel Joy was gone, Lord, I'd never see her again 

Growin' up came quietly in the arms of Maybel Joy 

Laughter found our morning's, brought new meaning to my life 

I woke up one day, Lord to find that I was by myself 

With dreams of Georgia cotton and California wine 

Sunday mornin' found me standin' 'neath the red-light of her door 

Right 'cross sent me reelin', laid me face down on the floor 

In place of Maybel Joy I found a merchant mad marine 

Who said, "Your Georgia neck is red but son you're still green" 

Well, I turned twenty one in gray rock federal prison 

The judge, he had no mercy on this Waycross, Georgia boy 

Sometimes at night in silence, Lord, I'd listen 

That same old freight to take me back to Maybel Joy 

Cold nights had no pity on this Waycross, Georgia farm boy 

Springtime turned to summer and then the winter came 

Starin' at those four gray walls in silence, Lord, I'd listen 

Somewhere in the distance to the whistle of the train 

Sunday morning found me lying 'neath the red light of her door 

With a bullet in my side I cried, "Have you seen Maybel Joy?" 

Stunned and shaken someone said, "Son, she don't live here no more" 

She left this town ten years ago, I heard she's looking for 

Some Georgia farm boy"