• Tennessee Jed
    Lyrics By:
    Music By:

    Cold iron shackles, ball and chain
    Listen to the whistle of the evening 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
    Well you know it's like I said
    You better head back to Tennessee Jed

    Chorus Tennessee, Tennessee
    There ain't no place I'd rather be
    Baby won't you carry me
    Back to Tennessee

     

    Drank all day and rock all night
    The law come to get you if you don't walk right
    Got a letter this morning, baby, and all it read
    You better head back to Tennessee Jed

    I dropped four flights and cracked my spine
    Buddy come quick with the iodine
    Catch a few winks, baby, under the bed
    Then you head back to Tennessee Jed

    I ran into Charlie Phogg (note 1)
    Blacked my eye and he kicked my dog
    My doggie turned to me and he said
    Let's head back to Tennessee Jed

    I woke up feeling mean
    I went down to play the slot machine
    The wheels turned around and the letters read
    You better head back to Tennessee Jed

    (1) "Phogg" is the spelling in Hunter's lyric collection "Box Of Rain", though the songbooks spell it "Fog"

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(1) "Phogg" is the spelling in Hunter's lyric collection "Box Of Rain", though the songbooks spell it "Fog"

Lyrics By
Robert Hunter
Music By
Jerry Garcia
Lyrics

Cold iron shackles, ball and chain
Listen to the whistle of the evening 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
Well you know it's like I said
You better head back to Tennessee Jed

Chorus Tennessee, Tennessee
There ain't no place I'd rather be
Baby won't you carry me
Back to Tennessee

 

Drank all day and rock all night
The law come to get you if you don't walk right
Got a letter this morning, baby, and all it read
You better head back to Tennessee Jed

I dropped four flights and cracked my spine
Buddy come quick with the iodine
Catch a few winks, baby, under the bed
Then you head back to Tennessee Jed

I ran into Charlie Phogg (note 1)
Blacked my eye and he kicked my dog
My doggie turned to me and he said
Let's head back to Tennessee Jed

I woke up feeling mean
I went down to play the slot machine
The wheels turned around and the letters read
You better head back to Tennessee Jed