Little Sadie ( Bad Lee Brown, East St. Louis Blues, Late One Night, Penitentiary Blues) From Colm Daly
Went out one night to make my rounds,
Met little Sadie and I blowed her down.
I run right home and I went to bed,
A forty-four smokeless under my head.
I began to think what a deed I’d done,
Grabbed my hat and away’d I run;
Made a good run, just a little too slow,
They overtook me in Jericho.
Standin’ on the corner, ringin’ a bell
Up stepped the sheriff from Thomasville;
Says, “Young man, is your name Lee Brown?
Remember the night you blowed Sadie down?”
“Yes, Oh yes, my name is Lee
I murdered little Sadie in the first degree,
First degree and the second degree,
Got any papers, you can read ‘em to me.”
Took me downtown and dressed me in black,
Put me on the train and they sent me back.
Had no one to go my bail,
Crammed me back into the county jail.
Judge and the jury they took their stand,
Judge had his papers in his right hand,
Forty-one days, forty one nights,
Forty-one years to wear the ball and the stripes.
Little Sadie From Freighthoppers. Where’d You Come From, Where’d You Go. Rounder CD 0403. From Doc Watson. Key A. AEAE.
I went out last night, to make a little round,
I met little Sadie and I shot her down.
Then went back home, got into bed,
A forty-four pistol under my head.
I got up next morning, ‘bout half past nine
The coaches and the buggies all waiting in line
The pimps and the gamblers, standing around
They’re gonna carry little Sadie to her burying ground
Break
I got to thinking about what a deed I’d done,
I grabbed my hat and away I run;
I made a good run, but a little too slow,
They overtook me in Jericho.
I was standin’ on a corner, reading a bill
When up stepped the sheriff from Thomasville;
Said, “Young man, aint your name Brown?
Remember the night you shot Sadie down?”
Break
And I said “Yes sir, but my name is Lee
And I shot little Sadie in the first degree,
First degree or the second degree,
If you got any papers, won’t you read ‘em to me.”
And then they took me downtown, and dressed me in black,
They put me on a train and started me back.
All the way back to that Thomasville jail
And I had no money for to go my bail,
Break
Then the judge and the jury they took the stand,
The judge had the papers in his right hand,
Forty-one days, and forty one nights,
Forty-one years to wear the ball and the stripes. (repeat first verse)
Little Sadie From Tommy Jarrell. Rainbow Sign County CD 2725. Key A AEAE
I was out, a making my rounds
I met little Sadie and I shot her down
Shot her down, shot her down
I met little Sadie and I shot her down
I went on home, I went to bed
A forty four pistol under my bed
Under my bed, under my bed
A forty four pistol under my bed
Got up next morning, about half past nine
The hacks and the hearse were getting to form in line
Reporters and the cameras all crowding around
To carry little Sadie to the burying ground
I was a little slow in making my go
The sheriff overtaken me in Jericho
Jericho, Jericho
The sheriff overtaken me in Jericho
Standing on the corner, didn’t mean any harm
Police come up and they got me by the arm
Got me by the arm, got me by the arm
Police come up and they got me by the arm
Say Young masn, is your name Brown
Are you the man shot Sadie down
Shot her down, you shot her down
Shot little Sadie, you shot her down
Yes sir, yes sir my name is Lee
And I shot little Sadie in the first degree
First degree, first degree
I shot little Sadie in the first degree END
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