Taneytown

[Chorus]

I went down to Taneytown

I went down to Taneytown

To see what I could see

[Verse 1]

My mama told me never go

I'm damn near 22 years old

Sometimes I fear this holler swallow me

She ran off to Gettysburg

Went off with that new beau of hers

I snuck off after dark

It's a long way down the county road

The stars were bright and the moon was low

Down to where the blacktop highway starts

[Chorus]

I went down to Taneytown

I went down to Taneytown

I went down to see what I could see

[Verse 2]

Now everybody stared at me

You'd think that they ain't never seen

A colored boy before

Well, they chunked at me and they called me names

They'd have whipped me sure, but the sheriff came

I slipped off, ran through the dry goods store

I ran down Division Street

Some of them boys followed me

Down to the railroad track

There was four of them and I can't fight

But I got my old Randall knife

I cut that boy and I never did look back

[Chorus]

I went down to Taneytown

I went down to Taneytown

I went down to see what I could see

[Verse 3]

Across the fields and woods, I run

Like a bullet from a rabbit gun

Back home to my bed

Now Ma came in from Gettysburg

? that new beau of hers

"Boy, you look like hell," is all she said

A month went by without a word

Somebody down the holler heard

About that boy they hung

He begged those men to spare his life

But I dropped my bloody Randall knife

He picked it up, so they thought he was the one

[Chorus]

I went down to Taneytown

I went down to Taneytown

I ain't going back there anymore