take me down to that river bottom boys let me loaf around and take my time let me look at that place where last i saw her face let me sit down and think about my crime lord what i done to that pretty gal of mine well the sheriff he s comin i don t care his blood hounds are sucking up the air they re comin after awhile make me walk that last mile but i ain t gonna cry i m gonna smile cause it made me feel so good to see her dyin take me down to that river bottom boys let me walk along that shady river lane let me stand once again where she took a hundred men where i first felt the squeeze of the chain lord where she used to laugh at me when i s in pain oh that holy angel in her grin and that big ugly devil neath her skin she was shy and she was bold sweet and warm i been told now her hot body s floatin in the cold and her ghost slips among the sugar cane last night i dreamed i was there looking down at her face pale and fair with the red eyes and the sun fish swimmin and weavin all through her long streaming hair oh but take me down to the river bottom boys let me loaf around and take me ease let me sit on that stump where she took that long jump with my clothes line tied around her knees lord her cheatin hands clutching at the breeze where she went straight down to her death with that cussin and whiskey on her breath where them lies of before couldn t help her no more and i laughed just to see her sinking lower just to know i put an end to that disease just to know i d saved men kind from that disease