i was born on a levy a little bit south of montgomery mama worked at the big house and daddy he worked for the county i never had no learnin until i turned 16 when joe henry come up the river y all law made a woman out of me lord he made a woman outta me i used to tease joe henry i guess i teased to hard and one day it all happened right in my own backyard joe henry had his way he wouldn t set me free i m hear to tell everybody that the man made a woman outta me lord he made a woman outta me when i think back to that day so long ago i get a little feelin on my mind even though it hurt me there s one thing i know when he left he left him a woman behind when i meet another young man wantin to love and run my mind goes back to joe henry james and a heck of a job he done ain t no other man let me down you see i been set free ever since way back yonder when joe made a woman outta me lord he made a woman outta me lord he made a woman outta me joe made a woman outta me lord he made a woman outta me joe made a woman outta me lord he made a woman outta me