mama gets high when a good man in the morning gives her tea and takes her milk and apple pie mama don t cry when a main man is gone and has left her with that sweet ol bye and bye mama couldn t pay the rent the price of booze no cheaper lonely nights are often spent in billiard halls and bar room brawls mama gets by but her men find her saying you re good but you ain t like you used to be mama don t cry when it s dues that she s paying it s him she s waiting by that door to see turn your light down low woman mama mama oooh mama mama mama still remembers his eyes like a road map of new york city she always had forgiven his lies she loved that man and then he ran i tell you mama gets high when a good man in the morning gives her tea and takes her milk and apple pie mama don t cry when a main man is gone and has left her with that sweet ol bye and bye hi mama i think i d better say just one more time bayou by bayou by bayou by bayou by bayou by bayou by bayou by bayou by oh bye bye