Mama said when I was young
She told me "Son,
Don't you do like your daddy's done"
Now she's gone
Should a listened to my mama's words

Worked them boats comin outta Natchez
Plied our trade up and down them river banks
I'd set em up for the fall they were gonna be takin
Papa he'd shake em down like a cold hard rain
Yeah papa he'd shake em down like a cold hard rain.

Sixteen years I was holdin my own at the table
Fast with the cards and deadly with a six inch blade
I'd never hold out an ace that wasn't a winner
Hadn't been a man born yet that could read my face
No there hadn't been a man born yet that could read my face.

Mama said to be good
Papa's always have an ace in the palm of his hand
Mama said you have to work
Papa taught me how to live off the fat of the land
Mama she died too young
Papa and me we stayed on the run
Gave up my mama's words for a life on the run
Gave up my mama's words for a life on the run.

Papa set a score to go down in Memphis
Two high rollers lookin for a high stakes game
Somebody said they were good old boys out of Texas
By the time we found out different it was way too late
Yeah by the time we found out it was way too late.

I'd takin the first few hands a bit easy
Should have known something was comin from the way they choked
Papa was fast on the run when the shootin started
I got left hangin out on a damn short rope
Yeah Papa left me hangin out on a damn short rope.

Mama said to be good
Papa always had an ace in the palm of his hand
Mama said you have to work
Papa taught me how to live off the fat of the land
Mama she died too young
Papa and me we stayed on the run
Gave up my mama's words for a life on the run
Gave up my mama's words for a life on the run.

I can hear them church bells ringin but I guess I ain't never gonna see the light
Behind these prison bars I'm livin
Yea'n I'll be thinkin bout Mama's words for the rest of my life
Yeah I'll be thinkin bout Mama's words for the rest of my life
Yeah I'll be thinkin bout Mam's words for the rest of my life.