went out on night to make a little round.
met little sadie and i shot her down.
when back home, jumped into bed.
forty-four pistol under my head.

woke up in the mornin bout half past nine.
the hacks and the buggies standing in line.
gents and gamblers standing around.
taking little sadie to her burying ground.

i began to think of what a deed i'd done.
i grabbed my hat and away i did run.
made a good run, just a little too slow.
they overtook me in jericho.

standing on the corner a-reading a bill.
and up stepped the sheriff from thomasville.
he said, "miss, is your name brown?
remember the night you shot sadie down?"

i said, "oh yes sir but my name is lee.
and i murdered little sadie in the first degree.
first degree and second degree.
got any papers, will you read em to me?"

so they took me downtown and dressed me in black.
put me on a train and started me back.
all the way back to the thomasville jail.
had no money for to go my bail.

the judge and the jury they took their stand.
the judge had the papers in his right hand.
forty-one days, forty-one nights.
forty-one years to wear the ball and stripes.

went out one night to make a little round.
met little sadie and i shot her down.
went back home, jumped into bed.
forty-four pistol under my head.