I was born in Macon, Georgia, met my dad in a Macon jail He said, "Son, if you keep your hands clean You won't have them bloodhounds on your trail" I fell in with bad companions, robbed a man in Tennessee Sheriff caught me way up in Nashville And they locked me up and they threw away the key [Refrain:] I washed my hands in muddy water I washed my hands but they didn't come clean Tried to do what my daddy told me
But I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream I asked the jailer when my time's up, he said, "Son, we won't forget If you try to keep your hands clean We may make a good man of you yet." I couldn't wait to do my sentence, I broke out of the Nashville jail I just crossed the line of Georgia sponsored links And I can hear those bloodhounds on my trail [Refrain 2x]