COTTON MILL MAN
(Written by Langston)
Jim and Jesse


I was born in the shadow
Of a cotton mill smoke stack
Down in Alabama's bottom land
Where my grand pappy broke his back
Pullin' on a cotton sack
To raise my pa to be a cotton mill man

I've got lots of memories
Government commodities
Probably need payment again

While the boss man on the hill
Bought his stake and then the field
Called up on to clean his mill
The cotton mill man

Lord don't let my son grow up
To be a sweaty cotton mill man

I grew up in the gloom
Of a cotton mill weave room
With weaver's gluin' calluses
All over my hands

I didn't have a honeymoon
I couldn't leave my cotton loom
I swore my son would never
Be a cotton mill man

I watched my woman cry
When our baby daughter died
Why the doctor never came
We lacked the money but the fame
And I cussed the day
I became a cotton mill man

Lord, don't let my son grow up
To be a sweaty cotton mill man

The company taught us all the rules
On how to work with spinnin' spools
So the bosses son could drive a big black sedan
The company owned the houses
And the company owned the grammar school
You'll never see an educated cotton mill man

They figure you don't need to learn
Anything without you earn
The money that you pay a phone ammends
To the general store they own
Or else they'll take away your home
And give it to some other only cotton mill man

Lord, don't let my son grow up
To be a sweaty cotton mill man

Lord, don't let my son grow up
To be a sweaty cotton mill man



(Transcribed by Carlene Bogle - 2002)