Went out last night just to take a little round
I get my little Sadie and I brought her down
I run right home and I went to bed
With a forty-four smokeless under my head.

Went out last night just to take a little round
I get my little Sadie and I brought her down
I run right home and I went to bed
With a forty-four smokeless under my head.

I begin to think of what a deed I'd done
I grabbed my hat and I began to run
I made a good run but I ran too slow
They overtake me down in Jericho.

Standing on a corner as he's ringing my bell
Up stepped the sherrif of Thomasville
He said, "Young man, is you name Brown ?
Remember you blowed little Sadie down ?".

"Oh yes sir, my name is Lee
I murdered little Sadie in first degree"
"First degree and second degree
If you've got any papers, will you serve 'em to me ?".

Well they took me downtown and they dressed me in black
They put me on a train and they sent me back
I had no one for to go my bail
They crammed me back into the crowded jail

Well, 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 the stripes