Carlos and Carmen Vidal just had a child
A lovely girl with a crooked smile
Now they gotta split 'cause the Bronx ain't fit
For a kid to grow up in
Let's find a place they say, somewhere far away
With no blacks, no Jews and no gays
Chorus:
There but for the grace of God go I
Poppy and the family left the dirty streets
To find a quiet place overseas
And year after year the kid has to hear
The do's the don'ts and the dears
And when she's ten years old she digs that rock 'n' roll
But Poppy bans it from home
Chorus
Baby, she turns out to be a natural freak
Popping pills and smoking weed
And when she's sweet sixteen she packs her things and leaves
With a man she met on the street
Carmen starts to bawl, bangs her head to the wall
Too much love is worse than none at all
Chorus
Looky looky yonder
Looky looky yonder
Where the sun done gone.
The cap'in' (captain) can't hold 'em (him or them)
Cap'in' can't hold 'em
Cap'in' can't hold 'em
The way I do.
Yes Addie gotta gold mine
Addie gotta gold mine
Addie gotta gold mine
Way above her knee.
Looky looky yonder
Looky looky yonder
Looky looky yonder
Where the sun done gone.
[I's just] walking
[I's just] walking
[I's just] walking
All day long.
[She's] been talking
[She's] been talking
[She's] been talking
Babe, all day long.
Looky looky yonder
Looky looky yonder
Looky looky yonder
Where the sun done gone.
Oh Black Betty, Bam da lam
Oh Black Betty, Bam da lam
Black Betty had a baby, Bam da lam
Black Betty had a baby, Bam da lam
Damn thing gone crazy, Bam da lam
Damn thing gone crazy, Bam da lam
Oh Black Betty, Bam da lam
Oh Black Betty, Bam da lam
Oh baby Black Betty, Bam da lam
Oh baby Black Betty, Bam da lam
Black Betty had a baby, Bam da lam
Black Betty had a baby, Bam da lam
Damn thing gone crazy, Bam da lam
Damn thing gone crazy, Bam da lam
Baby wasn't none of mine, Bam da lam
Baby wasn't none of mine, Bam da lam
Damn thing gone blind, Bam da lam
Damn thing gone blind, Bam da lam
Yeah Black Betty, Bam da lam
Whoa Black Betty, Bam da lam
Black Betty, Black Betty, Bam da lam
Black Betty, Black Betty, Bam da lam
Looky here, Black Betty, Bam da lam
Looky here, Black Betty, Bam da lam
Jump steady, Black Betty, Bam da lam
Jump steady, Black Betty, Bam da lam
Last Monday, baby I was arrested
[Lawd (Lord), lawd, lawd]
On Tuesday, I was locked up in jail
[Lawd, lawd, lawd]
On Wednesday, my child was attested
[Lawd, lawd]
On Thursday, [nobody's gonna call my bail,] here's some mo'
Almost done, here's some mo'(more)
Almost done, here's some mo'
Almost done, [Lawd, lawd]
And I ain't gonna, ain't done, [ya'll don't gimme no bail]
[Lawd, lawd, lawd, lawd]
Last Monday, baby I went a'walking
[Lawd, lawd]
On Tuesday, I shot me a'dog
[Lawd, lawd, lawd]
On Wednesday, we was sittin' down a'talking
[Lawd, lawd]
On Thursday, she pawned all of my clothes
[Lawd, lawd, lawd]