I was home, in Macon Georgia
They kept my Daddy, in the Macon jail
He said son, if you keep your hands clean, uh huh
You wont hear those bloodhounds on your trail

I fell in, with bad companions
I robbed a man, up in Tennessee
And I got caught, way up in Nashville, uh huh now
Well they locked me up and threw away the key

I washed my hands, in muddy water
I washed my hands, but they didn't come clean
I tried to do, like my daddy told me, now
I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream

I asked the jailer, I said whens my time up
He said son, you know we wont forget
And if you try and just keep your hands clean, uh huh
Why we may just make a good man of you yet

But I couldn'tt wait, to get my time in
I broke out, out the Nashville jail
I just crossed, Atlanta Georgia, oh now
And I can hear those bloodhounds on my trail

I washed my hands, in muddy water
I washed my hands, but they didn't come clean
I tried to do like, my daddy told me, now
But I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream

I washed my hands, in muddy water
I washed my hands, but they didn't come clean
I tried to do, what my daddy told me, now
But I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream

Oh Lord I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream
I guess I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream.
