Hear this song I composed 'bout Mr Hughes's town
Better known as Shreveport, Louisiana
My mama didn't want me to go to Tom Hughes's town
But I wanted to go all my life
She said something might happen to me
And I wanted to go down on Fannin Street
You couldn't go down there with long short pants on
You had to put on long pants
And she wouldn't know where I was going
But I stepped outdoors
And here's what I said to my mama

Follow me down
Follow me down
Follow me down by
Mr. Tom Hughes' town

When I walked out
Mama run and caught me by the arm
My mama told me
She said, "Women in Shreveport
Gonna be the death of you"

I told my mama
"Mama, you don't know
Women in Shreveport kill me
Why don't you let me go?"
She went away from me crying
With her hands behind her

I go to my mama and I fall down on my knees
Hear what I told my mama
You're my mama, down on my knees
Crying "Oh Lordy mama, will you forgive me please"

I wanted my mama to know
What side of the town I was running on
So you wouldn't be worried
About me when I leave home

I got a woman [?]
She been sitting down [?]

She come in at nine, I give her advice
Been sitting down gambling with Buffalo Bill
[?]

She fell over and she come crying
Hear what she said

This here's the last verse
I want everybody to know composed this song
So you know what to tell them when I'm gone
Anybody that ask you who composed this song
Tell them Huddie Ledbetter done it here and gone