Oh, there isn't any water
There isn't any water
There isn't any water in the well

Oh, the ground is mighty dry
Not a cloud up in the sky
There ain't no water in the well

Bone dry, bone dry
Everything at home is bone dry
Dry as a bone (Bone dry)
Dry as a bone (Bone dry)
Everything at home is bone dry

Take a bucket down the road, take a bucket down the road
A bucket down the road, little Nell
Go ahead, my little daughter
Try to steal the neighbor's water
'Cause there ain't no water in the well

Bone dry, bone dry
Everything at home is bone dry
Dry as a bone (Bone dry)
Dry as a bone (Bone dry)
Everything at home is bone dry
Oh, there ain't no use in tryin', there ain't no use in tryin'
There ain't no use in tryin', little Nell
There ain't no use in tryin'
I hear the neighbors cryin'
'Cause there ain't no water in the well

Bone dry, bone dry
Everything at home is bone dry
Dry as a bone (Bone dry)
Dry as a bone (Bone dry)
Everything at home is dry as a bone (Bone dry)

[Instrumental Break]

We better start a-prayin', we better start a-prayin'
We better start a-prayin', little Nell
Oh, we better start a-prayin' for the Lord to start a-rainin'
There ain't no water in the well

Bone dry, bone dry
Everything at home is bone dry
Dry as a bone (Bone dry)
Dry as a bone (Bone dry)
Everything at home is bone dry

Bone, bone dry
Bone, bone dry
Everything at home is bone, bone dry