Well I was born in Macon, Georgia
They kept my Daddy in the Macon jail
He said, "son, if you keep your hands clean
You won't hear those bloodhounds on your trail"

Well I fell in with bad companions
I robbed a man up in Tennessee
They caught me way up in Nashville
They locked me up and threw away the key

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

I asked the jailer, I said "now when's my time up?"
He said "son, no we won't forget
And if you try and just keep your hands clean
We may just make a good man of you yet"

I couldn't wait to get my time in
I broke out, broke out the Nashville jail
I just crossed Atlanta, Georgia
And I can hear those bloodhounds on my trail

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