Dirt road, Georgia, childhood days
A sawmill way of life
Where I grew up to love a rich girl
Who could never be my wife
And the roses near their mansion
On a cool, Southern ground
She cut a memory into mine
But I had to leave that town
Dirt poor, backwoods, I was raised
Now the lawman's comin’ 'round
Mama said: I raised a good boy
But he burnt the sawmill down

It's been years since I left Georgia
And I left there on the run
They say her daddy’s still in a rage
Over what I done
But he shot at me for lovin' her
Thought he run me outta town
But I hid until the mornin' light
Then I burned his sawmill down

I still love that long-haired girl
There's a price tag on my head
Her daddy owns the county law
And if I go back there, I'm dead
So I just dream of Southern roses
And miss the love we found
Lord, I wish I'd never been born poor
Or burnt the sawmill down

It's been years since I left Georgia
And I left there on the run
They say her daddy's still in a rage
Over what I done
He shot at me for lovin’ her
Thought he run me outta town
But I hid until the mornin’ light
Then I burned his sawmill down

Dirt poor, backwoods, I was raised
Now the lawman's comin’ 'round
Mama said: I raised a good boy
But he burnt the sawmill down
Mama said: I raised a good boy
But he burnt the sawmill down