Spider John is my name friend
I'm in between freights and I sure would be obliged
If you'd
share your company
I know this may sound strange to you
But if you wait 'til the song is
sung and the stories told
You might come to understand
Why I'm old and bent and devil's been
runnin' out of time
When I long ago held a royal flush in my hand.
Oh, I was a super
market fool, I was a roll-the-bank, a
stool pigeon,
Robbing my hometown
I thought I'd
lost the blues, yes, I thought I'd paid my dues
I thought I'd found the life to suit my
style
But here I sit ol' Spider John
The robber man
Long, tall and
handsome
Yes, ol' Spider John with the loaded hand
Taking ransom
Then one day I met
Diamond Lil
She was the sweetest thing, I declare,
That the summer breeze ever blown my
way
But, lady, she had no idea my illustrious occupation
She thought I was a saint, not a
sinner gone astray
But you see that word got around and Lily left town
Never saw her
again
Tossin' and turnin', causin' my heart to grieve
Oh, I was a super market fool, I
was roll-the-bank, stool pigeon
Robbing my hometown.
I thought I'd lost my blues, thought
I'd paid my dues
I thought I'd found the life to suit my style.
But here I sit ol' Spider
John,
The robber man
Long, tall and handsome
Yes, ol' Spider John with the loaded
hand
Taking ransom
That is all my story
Been these thirty years since I took to the
road
Find my precious jewel one
If you see my Lily, won't you give her my regards
Tell
her ol' Spider got tangled
In the black web that he spun
