"Haw River" lyrics

Oh, holy man
Why do you do the things you do?
Oh, holy man
There's a place in Hell for you

Before Alamance was Alamance, white man rolled in with the current
He brought his guns, brought his God, and some brimstone-fire insurance
He took 'em down by the river to pray
But it wasn't their sins he'd take

He said, "Come now, you black-haired sinner
Come down, get your soul delivered
I'll wash you clean by the timber
Follow me down to the Haw River"

One by one, he worked his way till he washed the whole town whiter
Slow and steady, he made his bed, settin' innocence on fire
Mom and Daddy didn't know the game
But the youngest daughter felt the shame

He said, "Come now, you black-haired sinner
Come down, get your soul delivered
I'll wash you clean by the timber
Follow me down to the Haw River"

See there's a million ways that a sister's rage can end up taking over
She told the holy man, "I wanna wash my hands on a cold night in October"
She took him down by the river to pray
But it wasn't his sins she'd take

She said, "Come now, I'm your black-haired sinner
Come down, get your soul delivered"
Dropped that hammer when she squeezed that trigger
Sent his ass down that Haw River

Oh, holy man
Why do you do the things you do?
Oh, holy man
Now there's a place in Hell for you