Ballad Of Spider John

Lyrics

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 story's 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  
  
You can tell her that ol' Spider got tangled  
In the black web that he spun