Woke up this morning heard the whistle blow
The jailor said come boy it's time to go

Big midnight special shine your light on me
Big midnight special shine your ever loving light on me

I've never had the blues so in my life before
'Til my baby left me at the station door

They put him in a pullman guards around his door
Said you off to Atlanta to serve ten years more

He looked all around him in the pullman car
Saw the men wearing clothe hats smoking big cigars

Took him off in Atlanta at the end of the line
Said you start serving time boy for your awful crime

That whistle makes me lonesome on that midnight train
But he knows I'm a-waiting 'til it brings him home again