Archie Lee’s Blues

I gonna tell ya folkses, ‘bout Archie Lee de brave,
Said I gonna tell ya folkses, ‘bout Archie Lee de brave,
Lawd, he keept on fitin’, till he wuz six feet in his grave.

Now his captain took his babe, en he refused to fite,
Said his captain took his baby, en he refused to fite,
Ya knows a man wud fite only when he’s treated rite.

Now he thinkin’ ‘bout his babe behine dat lonesome hill,
Said he thinkin’ ‘bout his babe behine dat lonesome hill,
Lawd, he wuz almighty, but done nuffin ‘gainst his captain’s will.

Now Archie Lee had a frien’, knowed him evuh since he wuz a chile,
Said Archie Lee, he had a frien’, knowed him evuh since he wuz a chile,
Well, his name ‘t wuz Peter Lee, en he wuz young en wilde.

Now Peter Lee said “Please, Archie Lee, I want you to please gimme yo’ 44 gun”,
Said “Please Archie Lee, I want you to please gimme yo’ 44 gun,
Well, de Trojans gonna b’live I’m you, en den de war’ll be done.”

Now he took de gun, en went to fite dat gang uh Troy,
He took de gun, en went to fite de doggone gang uh Troy,
Lawd, but Hector he done seed ‘im, en kill de poo’ boy.

Now Archie Lee wuz angry, said “I lost mah frien’ en gun”,
Archie Lee he wuz angry, said “I lost mah frien’ en gun”,
Well, I gonna fite dat doggone gang uh Troy, Lawd, till de risin’ sun.”

He bought himself a pistol, en Lawd, he got some dynamite,
Said he bought himself a pistol, en den he got some dynamite,
Oh, looky heah folkses, his pistol’s shinin’ brite.

Now he went to fite dat Hector a-bout de break uh day,
Said he went to fite dat no good Hector a-bout de break uh day,
Lawd, en dey kept fitin’, from January ti may.

Now late one evnin’, Archie Lee’s lead took Hecta’s life,
Said it wuz late one evnin’, when Archie Lee’s lead took Hecta’s life,
Lawd, ya cud hear de moanin’ uh his mom en wife.

Now Archie Lee took Hecta’s body, tied it up by his T-Model Ford,
Said Archie Lee took Hecta’s body, tied him up by his T-Model Ford,
Well, he dragged it all ovuh town, have mercy on him, mah Lawd.

Now Hecta’s fadduh, he wuz a nice ole gentle man,
Said captain Priamus, he wuz a nice ole gentle man,
Lawd, he went to see Archie Lee, although he knowed he wuz raised in a lion’s den.

He said, “Please, Archie Lee, I want you to please gimme back mah son,
Lawd, Archie Lee, I want you to please gimme back mah son,
Ya knows, mah life it’s ovuh, since he’s dead en gone.”