Midnight Special

By Huddie Ledbetter
Rise Up Singing chapter: Hard Times and Blues, p.102
Verses: C - - - G - - - / D - - - G - ://
Chorus: C - - - G - - - / D - - - - G - - -

Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter was not the author of the song, it seems. I was wondering about that. The Lomax family just credited him when they had him record a version of it for them. It does seem like he added some verses of his own though, so as with a lot of these old American songs, he's one of several authors.

Yonder come miss-a Rosie - How in the world do you know
Well I knows her by her apron and the dress she wore
Umbrella on her shoulder, piece of paper in her hand
Well she's gonna tell the governor, "Please tun a-loose my man"

Chorus:
Let the midnight special shine its light on me
Let the midnight special shine its everloving light on me

When you wake up in the morning, when the ding-dong ring
Go marching to the table, meet the same old thing
Knife and fork are on the table, nothing in my pan
Ever say anything about it, have trouble with the man
...