I went down to Taneytown I went down to Taneytown To see what I could see My mama told me never go But I'm almost 22 years old Sometimes I fear this holler swollow me She ran off to Gettysburg Went off with that new beau of hers I snuck off after dark Long way down the county road Stars were bright The moon was low Down to where the black top highway starts
Chorus: I went down to Taneytown I went down to Taneytown I went down to see what I could see
I could see everybody stared at me You'd think that they ain't never seen A colored boy before They chunked at me at me Called me names They'd have whipped me sure but the sheriff came I slipped off through the dry goods store I ran down Division Street Some of them boys followed me Down to the railroad track Four of them and I cain't fight But I had my old Randall knife I cut that boy and I never did look back
Chorus
Cross the fields and woods I run Like a bullet from a rabbit gun Back home to my bed Ma came in from Gettysburg Her and that new beau of hers "Boy you look like hell" was all she said
Month went by without a word Somebody down the holler heard About that boy they hung He begged those men to spare his life But I dropped my bloody Randall knife He picked it up so they thought he was the one
I went down to Taneytown I went down to Taneytown I ain't goin' back there anymore.