I remember the time just before the war
Colored man used to hunt him out chips 'n' straw
But now, bless God, old master's dead
Colored man plumb fool about feather bed
Eee-hee, my gal Nancy
Over the road I'm bound to go
I went uptown goin' to shriek and howl
Think I heard my baby cry
Eee-wee-mmm, honey
Oh, Lord, I'm bound to go
Wee-eee-eee, baby
Oh, Lord, I'm bound to go
I went downtown, didn't mean no harm
Police grab me right by my arm
Soon I began to pitch; I began to rear
Feel like strollin' in the air
Ooo-woo-ooo, baby
Over the road I'm bound to go
I went downtown, doin' my best
Find the boys that stole the vest
Went on around 'bout the Court Square
Find the boys that done stole the coat
Hee-hee-eee, baby
Oh Lord, I'm bound to go
Now I knew Joe Louis was in the stand
Had them law books in his hands
I began to pitch, pull out a writ, began to read to me
Said, "Nigga, you been stealin' in the first degree"
Eee-eee-eee, baby
Over the road I'm bound to go
Ev' old Britt and Moses Brown
Said, "I'm going 'cross Cripple Creek, go into town"
Ooo-ooo-ooo, baby
Over the road I'm bound to go
Colored man used to hunt him out chips 'n' straw
But now, bless God, old master's dead
Colored man plumb fool about feather bed
Eee-hee, my gal Nancy
Over the road I'm bound to go
I went uptown goin' to shriek and howl
Think I heard my baby cry
Eee-wee-mmm, honey
Oh, Lord, I'm bound to go
Wee-eee-eee, baby
Oh, Lord, I'm bound to go
I went downtown, didn't mean no harm
Police grab me right by my arm
Soon I began to pitch; I began to rear
Feel like strollin' in the air
Ooo-woo-ooo, baby
Over the road I'm bound to go
I went downtown, doin' my best
Find the boys that stole the vest
Went on around 'bout the Court Square
Find the boys that done stole the coat
Hee-hee-eee, baby
Oh Lord, I'm bound to go
Now I knew Joe Louis was in the stand
Had them law books in his hands
I began to pitch, pull out a writ, began to read to me
Said, "Nigga, you been stealin' in the first degree"
Eee-eee-eee, baby
Over the road I'm bound to go
Ev' old Britt and Moses Brown
Said, "I'm going 'cross Cripple Creek, go into town"
Ooo-ooo-ooo, baby
Over the road I'm bound to go
inviata da Pluck - 24/1/2022 - 10:18
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The lyrics veer quickly from a recollection of life before emancipation (a "Colored man" slept on "chips 'n' straw," while today he sleeps on a feather bed) to a somewhat jumbled account of a trial. In his notes, Smith points out that the lyric "over the road I'm bound to go" is "seldom heard other than in songs dealing with prison." Although it is never explicitly stated in the song that the speaker is found guilty and sent to jail, it may be inferred by the constant refrain "over the road I'm bound to go." It is significant that the next three songs that follow "Feather Bed" all deal with, or make mention of, prisons or jailhouses. For this reason, the first line's comment that "colored man plumb fool about feather bed" may be intended to be ironic, given that the speaker is headed for accommodations that a far from plush.
"Feather Bed" - Cannon's Jug Stompers