Tol' my captain my hands was cold
Set down your hands boy, let the wheeling roll

I asked my captain to give me time
Damned old captain wouldn't pay me no mind

I raised my hand to wipe the sweat off my head
Captain got mad, Lord shot my buddy dead

He kept on walkin' up and down
Buddy laying there dead, Lord
On the burning ground

If I'd a had my weight and line
I'd a whipped that captain
Till he went stone blind

If you don't believe my buddy is dead
Just look at that hole in my buddy's head

The buzzard's circlin' round the sky
Oh that captain sure is bound to die
Sure is bound to die