D 
About three miles from the Batelle yard 
                          G 
From the reverse curve on down 
                     D 
Not far south of the town depot 
G                    Bm 
Sullivan's shack was found 
A                  D 
Back on the higher ground. 
 

D 
You could see him every day 
                      G 
Just walking down the line 
                         D 
With his old brown sack across his back 
        G                Bm 
And his long hair down behind 
A                    D 
Speaking his worried mind. 
 

            D 
cho: It's a long way to the delta 
              G 
     From the North Georgia hills 
                         D 
     A tote sack full of ginseng 
                             G  G7 
     Won't pay no travelling bills 
          C              D 
     Now, I'm too old to ride the rails 
        Em             A 
     Or thumb the road alone 
          D                G               D 
     So I guess I'll never make it back to home 
     D              G           A     D 
     My muddy water Mississippi delta home. 
 

D 
The winters here, they get too cold 
                     G 
The damp it makes me ill 
                          D 
Can't dig no roots in the mountain side 
         G                     Bm 
With the ground froze hard and still 
      A                       D 
Gotta stay at the foot of the hill. 
D 
But next summer, things turn right 
                       G 
The companies will pay high 
                          D 
I'll make enough money to pay my bills 
G                       Bm 
Bid these mountains goodbye 
A                   D 
Then he said with a sigh: 
 
{chorus}