I'll Be Gone
Lightnin' Hopkins Lyrics

Once in the country there was a little boy; every morning that he would go to the table with his little two sisters and brothers, you know, he would go there, he couldn't talk but his mother didn't know what was wrong with him so... she would go to the table in the morning, she would fix for breakfast, she'd fix toast and coffee, enough, coffee for the tin, toast for the eggs for the church, then she would ask and say, what you want this morning?
In the countryside, there was a little boy who had two sisters and brothers. Though he couldn't speak well, he would go to the table every morning with them. His mother would fix breakfast which included toast and coffee, enough for the churchgoers too. Then she would ask him and his siblings what they would like to have for breakfast.

Oh mama, toast and milk, you know things like that you know. But the little old boy he couldn't talk good, so she asked him say what you want son? Said sa-sa-a I want-t t-t-t- She said Hush. Say I tell you what to do. You just hush, I just go bring you what I bring the rest of 'em, cause one of these days I'm gonna learn you how to talk.
The boy would usually ask for toast and milk. However, he was unable to speak properly and when his mother asked him what he wanted, he stuttered. His mother asked him to be quiet and promised to get him what she got for his siblings. She also promised to teach him how to speak properly in the future.

She goin' back and she fixes, the next morning same thing. So what would you children want this morning? Butter 'n toast mama. Get around to the little old boy, say What you want? He say, bu-bu-bu- bu-bu-bu... she say Lord, have mercy, that's what mama said and she walked away, say wonder what's wrong with my child?
The next morning, his mother asked him and his siblings what they wanted for breakfast again. When it came to the boy's turn, he stuttered again. His mother was worried and walked away saying she wondered what was wrong with him.

He heard her. But you know the little boy couldn't do no better. So after he'd find out that mama couldn't understand him, and he couldn't understand the way his mama was doin' him, he packed up his little flower sack, and he decide that he would leave.
The boy heard his mother's concern, but since she couldn't understand him, and he couldn't grasp what she was doing, he decided to leave. So he packed his things and left.

So when he left, on his way, he run up on a old rollin' mill, what they call Mister Charlie's. So he walked up to mister Charlie, mister Charlie was workin' round in his rose bushes 'n things... so he taps him: mi-mi-mi... say Mister! But he didn't know his name that time.
On his journey, he stumbled upon an old rolling mill known as Mister Charlie's. He saw Mister Charlie working around his garden and went up to him attempting to say his name, but couldn't since he didn't know it yet.

The man straightened up and said my name is mister Charlie. He say mi-mi-ch-ch-ch-ch- He said but boy I ain't got to fool with you, you can't work. He said, me-me can work!
When Mister Charlie introduced himself, the boy once again stuttered while trying to say his name. Mister Charlie told the boy that he couldn't work, but the boy insisted that he could.

So the man went on workin' and he'd tap him again. He said me-me-me wanna home. He said look, boy, I've got a old bunk house out in the back, said and if you promise me that you will stay in this bunk house, and watch my mill, and keep the fire from burning my mill down, say I live two blocks up the road, say and if you see the mill's on fire, say you run up and tell me the mill's on fire, you got a home and meal as long as I've got it. Ta-ta-ta-ta-thank you mister Charlie. So the little old boy went to bunkin' that night.
The boy asked Mister Charlie for some work and a place to stay, so Mister Charlie offered him to stay in his bunkhouse in exchange for watching his mill and keeping it from burning down. Mister Charlie promised to provide him with food and shelter as long as he needed them if he followed the agreed terms.

Sho' enough, late one Sunday morning, mister Charlie's mill caught on fire. Which he'd forgot about what he had told the little boy. The little boy run up to him, he was cleaning out his front yard, makin' it beautiful with them rose bushes, you know with them red rose bushes you know how to keep 'em red those rose bushes, and the little boy run up there, tapped him on his back, and he raised up and said Hey son, why here's you again.
One Sunday morning, Mister Charlie's mill caught on fire, and he had forgotten about the boy's duty to keep watch. While he was cleaning his garden, the boy ran up to him, tapped him on his back, and told him that the mill was on fire. Mistaking the boy for a stranger, Mister Charlie exclaimed that he had seen the boy before.

Ye-ye-ye-ye-ye-ye-ye and he was pointing back toward the mill, tryin' to tell him his rollin' mill was on fire. So mister Charlie said, I ain't got time to fool with you. So the little boy stuttered too bad for him to understand. So mister Charlie stooped over him again, he pat him on the back, said ye-ye-ye-ye-your ro-ro- he said Wait a minute.
The boy was pointing back to the mill, trying to convey that it was on fire. But since he stuttered too much, Mister Charlie was unable to understand him. So Mister Charlie stooped down and patted the boy's back asking him to wait a minute.

He said, if you can't talk you must sing, and he hollered:(sings) Whooooooooa mister Charlie Do you know your rolling mill is burnin' down? Mister Charlie Mister Charlie said if you ain't got no water boy Just let that old mill burn on down
Mister Charlie, unable to understand the boy's stuttering, told him to sing instead. The boy sang a song asking Mister Charlie if he knew that his rolling mill was burning down. Mister Charlie replied that if the boy didn't have any water, he should just let the mill burn down.

Little boy was lonesome, he walked off and cried, he said-- (guitar solo) He walked back and he said it one more time I won't have no place to stay
Feeling lonely, the boy walked away and cried. Later, he returned and told Mister Charlie once more that he wouldn't have a place to stay.

Mister Charlie said Boy, you'll have a home with me Just as long as there is a day Little boy sighed and he tell it one more time He hollered at him:
Assuring the boy that he would have a home with him as long as Mister Charlie was alive, Mister Charlie convinced the boy to stay with him. The boy then shouted once more at Mister Charlie.