I went walkin’
By the blue bayou
And I saw the sun go down.
I thought about old Greeley
And I thought about Lou
And I saw the sun go down.
White man
Makes me work all day
And I work too hard
For too little pay—
Then a white man
Takes my woman away.
I’ll kill old Greeley.
The blue bayou
Turns red as fire.
Put the black man
On a rope
And pull him higher!
I saw the sun go down.
Put him on a rope
And pull him higher!
The blue bayou’s
A pool of fire.
And I saw the sun go down,
Down,
Down,
Lawd I saw the sun go down!