Words & Music:
Joe Babcock
I was born in Macon Georgia
They kept my daddy over in Macon jail
He told me if you keep your hands clean
You won't hear them bloodhounds on your trail
Well I fell in with bad companions
Robbed a man, oh up in Tennessee
They caught me way up in Nashville
They locked me up and threw away the key
I washed my hands in muddy water
Washed my hands, but they didn't come clean
Tried to do what my daddy told me
But I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream
Well I asked the judge now when's my time up
He said son, oh you know we won't forget
If you try just to keep your hands clean
We might just make a good man of you yet
Oh I couldn't wait to get my time up
I broke out, broke out of Nashville jail
I just crossed the state-line of Georgia
Well I can hear those bloodhounds on my trail
I washed my hands in muddy water
Washed my hands, but they didn't come clean
Tried to do what my daddy told me
But I must have washed my hands in a muddy stream
Recordingdate: 1970/06/07, first released on: Elvis Country (album)
Musicians
Musicians who contributed to the first recording of I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water:
(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(piano)
(organ)
(organ)
(harmonica)
Others*
(percussion)
(french horn)
(trombone)
(trombone)
(trombone)
(trombone)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(cello)
(cello)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
*Orchestra, overdubs
Availability
Find available albums with I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water.
What a rockin' tune!!!Elvis country what an album!!!
yeah, one of these last country rockers done by the man behind the music
wonderful album high above average, putting to shame these men who sent him back to truck drivin' when he appeared at the GOO
A powerful country rock tune that fits in perfection is Elvis Best Album, Elvis Country! It proves that our boy was, when he wanted, a true Rocker!
This is a wonderful performance. Elvis is in great voice, and unlike other performances from the seventies, it´s really exciting.
superb!-Elvis Country released in 1971 was the only "concept album" RCA done concerning thier artist..this song sounds much better on the recent 2 cd deluxe cd by FDT/RCA,.a overdubb version with horns!!-makes this great song even sound better than it did in 1971. 10 out of 10.
Man do I LOVE this song! It's a dramatic and very cinematic song and performance by Elvis. And this thing just builds and builds and when he gets to the line "I broke out, broke out of Nashville jail" it's exhilarating. I can picture a whole movie in my mind with this track....a combination of Jailhouse Rock and Charro (at least in my head). A great song and performance!
great song.elvis must have had a lot of fun recording this song.
The very first time I heard this song was the funny version on the rehearsal from TTWII. After listening to the studio version I went straight back to the rehearsal one. Even if Elvis fools around more than anything with that one I prefer how his TCB band sounds like with the smooth version they play there than the Studio B's...
Good song fron a good LP,apart from the sample song each time "I Was Born A thousand Years Ago" RCA should re-release the album without the sample song after each track.
ah oh yes, another triumph for Elvis, great recording from a great album. pity Elvis did not return to the studio's and record more for a volume 2. He never lost his roots of singing c&w in some shape or form.
Great performance and love the story line, would be fantastic title song for an exciting Western movie. Elvis was superb during those June 70 recordings, producing two fantastic albums TTWII and Country. Four stars for this song.
Another gem by "The King".
What a frenetic, driving, high charged, pulsating performance from Elvis, and the boys lasting from the very first note to the very end - absolutely fanrtastic.
I like the editied version on the Elvis Country LP, but not the unedited version heard on other releases which goes on and on to nowhere.
One of the many gems to appear on the "Elvis Country" LP. 5 stars for the song and 5 stars for the LP.
This is easily one of my most favorite 1970's Elvis songs that Elvis only recorded in the studio. It's a true masterpiece of a record for sure and it should definitely be much better known than it actually is. I've never skipped it.
Hear that piano from David Briggs. He makes Jerry Lee sounds tame. I really like the long version too. The author Joe Babcock did overdub vocals on one track, but not on his own song.
A great rocking song from one hell of an album. This should be evidence enough that Elvis made great music after American sound studio, and that it was Elvis' voice and singing that was the primary reason for good songs, and not the producer.
Great song from the last great Elvis album ever. It was all down hill from here.
A good rockin'/country song, n ot heard it for ages.
Great song and great album. 5 stars.
Downhill? More good was to come, i like the Aloha or Stax recordings as much as this.
Recalling a non Elvis fan, when in the navy,I brought two LP's: One Camden album called This Is Jerry Reed and the original l Elvis Country LP album. The guy listening, loved the Jerry album, he never heard of the guy! But, he had heard of Elvis and was not keen at all! So, time off, we drank beer and played those two albums over and over!
And he fell for this song, so completely we had to do it over, over and over again. Lifting the pick-up back and back and back! I love the extended version of this, reminding me......Days heave become slightly diffeent!
My favourite song. Only Elvis could sing it well and this way. A beautiful country song with fabulous lyric. Man, I can't get enough of this!
Always listen to this one when it comes up on the record or CD. Classic Elvis!
Elvis rocked my world when this came out.
This is just a warm-up exercise. Nothing. Period.
If this is "Classic Elvis" I'm a Monkey's Uncle. Can't believe they actually released an edited version of this on an LP.
kick a×s rock'n'roll with a country feel. This recording blows me away every time I'm playing it, elvis sounds awesome on this track. Five stars, what else.
I love ELVIS seventies so many hidden gems that people who think they know Elvis music but never heard of these songs.Calling ELVIS the king of rock and roll doesn't due ELVIS justice,from GOSPEL to blues and country ELVIS mastered then all so easily.Elvis rocked. ELVIS decline in the seventies is B.S.