(Traditional)
Gaslight Café, New York City, New York, October 1962
Bob Dylan (guitar, harmonica, vocal)
Motherless children run a hard road
when your mother is dead.
Motherless children run a hard road
when your mother is dead.
Motherless children run a hard road
a hard road, a hard road.
Motherless children run a hard road
when your mother is dead.
Your father will do the best he can
when your mother is dead.
Your father will do the best he can
when your mother is dead.
Your father will do the best he can
but he just does not understand.
Motherless children run a hard road
when your mother is dead.
As some people say your sister might do
when your mother is dead.
As some people say your sister might do
when your mother is dead.
Some people say your sister will do,
as soon as she's married, she'll turn her back on you.
Motherless children run a hard road
when your mother is dead.
You can dig my grave with a bloody spade
when I'm dead.
You can dig my grave with a bloody spade
when I'm dead.
You can dig my grave with a bloody spade,
see that my digger gets well paid.
Motherless children run a hard road
when your mother is dead.
Jesus won't be no mother to you
when your mother is dead.
Jesus won't be no mother to you
when your mother is dead.
Jesus won't be no mother to you,
his trials and privilations won't see you through.
Motherless children run a hard road
when your mother is dead.