When I was a boy there were fifteen a-people in the world Fifteen a-bound for heaven, and fifteen a-bound for hell And the devil come 'round, yeah he jump on my bed Say you got to leave me alone you got to give me some rest But I F gather my lead, and I gather my spool And I F burn it all with sulphur 'til the devil did what we feared And we fly through the night, under the mercury moon So I could watch you sleep and dream a-in your room When I was a boy, a-there were fifteen people in the world I had a bowl for my sweetheart, and a fiddle to raise the devil from hell I could play a swwet tune, or make my sweetheart laugh I could shake a blackbird from the highest tree branch I was half a boy, I was half a Jack Jimmy? Donner? was full of man, most of which is bad You know he shot a man that had my father's face And he geld a woman down who had my sister's name When I was a boy, a-there were fifteen people in the world And the lovers would lie in the long tall grass by the railroad track And the Angels come down, they make the rails to sing I put my ears to the tracks, and they tell me things That a train would come with a fiery roar Reeks in heaven into hell into a long black trail of smoke And the earth would shake with the escaping steam And the train would make a thunder to drown out any scream Hmmm, hmmm Hmmm, hmmm Hmmm, hmmm Hmmm, hmmm When I was a boy, a-there were a-fifteen people in the world A-fifteen bound for heaven, and fifteen bound for hell And the lovers would lie in a box o' pine And the doctor come 'round, to flick coins on their eyes I'm a preacher man now, I've got my place on Earth 'Cause I have heard the voices from beyond this world I'm a preacher man now, I've got my place in hell 'Cause I have heard the voices no man should live to tell 'Cause I have heard the voices no man should live to tell huh-huh, huh-huh huh-huh, huh-huh huh-huh, huh-huh huh-huh, huh-huh huh-huh, huh-huh huh-huh, huh-huh huh-huh, huh-huh huh-huh, huh-huh