Arlene lays down at the break in the fence
with her back up against the rail,
sick and sore, can't run no more,
and tears fall hot on the trail.
Old Franklin knows not to make no sound,
he lies there cold until
he p***** up his ears, cuz he hears the hounds
trailing the top of the hill.
She hears them, too, she knows they're coming,
and she pulls herself up with a sob,
"They won't catch me, 'til I get plumb
to the top of Baldy k***,
I shot that man, I'll shoot myself,
don't care if they'll think I will.
Come on, old dog, let's take to the woods
and the trail to the top of the hill."
Better run sister, run sister run, [run sister run,] to the top of the hill.
Last night I lay in the Devil's bed,
rolled in the Devil's arms.
Such a pretty boy, I lost my head,
I gave him all of my charms.
I held my pistol to his brow,
I laid him cold and still,
and I took his dog from the cold dark swamp
to dawn at the top of the hill.
Better run sister, run sister run, [run sister run,] to the top of the hill.
Arlene lays back at the top of the track,
'Look down there, old dog,
where the sun shines bright off a tin roof shack,
down in the shimmering bog,
do you see that devil where we left him lyin,
naked, as we flew
See the pretty boy face with one red eye
between two eyes of blue.
Old Franklin whines and he cuts his eyes
at the girl layin on the bank,
'This one last shot,' she says, 'it's mine,
the devil take you Frank,'
Then she stepped to the cliff, the fog whirls round
the bloodhounds following still.
All they found was one more hound,
on the trail at the top of the hill.
Better run sister, run sister run, [run sister run,] to the top of the hill.
with her back up against the rail,
sick and sore, can't run no more,
and tears fall hot on the trail.
Old Franklin knows not to make no sound,
he lies there cold until
he p***** up his ears, cuz he hears the hounds
trailing the top of the hill.
She hears them, too, she knows they're coming,
and she pulls herself up with a sob,
"They won't catch me, 'til I get plumb
to the top of Baldy k***,
I shot that man, I'll shoot myself,
don't care if they'll think I will.
Come on, old dog, let's take to the woods
and the trail to the top of the hill."
Better run sister, run sister run, [run sister run,] to the top of the hill.
Last night I lay in the Devil's bed,
rolled in the Devil's arms.
Such a pretty boy, I lost my head,
I gave him all of my charms.
I held my pistol to his brow,
I laid him cold and still,
and I took his dog from the cold dark swamp
to dawn at the top of the hill.
Better run sister, run sister run, [run sister run,] to the top of the hill.
Arlene lays back at the top of the track,
'Look down there, old dog,
where the sun shines bright off a tin roof shack,
down in the shimmering bog,
do you see that devil where we left him lyin,
naked, as we flew
See the pretty boy face with one red eye
between two eyes of blue.
Old Franklin whines and he cuts his eyes
at the girl layin on the bank,
'This one last shot,' she says, 'it's mine,
the devil take you Frank,'
Then she stepped to the cliff, the fog whirls round
the bloodhounds following still.
All they found was one more hound,
on the trail at the top of the hill.
Better run sister, run sister run, [run sister run,] to the top of the hill.