Now the Georgia courtroom
Was crowded
Ellie May took the stand
She was accusing the Reverend Joe Henry
Of bein' a no good preachin' man
Yes she was
She said
The Reverend partook of my lovely body
The Reverend said Judge she lied
The judge said listen I’ll do the talkin'
And the court's gonna justify
Yes they will
Well the prosecutin' attorney
Started pacin' the floor
Sweatin' and makin' threats
The fella sittin' next to me said
I know that preacher's guilty
And they ain't even tried him yet
I said Son
The Reverend Joe Henry's a good man
And he preached all over the bottom land
He spoke so a child could understand
There oughta be a whole lot more good folks
Like the Reverend Joe Henry
A preachin' in the bottom land
Well the judge called the court to order
Said defense will ya state your case
That defense lawyer walked to the jury box
Had a stern look on his face
One by one he pointed to the jury
Said
The Reverend picked cotton by your side
He blessed your children
The day they was born
And he cried when your mama died
I seen him oh oh Lord God
Somebody cussed said
Hang him he's guilty
The judge said
Now listen here
One more outbreak of emotion like that
In this courtroom
And I’ll just have it cleared
Yes I will
Then the foreman addressed the court
Said I've known the Reverend
All his life
Said
He got shot up so bad back there in the war
That he couldn't even take him a wife
Now ya all know what I'm talkin' about
Don'tcha
Well I swore
I'd never tell a soul
But his life is layin' on the line
But there ain't no way
On God's green earth
That the Reverend could've done this crime
The Reverend Joe Henry's a good man
And he preached all over the bottom land
Spoke so a child could understand
There oughta be a whole lot more good folks
Like the Reverend Joe Henry
Preachin' in the bottom land
Folks Ellie May just folded
Like a chair
Fainted dead in her tracks
Ellie May I don’t believe
I'da told that on him