Willie and Laura Mae Jones

(Tony Joe White)



Willie and Laura Mae Jones were our neighbours a long time back

They lived down the road from us in a shack just like our shack

We worked the fields together learned to count on each other

When you live off the land you ain't got time to think of another man's color.



The cotton was high

And the corn was growing fine

That was another place

And another time.



Sit out on the front porch every evening when the sun went down

Willie would play and Laura would sing and them younguns'd dance around

I'd bring out my guitar and we'd play on through the night

Every now and then ol' Willie would grin and say boy you play all right.



The cotton was high

And the corn was growing fine

That was another place

And another time.



The years rolled past our land and took back what they'd given

We all knew we'd had to move if we were gonna make a livin'

So we all moved off and went about our separate ways

It sure was hard to say goodbye to Willie and Laura Mae.



The cotton was high

And the corn was growing fine

That was another place

And another time.



The years rolled past our doors and we heard of them no more

When I saw Willie downtown the other day

Said y'all stop right by now we could all sit down and eat by

Sure love to see your children and Laura Mae.



Shook his head real slow

And his eyes were kind

This is another place

And another time.



The cotton was high

And the corn was growing fine

That was another place

And another time.