Well, a motherless child has a
mighty hard time
when Mama's gone, she's gone.
Motherless child has it hard
when Mama's gone, Lord,
she's gone.
Oh, they will run, run from door to door,
Lord, nowhere to go.
A motherless child sure has it hard
When mamma's gone,
Lord, she's gone
Children, a motherless child
really has it hard
When mamma's gone,
Lord, mother's gone
A motherless child really has it hard
When mamma's gone, Lord, gone
Oh, they will run, run from door to door
Lord knows where to go
A mother's child sure has it hard
When mama's gone, Lord, what a pity
Didn't they promise those
helpless children
When mama was dying, Lord, so was I
They said, we will treat your children
kind, Lord and kind, but as soon,
soon as she lay buried,
Lord, in her grave,
If they drove those helpless children
away from their door, Lord, have mercy.
A mother's child sure has it hard
when Mama's gone, Lord,
when Mama's gone.
A mother's child sure has it hard
when Mama's gone, Lord, she's gone.
Oh, dear, it'll run, run from door to door
Lord knows where to go
And Molly's child sure has it all
When Mama's gone