The Court Room - Clarence Carter

The Georgia courtoom was crowded
As Ellie May took the stand
She was accusing Reverend Joe Henry
Of being a no good preaching man

She said, the Reverend
Partook of my lovely body
The Reverend said, she lies
The jury said, now listen
I'll do the talking and
The courts will justify

The prosecuting attorney
Started pacing the floor
Sweating and making threats

The judge's wife, sitting
Back there in the back row
Said, hey, Judge, I'll check

Cause Reverend Joe Henry
Is a good man
He preached all over
The bottom land

He spoke so a
Child could understand
And there oughta be a
Whole lot more good folks
Like Reverend Joe Henry
Preaching in the bottom land

The jury said, shut up, Sally
Will the defense take it's case
Defense walked to the jury box
With a stern look on his face

One by one
He pointed to the jurors
And said, the Reverend
Picked cotton by your side

Blessed your child
When it was born
And he cried
When your mama died

Then he turned his back on the jury
And his face was getting awful red
He pounded his fists so hard
He shook the room and he
Whirled around and he said

Lookie here, Reverend
Joe Henry is a good man
He preached all over
The bottom land

He spoke so a
Child could understand
And there oughta be a
Whole lot more good folks
Like Reverend Joe Henry
Preaching in the bottom land

Somebody cussed and said
Hang him, he guilty
The judge said, now listen here

If there's one more outburst
Of emotion like that
I'll have this courtroom cleared
Yes, I will

Then the foreman
Addressed the court
And said, I've known the
Reverend all his life

He got shot up so bad
Back there in the war
That he couldn't even
Take him a wife
You know what I'm talking about

Now I swore I'd never tell a soul
But the Reverend's life is on the line
And there ain't no way
On God's green Earth that
The Reverend could commit this crime

Cause Reverend Joe Henry
Is a good man
He preached all over
The bottom land

He spoke so a
Child could understand
And there oughta be a
Whole lot more good folks
Like Reverend Joe Henry
Preaching in the bottom land