v.1
I'm ^Gheaded down south to the land of ^Dthe pines
I'm ^Emthumbin' my way to ^CNorth Caroline
^GStarin' at the road and ^Dpray to God I see ^Cheadlights

I made it down the coast in seventeen hours
Pickin' me a bouquet of dogwood flowers
An' I'm hopin' for Raleigh, I can see my baby tonight

Chorus:
So rock me Mama like a wagon wheel
Rock me Mama any way you feel
Hey Mama rock me

Rock me Mama like the wind and the rain
Rock me Mama like a southbound train
Hey, Mama rock me

v.2
Runnin' from the cold up in New England
I was born to be a fiddler in an old-town string band
My baby plays the guitar, I pick a banjo now

Ah, the north country winters keep a-gettin' me down
Lost my money playin' poker so I had to leave town
But I ain't a-turnin' back, livin' that old life no more
Rpt. Ch.
Instr. Brk. 1v

v.3
Walkin' to the south out of Roanoke
Caught a trucker out of Philly, had a nice long toke
But he's headed west from the Cumberland Gap to Johnson City, Tennessee

Now I gotta get a move on, beat for the sun
I hear my baby callin' my name, an' I know that she's the only one
An' if I die in Raleigh, least I will die free
Rpt. Ch. 2t
Instr. Brk. to end