Lord Have Mercy On My Soul

(album: Black Oak Arkansas - 1971)

"Now there's something I'd like to talk to you about at this particular moment
and that's about the one thing that we won't be able to do together unless we all become as one
And if we all become as one, then we can walk through it together
Now I ain't walked through it all the way yet. But there was a time I walked into it, and I had to go into it alone
that's this place called the Halls of Karma
Now when you go into the Halls of Karma the way I did, I don't know, it might have been hallucination
but I think it was real. You see I felt the presence of the two energies, the positive and the negative; of God and the Devil, however you want it
And they were pulling and deciding and wondering what to do with my soul
and I couldn't take this at this moment 'cause I had to come back to be with you people to do a thing and I proved to 'em, in bargaining with 'em that I had a thing to do for the good of all of us
Out of this bargain, the devil, he got my body for the good in his needs while I'm here on earth
and the Lord, he's got my mind for the good of the universe and for the good of man
And they both got me in between 'cause they both got my soul
So the next time I come up, I want the Lord to, please have mercy, on my soul"

I've walked through the Halls of Karma
I shook hands with both the Devil and God
They turned my eyes to the inside to see
Where my energies have gone
Yes I've run with both all through my life
I've respected and reflected them both
Yes the sympathy of God as he looked
At my life the excitement of the Devil as we talked

So Lord have mercy
Lord have mercy on my soul

The Devil said, "scratch my back and I'll
Scratch your back for sure"
So you have done all these sins for him
My heart could not be pure
I found out what means more to me
Than anything on this earth
To be ready for my judgement day
Ready to face the truth

So Lord have mercy
Lord have mercy on my soul

I hope I've done the right things
For both your sake and mine
I preach in what I live for
My only fear is fear of time
I wanted to look logical
To both my "Maker" and his host
But this trip of life must be complete
Or my cards will be lost

So Lord please have mercy on my soul