Conjure Woman

(album: Tony Joe - 1970)

On a very hot and moonlit night
In the glow of a campfire
An old woman was mumbling strange words
And the flame was jumping higher
Lawd, lawd, lawd she cried
If only I had a piece of a bad sign

Some people called her a conjure woman
It was said she cast a bad spell
Others said she was a witch
She'd chunk you in a deep dark well
All along the river
You could hear her soulful howl
If only I had the tongue of a hoot owl

Conjure woman, conjure woman
Conjure woman don't put no spell on me
Conjure woman stay away from me

Mmm, mmm, uh

She cried out in anguish
In the swamp where she stayed so long
And clutched the moss to her barren breast
Her need for company was strong
Lawd, lawd, lawd she said
If only I had the tooth of a crawdad

Conjure woman, conjure woman, conjure woman
Conjure woman, conjure woman, conjure woman
Conjure wohuhu, conjure woman

Lord, don't you put no bad spell on me!