Have mercy, I'm in a world of trouble now   I'm being held by the State Patrol   I am charged with traffic of the forbidden   And I almost finished doing my parole   Now, I'm on my way back down town   Somebody help me, have mercy on my soul      I go to court tomorrow morning   And I got the same judge I had before   Lord, I know he won't have no mercy on me   'Cause he told me not to come back no more   He'll send me away to some stoney mansion   In a lonely room and lock the door      Ow! Have mercy on my little Tulane   She's too alive to try to live alone   And I know her needs   And although she loves me   She's gonna try to make it   While the poor boy's gone      Somebody should tell her to live   And I'll understand it   And even love her more   When I come back home