^CThose cotton fields were hot and that tractor never was my kind of ^Fliving ^DAnd when I hit sixteen, I had my size and I hit the road to freedom^G And I'm glad I wasn't there to see my ^Cmomma cause she must've cried ^Ffor hours I ^Cstill hear her saying to me, get your ^Gguitar and pick The Wild^Cwood Flower

Now Memphis was big and it was hard to find a job and so ^FI didn't And It ^Dwas easier to go back to the country and it was ^Gmore like living Now I've been down every road and ^CI've stood on every porch where they were ^Fgiving And if they ^Dhad a dime or an hour,^G I would pick The Wild^Cwood Flower

It's hard to turn around and look back down the roads that I ^Ghave travelled ^ECause like a neverending ball of twine, my dreams have come ^Aunravelled And now as evening lays its shawl ac^Dross the shoulders of my life ^GI have defined I couldn't ^Dtie my life together with the ^Aguitar strings and a poet's heart ^Dfull of pride And ^AI'm glad I wasn't there to see my ^Dmomma cause she must've cried ^Gfor hours I still ^Dhear her saying to me, ^Aget your guitar and pick The Wild^Dwood Flower