Lord, I'm going uptown
To the Harlem River to drown
Dirty water gonna cover me over
And I'm not gonna make a sound

I'm on a roll, mama, I gotta go
Gotta get there while I still can
Troubled days are behind me now
And I know they're gonna let me in

When you see me walking up the empty yard
With a-singing and a-clapping my hands
Tell my mama I love her, tell my father I tried
Give my money to my baby to spend

'Cause Lord, I'm going uptown
To the Harlem River to drown
Dirty water gonna cover me over
And I'm not gonna make a sound

Good times come and they go
Even a good man'll break
He'll let his troubles bury him whole
Even though he knows what's at stake

So I'm taking no chances
Carrying over while I'm still good in His grace
And I'm no fool, mama, I know the difference
Between tempting and choosing my fate

So Lord, I'm going uptown
To the Harlem River to drown
Dirty water gonna cover me over
And I'm not gonna make a sound

Lord, I'm going uptown
To the Harlem River to drown
Dirty water gonna cover me over
And I'm not gonna make a sound

Lord, I'm going uptown
To the Harlem River to drown
Dirty water gonna cover me over
And I'm not gonna make a sound