Uploaded April 2009 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago

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(Lyrics below)
A traditional folk song believed to have originated among prisoners in the American South. Howard Odum first printed the lyrics in 1905. In 1927, Carl Sandburg published two versions of "Midnight Special" in his The American Songbag, and since then many musicians have performed the piece.

Midnight Special Lyrics:

Well you wake up in the morning, hear the ding dong ring,
you go a marching to the table, you see the same old thing.
Baby all I wanna tell ya, I'm like a pork in the pan and if you
say a thing about it, you're in trouble with the man.

Let the midnight special shine a light on me.
Let the midnight special shine it's ever lovin' light on me.
Yes let the midnight special shine a light on me.
Let the midnight special shine it's ever lovin' light on me

If you ever go to Houston then you better walk alright,
You better not stagger and you better not fight.
'Cause sheriff Benson will arrest you, he'll carry you on down,
and if the jury finds you guilty you're penitentiary bound.

So let the midnight special shine a light on me.
Let the midnight special shine it's ever lovin' light on me.

A yonder comes Miss Rosey, how I wonder did you know,
Well I know about her apron, and the dress she wore,
Umbrella on her shoulder piece of paper in her hand,
She goes a walkin' to the captain says I'm losin' my man.

So let the midnight special shine it's light on me.
Let the midnight special shine it's ever lovin' light on me.
Let the midnight special shine it's light on me.
Let the midnight special shine it's ever lovin' light on me.
Let the midnight special shine it's light on me