They found mary bellows cuffed to the bed
with a rag in her mouth and a bullet in her head
o poor mary bellows
She'd grown up hungry, she'd grown up poor
she left her home in arkansas
o poor mary bellows
She wanted to see the deep blue sea
she travelled across tennessee
o poor mary bellows
She met a man along the way
he introduced himself as richard slade
o poor mary bellows
Poor mary thought that she might die
when she saw the ocean for the first time
o poor mary bellows
She checked into a cheap little place
richard slade carried in her old suitcase
o poor mary bellows
"i'm a good girl, sir", she said to him
i couldn't possibly permit you in
o poor mary bellows
Slade tipped his hat and winked his eye
and turned away without goodbye
o poor mary bellows
She sat on her bed and thought of home
with the sea breeze whistling all alone
o poor mary bellows
In hope and loneliness she crossed the floor
and undid the latch on the front door
o poor mary bellows
They found her the next day cuffed to the bed
a rag in her mouth and a bullet in her head
o poor mary bellows
So mothers keep your girls at home
don't let them journey all alone
tell them this world is full of danger
and to shun the company of strangers
o poor mary bellows
o poor mary bellows