I Washed My Face in the Morning Dew

Tom T. Hall

Compositor: Tom T. Hall

"I recorded (it) for my first record. It was a good song that I had written
for Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, but they had turned it down. It was
inspired by an old folk medicine tale: if you wash your face in the morning
dew, it will help remove blemishes from your skin. I changed it around to
mean that the morning dew would purify your soul...(The record) did not
make me a big star, although it did get into the top thirty country songs
and made a little BMI money, in addition to selling enough records to
encourage Mercury to make more. And it motivated me to have my teeth
capped..."

The first strange town I was ever in
The county was hanging a man
Nobody cared if he lived or died
And I just didn't understand.

So I washed my face in the morning dew
Bathed my soul in the sun
Washed my face in the morning dew
And kept on moving along.

The second strange town I was in
They were laughing at a poor crippled man
Begging for nickels and dimes on the street
And I just didn't understand.

So I washed my face in the morning dew
Bathed my soul in the sun
Washed my face in the morning dew
And kept on moving along.

--- Instrumental ---

The third strange town that I was in
Was settled peaceful and nice
The rich got richer and the poor got poorer
And to me it didn't seem right.

So I washed my face in the morning dew
Bathed my soul in the sun
Washed my face in the morning dew
And kept on moving along.

Someday times are bound to change
It can't be very far
And each injustice I have seen
Will come before the bar.

Then I'll wash my face in the morning dew
Bathe my soul in the sun
Wash my face in the morning dew
And my journey will be done...