Beaufort County Jail

[Alice Gerrard]
Hot summer night in the Beaufort County Jail
Beaufort County Jail
Locked her up, jailer kept the key
Jailer kept the key
He did, he kept the key
Black woman in a white man's jail
Black woman in a white man's jail
No one to call a friend
Jailer watched that woman by daylight
Woman by daylight
No mercy in a white man's jail
Jailer-man with evil on his mind
Evil on his mind and an icepick in his hand
No mercy in a white man's jail
Jailer tried to bring that woman down
Bring that woman down
Tried to bring her down
Jailer forced on her bended knee
On her bended knee
Till she couldn't take no more
No more
Couldn't take no more
Eleven times, he felt that cold steel
Felt that cold steel and his own weapon brought him down instead
Brought him down
Black woman in the Beaufort County Jail
Beaufort County Jail
Screamed
"No more shame, no more pain
You can't treat me this way, treat us this way
No more"