Oh sweet Tennessee rose all split up into parts
Go fetch the string and the wire
Go fetch the string and the wire from the kitchen drawer
And I'll try to mend you up some more

Warm, warm wind blow on these here two hands
How they froze up fright
They got too numb to knot the ends
Go fetch the string and the wire
Go fetch the string and the wire from the kitchen drawer
And I'll try to mend you up some more

They put poison in the well
Made your sister cry and run
So I'm sewing up a blanket spread
To keep the jailhouse warm

So go fetch the string and the wire
Go fetch the string and the wire
And a couple empty cans of tin
So we can hear her cry again

They put powder in the shells of your brother's lonely gun
I'm afraid they don't make string and wire I know that's strong enough
So go fetch my spinning spool
Go fetch my spinning spool underneath the bed
And I'll sew you up a handkerchief instead