It's against the law to walk, and against the law to talk Against the law to loaf, against the law to work Against the law to read, against the law to write Against the law to be a black, a brown, or white Everything's against the law I'm a low-pay daddy singing the high-price blues It's against the law to eat, against the law to drink Against the law to worry, against the law to think Against the law to marry or try to settle down Against the law to ramble like a bum from town to town Everything's against the law I'm a low-pay daddy singing the high-price blues It's against the law to come, against the law to go Against the law to ride, against the law to roll Against the law to hug and against the law to kiss Against the law to shoot, against the law to miss Everything's against the law I'm a low-pay daddy singing the high-price blues It's against the law to gamble, against the law to roam Against the law to organize or try to build a home Against the law to sing, it's against the law to dance Against the law to tell you all the trouble on my hands Everything in Winston-Salem is against the law I'm a low-pay daddy singing the high-price blues