Standard (EADGBE)
Born on the Mississippi river by the middle hobo jungle
A gypsy angel at the age of seven learned how to hustle
Fifteen years and no harvest moon
Then Evangelene when she was doin' the tune
And she's a panther runnin' from the hunter
And a gypsy violin turns her into a dancer, into a dancer
Drive downtown where her grandfather sits upon his porch swin
He plays a Cajun fiddle while he does the jig around a jug of whiskey
Said "... don't take a ride with that silk shirt man
He'll end up doin' you wrong ... Evangelene ..."
Now he's a hunter, and you should be a panther
You gotta run through the moonlight down by the river he can't catch her
But the rain came on Sunday mornin' as she walked out the door
Down the dirt path to the church on the corner by the river
She saw the man standing there who asked her out for a little ride
To his home, there on the Mississippi
Captain James don't you think I'm a little bit young now
I could learn to wear a gambler's suit ... I could put you out
Want to see the streets of New Orleans
You'll be the number one Malado queen
He turned this hunter into a panther
When he asked the question she didn't have an answer
He was a hunter and she became a panther
In the pale moon, river bed he's never gonna catch her
He's the hunter ... she's the panther
Her father's from the only money ... and I'm gonna meet him down there
This "House of the Rising Sun" ... I want to get away from here
You're a panther ... I'm a hunter ...