I took down the lyrics from the Blues Project recording in preparation for singing it at today's Mudcat Worldwide Zoom singaround, but I also made a few small changes, and I left out all the interjections and exclamations they made during the jam in the middle of the song. I suspect that Al Kooper et al made more than a few changes themselves – the song long predates their recording, and the recordings available by various artists on Youtube differ wildly. Here goes:


WAKE ME, SHAKE ME
(from Al Kooper)

I saw my mother this morning
Walkin' down that lonesome road
She was tryin' to make it in due time
Before the heaven doors close
Tryin' to make it in due time
Before the heaven doors close

Thought I heard her say

Chorus:
Wake me, shake me,
Don't let me sleep too long
Try to make it in due time
Before the heaven doors close
Try to make it in due time
Before the heaven doors close

Well I saw my sister this morning
Walkin' down that lonesome road
Tryin' to make it in due time
Before the heaven doors close
Tryin' to make it in due time
Before the heaven doors close

Thought I heard her say

Chorus

I was walkin' by the river this morning
I was thinkin' about that lonesome road
Gotta make it in due time
Before the heaven doors close
I'm trying to make it in due time
Before the heaven doors close

Let me hear you say

Chorus x2

[On a personal note, for decades I thought they were singing, "Trying to make it in two-time." I'm pretty sure now that what I heard all those years as "two-time" was really "due time".]