Well, gang, I took the lyrics from Bob McDill's demo 45 of the song, it's first recording. Here is what he sang on his demo. No, I never met him but we had mutual friends years ago.

CATFISH JOHN

Let me dream of another morning and the time so long ago,
When the sweet magnolias blossomed and cotton fields were white as snow.

Catfish John was a river hobo and he lived on the river bend.
Thinking back, I still remember I was proud to be his friend.

CHORUS: Mama said, "Don't go near that river. Don't go hangin' round ol' Catfish John."
Come the morning I'd always be there walkin' in his footsteps in that sweet delta dawn.

Born a slave in the town of Vicksburg, traded for a chestnut mare,
Still he never spoke in anger though his load was hard to bear.

Johnny Russell made the changes in lyrics you see above in his recording, with the exception of 'Pittsburgh' which is just a homophonic error for Vicksburg and the 'n' word. By the by, Bob McDill's arrangement of the song was not country, it was folky with country influence. I've been performing the song in a finger-style folk arrangement for some thirty years now.

cheers,
chance

Superfluous line breaks removed. --JoeClone, 20-Oct-02.