Natalie Merchant Build A Levee lyrics

When I was just a little girl
My mamma said to me
"Beware of the devil, my child
In the dark rocky places he'll keep
Beware of the devil, my child
Beware of his charming ways
You'll fall under an evil spell
Just looking at his beautiful face
You gotta build yourself a levee deep inside"

"Don't go walking by the riverside alone
In the pale moonlight
He'll come upon you, girl
With no earthy body in sight
Come up upon you, girl
And he'll whisper something sweet
Then take you where the waters rise so high
And run so deep"

"You gotta build yourself a levee deep inside
Gotta build yourself a levee deep inside

Build yourself a levee, girl
When the waters run high"

Now when I was just a little girl
My mamma said to me
"Beware of the devil, my child
But if by chance you should meet
Beware of his cold dark eyes
Full of bold and unholy deceit
He'll tempt you with a whirling pool of lies
And promises he'll deny or that he'll never keep"

"You gotta build yourself a levee deep inside
Build yourself a levee deep inside
You gotta build yourself a levee deep inside
Build yourself a levee, girl
When the waters run high"