If the river was whiskey and I was a duck
I'd dive to the bottom and I'd never come up
Oh, tell me how long have I got to wait?
Oh, can I get you now, must I hesitate?

If the river was whiskey and the branch was wine
You would see me in bathing just any old time
Oh, tell me how long have I got to wait?
Oh, can I get you now, must I hesitate?

I was born in England, raised in France
I ordered a suit of clothes and they wouldn't send the pants
Tell me how long have I got to wait?
Oh, can I get you now, must I hesitate?

I was born in Alabama, I's raised in Tennessee
If you don't like my peaches, don't shake on my tree
Oh, tell me how long have I got to wait?
Oh, can I get you now, must I hesitate?

I looked down the road just as far as I could see
A man had my woman and the blues had me
Tell me how long have I got to wait?
Oh, can I get you now, must I hesitate?

I ain't no doctor but the doctor's son
I can do the doct'rin' till the doctor comes
Oh, tell me how long have I got to wait?
Oh, can I get you now, must I hesitate?

Got the hesitation stockings, the hesitation shoes
Believe to my Lord, I've got the hesitation blues
Tell me how long have I got to wait?
Oh, can I get you now, must I hesitate?