folsom prison blues

i hear the train a comin'

it's rolling round the bend

and i ain't seen the sunshine

since i don't know when. i'm stuck in folsom prison

and time keeps draggin' on

but that train keeps a rollin'

on down to san anton. when i was just a baby

my mama told me. son

always be a good boy

don't ever play with guns. but i shot a man in reno

just to watch him die

now every time i hear that whistle

i hang my head and cry. i bet there's rich folks eating

in a fancy dining car

they're probably drinkin' coffee

and smoking big cigars. well

i know i had it coming

i know i can't be free

but those people keep a movin'

and that's what tortures me. well

if they'd free me from this prison

if that railroad train was mine

i bet i'd move just a little further

down the line. far from folsom prison

that's where i want to stay

and i'd let that lonesome whistle

blow my blues away.