Folsom Prison Blues lyrics

Song information

Artist: Johnny Cash
Album: The Legend Of Johnny Cash

Lyrics

I hear the train a comin'; it's rollin' 'round the bend
And I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when
I'm stuck at folsom prison and time keeps draggin' on
But that train keeps rollin' on down to san antone

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
When I hear that whistle blowin' I hang my head and cry

I bet there's rich folk people eatin' in a fancy dining car
They're probably drinkin' coffee and smokin' big cigars
But I know I had it comin', I know I can't be free
But those people keep a movin', and that's what tortures me

Well, if they freed me from this prison, if that railroad train was mine
I bet I'd move on over a little farther 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