I hear the train a-comin', it's rollin' round the bend
I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when
But I'm stuck at Folsom Prison, and time keeps draggin'
on
And I hear the train a-comin' on down to San Antone.
When I was just a baby, my mama told me, "Hon",
She said, "Always be a good girl, and don't ever play
with guns".
But I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die
And I hear that whistle blowin', I hang my head and cry.
Well, I bet there's rich folks eatin' in a fancy dining
car
They're probably drinkin' coffee and smokin' big cigars
Well, I know I had it coming, I know I can't be free
And 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 it on 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.