Folsom Prison Blues - Original 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 in folsom prison,
And time keeps draggin' on,
But that train keeps a-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 folks 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 out 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.