Shot him dead, dirt soaked in red
I best be headed South
Now Johnny Law has heard the call
The hounds are closing in
Under stars I lied awake
My fate was set in stone
In the hills the coyotes cry
It shakes me to my bones
Well I'm a dead man
I'm a dead man
I'm a dead man
I got half a pack of smokes and a two dollar bill
If Johnny Law don't kill me these rattle snakes will
Stuck behind these iron bars
The hangman calls my name
Up the stairs I drag my feet
My head is hanged in shame
They burn with me the memory
Of all of my life's work
Holy Mary I call on Thee
Please save me from this Earth
Well I'm a dead man
I'm a dead man
I'm a dead man
I got half a pack of smokes and a two dollar bill
If Johnny Law don't kill me these rattle snakes will