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 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 eating from a fancy dining car
They're probably drinkin' coffee and smokin' big cigars.
Well 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 it on 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