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 Anton
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 blowing I hang my head and cry
I bet there's rich folks eating in a fancy dining car They're probably drinkin' coffee and smoking big cigars Well, I know I had it coming, I know I can't be free But 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 'd move it all 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