Jailhouse

(album: Tell It Like It Is - 1966)

Too many, too many mornings,
Gotta wake up soon
Too many, too many mornings,
Whoa Lord gotta wake up soon
Oh and eat my breakfast by the light of the moon

It was late, very late last summer,
When I first got my time
Whoa it was late, very very late last summer
You know when I, I first got my time
My buddy got one hundred years,
Thank the Lord I just got ninety-nine

If you see, if you see my mama,
Won't you tell her this for me
Lord, if you see, if you see my dear old mother,
Won't you please tell her this for me
I got a long long time
And Lord knows when I'm gonna be free

You know they come up here a skipping and a jumping
But you know that they won't last long
Lord, they come up here a skipping and a jumping,
But you know that they won't last long
One day they're gonna wish they were a baby boy
In their mothers arms

You know they're always, always talking
About dangerous blue
Whoa, you know they're always talking
About dangerous blue
If I had my big old pistol,
You know I'd be dangerous too

Twelve jury men found me guilty,
The doorman looked me up and down
Lord, twelve jury men found me guilty,
You know the doorman looked me up and down
Just looked at me through the corner of his eye and said
Boy, you're penitentiary bound

One day, one day down in New Orleans,
All the girls gonna jump and shout
Lord, one day down in New Orleans
All the girls gonna jump and shout
When them big green gates open up wide,
I'll come stepping out