well early one evening i was roamin’ around
i was feelin’ kind of mean i shot a deputy down
i strolled along home and i went to bed
well i laid my pistol up under my head
he strolled along home i took my time
and he went to bed thought i’d sleep some
laid his pistol big twentytwo
up under his head i keep it handy
well early next morning ’bout the break of day
i figured it was time to make my getaway
i was steppin’ right along but i was steppin’ too slow
got surrounded by the sheriff down in mexico
he was steppin’ right along were a hotfootin’ it but he was steppin’ too slow it was a sultry day
got surrounded by a sheriff boxed in
down in mexico i didn’t even have a chance to see the country
when i was arrested why i didn’t have a dime
the sheriff said son you’re ridin’ free this time
where you’re goin’ you won’t need a cent
’cause the great state of texas gonna pay your rent
’cause where you’re goin’ i think he means jail
you won’t need a cent when he knows i’m broke
’cause the great state of texas yippee
gonna pay your rent i’m mighty grateful fellas
well i didn’t have a key and i didn’t have a file
so natur’lly i stayed around until my trial
the judge was an old man ninetythree
and i didn’t like the way the jury looked at me
the judge was an old man too old
ninetythree entirely too old
i didn’t like the way
the jury looked at me i think they were suspicious
the judge and the jury they did agree
they all said murder in the first degree
the judge said spoken sam i don’t know whether to hang you or not but this here killin’ of deputy sheriffs has just naturally got to stop
you’ve got a point there judge
sung
it was a most unsatisfactory trial
they gave me ninetynine years on the hard rock pile
ninety and nine on the hard rock ground
and all i ever did was shoot a deputy down
ninety and nine it could have been life
on the hard rock pile they mighta hung me
and all he ever did
was shoot a deputy down
spoken
this whole thing has sure been a lesson to me bang you’re dead
Artist: The Kingston Trio
Year: 1960
Decade: 60s
Language: en
Word Count: 201