They run up to the sheriff
And they all commence to shout
Dayin', "Sheriff, call your hounds,
Old JT's done broke out!"
Yeah, JT run right pass the guards
And he left them looking slow
And how that old man hopped the fence
I swear I do no know
The sheriff says to his deputies,
"I'll tell you what's on my mind
It won't look too good if we can't catch
A man of sixty-nine
'Cause election day is a-coming up
And I ought to have it cinched
But I ain't got a chance in hell
If we lose that son of a bitch"

They chased him down through the piney woods
And Lord them hounds did bay
But JT jumped into the stream
Took off the other way
The sun come up and the sun come down
And the sun come up again
With JT still a-being chased
By the sheriff and twenty men
The sheriff he gets mad as hell
Says, "I'll take him live or dead"
But 'ol JT's just like a fox
And he stays one step ahead
The sheriff he gets tired
So he stops a while and thinks
"We've lost him boys, let's head for town
cuz I feel I need a drink"

The sheriff chews and the sheriff spits
And he turns his horse around
And him and his twenty deputies
They head back into town

Now the sheriff's feeling mighty low
And he's wishing he's someone else
But when he walks into the bar
Well there's JT himself
The sherrif's eyes get big as life
And it's plain he's had a few
JT says, "Hey, Sheriff,
How come you're so damn late
Here it is a half past ten
I been waitin' here since eight"

The sheriff he gets speechless
And he cannot move his lips
And JT says to the barkeep
"Pour him something stiff"
Then JT takes that drink
And he puts it in the sheriff's hand and says
"Boy, after all these many years
You still don't understand
You don't care about tradition
You don't care about the good old days
How can a young man turn his back
On tried and trusted ways?
God knows I've tried to raise you right
To be an honest thief
I'm just glad your Ma ain't here
To see you come to grief"

Well the sheriff's eyes, they fill with tears
And his heart with love does pound
And he rips that star off of his chest
And throws it on the ground
And he grabs his dear old father
And he hugs him through and through
Says, "Come on, JT, I think I got
Some catchin' up to do"
Ain't this a pretty picture
Ain't this a wholesome sight
Father and son go riding off
Into the dark of night
Go steal a jug of whiskey
Go kill the fatted calf
The prodigal son is leaving home
He's seen the light at last