I hear the train a comin' it's rollin' 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

[ guitar ]

I bet there's rich folks eatin' in a fancy dining car

They're prob'ly drinking coffee and smoking big cigars

But 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

But 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'll let that lonesome whistle blow my blues away