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 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
Now every time I hear that whistle
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 I'd move it on a little
farther 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