Folsom Prison Blues
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Verse 1
I hear the train a-comin', it's rolling 'round the bendAnd I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know whenI'm stuck in Folsom prison, and time keeps draggin' onBut that train keeps a-rollin' on down to San AntoneVerse 2
When I was just a baby, my mama told me, "SonAlways be a good boy, don't ever play with guns"But I shot a man in Reno just to watch him dieWhen I hear that whistle blowin', I hang my head and cryVerse 3
I bet there's rich folks eatin' in a fancy dining carThey're probably drinkin' coffee and smoking big cigarsWell, I know I had it coming, I know I can't be freeBut those people keep a-movin', and that's what tortures meVerse 4
Well, if they freed me from this prison, if that railroad train was mineI bet I'd move it on a little farther down the lineFar from Folsom prison, that's where I want to stayAnd I'd let that lonesome whistle blow my blues awayWhat the song means
A man imprisoned at Folsom Prison reflects on his crime and lost freedom. He watches a passing train carrying free people and feels tormented by his confinement. The song explores guilt, regret, and longing for the freedom he can no longer have.
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I ain't seen the sunshine — I haven't seen sunlight
A poetic way to express long imprisonment and isolation from the outside world.
