Another supper time in the hole I shamed my family, shamed my home (Tell my sister, Jane)
Old Saint John on death row He's just waiting for a pardon
All the white boys in their Sta-Prest slacks Home for the summer from college They stayin' out late getting rowdy at the bars Looking for trouble uptown
Come up my block, about 5 or 6 of them Smashing their bottles in the gutter Yelling all kinds of obscenities About woman and God and Law
Young girl turn the corner with her clerk dress on That girl was my sister Just got off the night shift at Pennington's Place Just wanna go home and get some sleep Boys grab her by the waist and the caffeine eyes Hands all fidget electric
I picked up a brick from my papa's front yard And threw it at the tallest boy's face Well, blood was streaming like a well got sprung I couldn't believe what I had just done But the other boys ran and this one stayed On the ground and he would never move again
All us boys down on death row We just waiting for a pardon
Yours truly on trial, I testify Got to keep on running till the well run dry