Come down slow, pauper

There ain’t no way out

Upside the head and down

Boss man done hit the ground

Then they found him cold dead

Paint the whole town blood red

Raised to pull on a snake chain

At the age of 12 I went astray

At 22 they say I killed a man

And today they say I'm going to hang

Come down slow, jailer

I think I got me a way out

Here they come to condemn

Yet they’ve bought and sold men

All I got’s the here and now

One shot to black it out

Raised to pull on a snake chain

At the age of 12 I went astray

At 22 they say I killed a man

And today they say I'm going to hang

Don’t let me hang yet

One step to the holy chair

Down the hall to the guard and stair

Tie him up and I’m on the tier

In and out the door here

Raised to pull on a snake chain

And today they say

I'm going to hang