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