It's not always the land that's the hardest and bitterest
It's the man who has the hard bitter attitude
Toward his fellow man or toward the land
Such is the case that you will find in this following song
About a man's attitude toward his fellow man and toward this land

I walked in the big yard to feel the warm sunshine
A ninety-nine year man stepped over to me
He offered a smoke and he said as I rolled it
Tomorrow I'm going to break out and go free

They watch us by sunlight they watch us by spotlight
But I know a way for a man to go free
Down under my cell I'm diggin' a tunnel
The walls of a prison will never hold me

I told him that I'd have no part of his scheming
My time would be over one year from today
His eyes blazed with fire and he looked right through me
Bitter but broken again he did say

They watch us by sunlight they watch us by spotlight
But I know a way for a man to go free
Down under my cell I'm diggin' a tunnel
The walls of a prison will never hold me

Next morning at breakfast the old man was missing
Then we all heard the rifles high up on the wall
He'd gone through the tunnel just like he had promised
And they said he was crying when they saw him fall

They watch us by sunlight they watch us by spotlight
But I know a way for a man to go free
Down under my cell I'm diggin' a tunnel
The walls of a prison will never hold me