Prisoner’s Song

Tried, put up on trial

Falsely accused

An innocent man

Tried, put up on trial

Falsely accused

An innocent man

Newspapermen on the steps of the jail

The streets and the sidewalks are packed

Fast talking men sell commemorative coins

With the face of the judge on the back

Silence descends as the prisoner walks

Past his family and friends in the crowd

There’s a fortune to make if you keep your mouth shut

As you witness your neighbor go down

To be…

Tried, put up on trial

Falsely accused

An innocent man

Tried, put up on trial

Falsely accused

An innocent man

Celebrities weep as the verdict is read

And ask, “Where has the decency gone?”

Glib politicians start saying their prayers

As soon as the cameras turn on

They’re calling for justice, the kind that has teeth

The kind that has both eyes to see

For what good is revenge if it’s wasted on men

Who won’t drag weaker men through the street

To be…

Tried, put up on trial

Falsely accused

An innocent man