At Folsom Prison - Johnny Cash
Capo: Fret 1
Tuning: E, E A D G B E
"At Folsom Prison" - Johnny Cash
Released 1968
Full album chord chart
Link to full album playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWCEchB4vYY237z10ZxoNrAWVIbDBMVDi
# Title
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Side A: Side B:
1.) Folsom Prison Blues 8.) Send a Picture of Mother
2.) Dark as a Dungeon 9.) The Wall
3.) I Still Miss Someone 10.) Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog
4.) Cocaine Blues 11.) Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart
5.) 25 Minutes to Go 12.) Jackson
6.) Orange Blossom Special * 13.) Give My Love To Rose
7.) The Long Black Veil 14.) I Got Stripes
15.) Green, Green Grass Of Home
* = no capo 16.) Greystone Chapel *
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1. "Folsom Prison Blues"
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Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9uk6NHK-AE
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
I hear the tra
in a-coming, i
t's rolling 'r
ound the bend
And I ain't se
en the sunshin
e since I don'
t know when
I'm stuck in F
olsom Prison a
nd time keeps
dragging on
But that train
keeps a-rolli
ng on down to
San Antone
[Verse 2]
When I was jus
t a baby, my m
ama told me, "
Son,
Always be a go
od boy, don't
ever play with
guns"
But I shot a m
an in Reno jus
t to watch him
die
When I hear th
at whistle blo
wing, I hang m
y head and cry
[Bridge]
[Verse 3]
I bet there's
rich folks eat
ing from a fan
cy dining car
They're probab
ly drinking co
ffee and smoki
ng big cigars
Well, I know I
had it coming
, I know I can
't be free
But those peop
le keep a-movi
ng and that's
what tortures
me
[Bridge]
[Verse 4]
Well, if they
freed me from
this prison, i
f that railroa
d train was mi
ne
I bet I'd move
it on a littl
e farther down
the line
Far from Folso
m Prison, that
's where I wan
t to stay
And I'd let th
at lonesome wh
istle blow my
blues away
[Outro]
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2. "Dark as a Dungeon"
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Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFjBLdyssjc
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
Oh, come all y
ou young felle
rs, so young a
nd so fine
Seek not your
fortune in a d
ark, dreary mi
ne
It'll form as
a habit and se
ep in your sou
l
'Til the strea
m of your bloo
d runs as blac
k as the coal
[Chorus]
Where it's dar
k as a dungeon
, damp as the
dew
Danger is doub
le, pleasures
are few
Where the rain
never falls,
the sun never
shines
It's dark as a
dungeon, way
down in the mi
ne
[Verse 2]
Well, it's man
y a man that I
've seen in my
day
(huh huh, no l
aughin' during
this song ple
ase, it's bein
' recorded, I
know, hell)
Like a fiend w
ith his dope a
nd a drunkard
with his wine
A man will hav
e lust for the
lure of the m
ine
And I pray whe
n I'm dead and
my ages shall
roll
That my body w
ould blacken a
nd turn into c
oal
Then I'll look
from the door
of my heavenl
y home
And pity the m
iner digging m
y bones
[Chorus]
Where it's dar
k as a dungeon
, damp as the
dew
Danger is doub
le, pleasures
are few
Where the rain
never falls,
the sun never
shines
It's dark as a
dungeon, way
down in the mi
ne
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3. "I Still Miss Someone"
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Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GM-1N8TfHE
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
At my door, th
e leaves are f
alling
A cold, wild w
ind will come
Sweethearts wa
lk by together
And I still mi
ss someone
[Verse 2]
I go out on a
party
And look for a
little fun
But I find a d
arkened corner
'Cause I still
miss someone
[Bridge]
No, I never go
t over those b
lue eyes
I see them eve
rywhere
I miss those a
rms that held
me
When all the l
ove was there
[Verse 3]
I wonder if sh
e's sorry
For leavin' wh
at we'd begun
There's someon
e for me somew
here
And I still mi
ss someone
[Outro]
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4. "Cocaine Blues"
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Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VZuA7iJY4Y
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
Early one morn
in' while maki
n' the rounds
I took a shot
of cocaine and
I shot my wom
an down
I went right h
ome and I went
to bed
I stuck that l
ovin' .44 bene
ath my head
[Verse 2]
Got up next
mornin' and I
grabbed that
gun
Took a shot of
cocaine and a
way I run
Made a good
run but I run
too slow
They overtook
me down in Jua
rez, Mexico
[Verse 3]
Late in the
hot joints, t
akin' the pill
In walked t
he sheriff fro
m Jericho Hill
He said, "Will
y Lee, your na
me is not Jack
Brown
You're the dir
ty hack that s
hot your woman
down"
[Verse 4]
Said, "Yes,
oh, yes, my n
ame is Willy L
ee
If you've got
a warrant, jus
t a-read it to
me
Shot her do
wn because she
made me slow
I thought I wa
s her daddy bu
t she had five
more"
[Verse 5]
When I was arr
ested, I was d
ressed in blac
k
They put me on
a train and t
hey took me ba
ck
Had no frie
nd for to go m
y bail
They slapped m
.
y dried-up car
cass in that c
ounty jail
[Verse 6]
Early next
morning, about
a half past n
ine
I spied the
sheriff comin
g down the lin
e
Hocked and
he coughed as
he cleared his
throat
He said, "Come
on you dirty
hack into that
district cour
t"
[Verse 7]
Into the co
urtroom, my tr
ial began
Where I was
handled by tw
elve honest me
n
Just before
the jury star
ted out
I saw that lit
tle judge comm
ence to look a
bout
[Verse 8]
In about five
minutes, in wa
lked a man
Holding the
verdict in hi
s right hand
The verdict re
ad in the firs
t degree
I hollered, "L
ordy, Lordy, h
ave mercy on m
e"
[Verse 9]
The judge h
e smiled as he
picked up his
pen
99 years in
the Folsom pe
n
99 years un
derneath that
ground
I can't forget
the day I sho
t that bad bit
ch down
[Outro]
Come on, yo
u've gotta lis
ten unto me
Lay off that w
hiskey and let
that cocaine
be
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5. "25 Minutes to Go"
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Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm5ghpXzxl0
[Intro]
Well they're b
uilding a gall
ows outside my
cell
And I've got 2
5 minutes to g
o
And the whole
town's waiting
just to hear
me yell
I've got 24 mi
nutes to go
[Verse 1]
Well, they gav
e me some bean
s for my last
meal
With 23 minute
s to go
But nobody ask
ed me how I fe
el
I've got 22 mi
nutes to go
Well, I sent f
or the governo
r and the whol
e dern bunch
With 21 minute
s to go
And I called u
p the mayor, b
ut... he's out
to lunch
I've got 20 mo
re minutes to
go
Then the sheri
ff said, "Boy
I'm gonna watc
h you die"
With 19 minute
s to go
So I laughed i
n his face and
I spit in his
eye
With 18 minute
s to go
[Verse 2]
Now, here come
s the preacher
for to save m
y soul
With 13 minute
s to go
And he's talki
ng 'bout burni
ng, but I'm so
cold
12 more minute
s to go
Well, they're
testing the tr
ap and it chil
ls my spine
11 more minute
s to go
And the trap a
nd the rope, a
h, they work j
ust fine
10 more minute
s to go
Well, I'm wait
ing on the par
don that'll se
t me free
With 9 more mi
nutes to go
But this ain't
the movies, s
o forget about
me
8 more minutes
to go
[Verse 3]
With my feet o
n the trap and
my head in th
e noose
5 more minutes
to go
Won't somebody
come and cut
me loose?
Got 4 more min
utes to go
I can see the
mountains, I c
an see the sky
With 3 more mi
nutes to go
And it's too d
ern pretty for
a man that do
n't wanna die
2 more minutes
to go
I can see the
buzzards, I ca
n hear the cro
ws
1 more minute
to go
And now I'm sw
inging and her
e I go-o-o-o-o
-o-o-o-o-o!
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6. "Orange Blossom Special" *
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Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkMB3RitBSE
* = No capo
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
Hey, look a-yo
nder coming, c
oming down tha
t railroad tra
ck
Hey, look a-yo
nder coming, c
oming down tha
t railroad tra
ck
It's that Oran
ge Blossom Spe
cial bringing
my baby back
[Chorus]
(Have to ch
ange harmonica
s faster than
kiss' a duck)
[Verse 2]
Going down to
Florida and ge
t some sand in
my shoes
Or maybe Calif
orny and get s
ome sand in my
shoes
Ride that Oran
ge Blossom Spe
cial and lose
these New York
blues
[Chorus]
[Bridge]
"Say man, when
you going bac
k to Florida?"
"Say I don't k
now, I don't r
eckon I'll eve
r go back to F
lorida."
"But ain't you
worried about
getting your
nourishment in
New York?"
"Well, I don't
care if I do-
die-do-die-do-
die-do-die..."
[Verse 3]
Hey, talk abou
t a-rambling,
she's the fast
est train on t
he line
Hey, talk abou
t a-travelling
, she's the fa
stest train on
the line
It's that Oran
ge Blossom Spe
cial rolling d
own the seaboa
rd line
[Chorus]
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7. "The Long Black Veil"
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Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0OSboEOtRQ
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
Ten years a
go, on a cold
dark night
Someone was
killed 'neath
the town hall
light
There were few
at the scene,
but they all
agreed
That the slaye
r who ran look
ed a lot like
me
[Chorus]
She walks thes
e hills in a l
ong black veil
She visits my
grave when the
night winds w
ail
Nobody know
s, nobody sees
Nobody know
s but me
[Verse 2]
The judge said
, "Son, what i
s your alibi?
If you were so
mewhere else,
then you won't
have to die"
I spoke not a
word, though i
t meant my lif
e
I'd been in th
e arms of my b
est friend's w
ife
(Did I hear so
mebody applaud
?)
[Verse 3]
Now the scaffo
ld is high, an
d eternity's n
ear
She stood in t
he crowd and s
hed not a tear
But sometimes
at night, when
the cold wind
moans
In a long blac
k veil, she cr
ies o'er my bo
nes
[Chorus]
She walks thes
e hills in a l
ong black veil
She visits my
grave when the
night winds w
ail
Nobody know
s, nobody sees
Nobody know
s but me
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8. "Send a Picture of Mother"
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Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JUSmwGl4T4
[Verse 1]
After seven ye
ars behind the
se bars togeth
er
I'll miss you
more than a br
other when you
go, when you
go
If only I had
not tried to e
scape
They'd pardon
me with you I
know, yes I kn
ow
Won't you tell
the folks bac
k home, I'll s
oon be coming
And don't let
them know I ne
ver will be fr
ee, be free
Sometimes writ
e and tell me
how they're do
ing
And send a pic
ture of mother
back to me
[Chorus]
Say hello to D
ad and shake h
is poor, hardw
orking hand
And send a pic
ture of mother
if you can
[Verse 2]
I'm happy for
you that you g
ot your freedo
m
But stay with
me just anothe
r minute or so
, or so
After all this
sweat and blo
od together
Who'll be my f
ighting partne
r when you go,
when you go?
The hardest ti
me will be on
Sunday morning
Church bells w
ill ring on He
aven Hill, Hea
ven Hill
Please ask Rev
erend Garrett
to pray for me
And send a pic
ture of mother
if you will
[Chorus]
Say hello to D
ad and shake h
is poor, hardw
orking hand
And send a pic
ture of mother
if you can
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9. "The Wall"
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Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FipYtoZfl7M
[Verse 1]
There's a lot
of strange men
in cell block
ten, but the
strangest of t
hem all
Was a friend o
f mine who spe
nt his time st
aring at the w
all
Staring at the
wall
[Verse 2]
As he looked a
t the wall, so
strong and ta
ll, I heard hi
m softly curse
"Nobody at all
ever climbed
that wall, but
I'm gonna be
the first
I'm gonna be t
he first"
[Verse 3]
Well, the ward
en walked by a
nd said, "Son,
don't try, I'
d hate to see
you fall
For there is n
o doubt they'l
l carry you ou
t if you ever
touch that wal
l
If you ever to
uch that wall"
[Verse 4]
Well, a year w
ent by since..
. (ain't that
the truth)
Well, a year's
gone... (them
mean bastards
, ain't they?)
Well, a year's
gone by since
he made his t
ry, but I can
still recall
How hard he tr
ied and the wa
y he died, but
he never made
that wall
He never made
that wall
[Verse 5]
Well, there's
never been a m
an ever shook
this can, but
I know a man w
ho tried
The newspapers
called it a j
ailbreak plan,
but I know it
was suicide
I know it was
suicide
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10. "Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog"
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Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeudEqVhJOM
[Verse 1]
Well, he's not
very handsome
to look at
Oh, he's shagg
y and he eats
like a hog
And he's alway
s killing my c
hickens
That dirty old
egg-sucking d
og
[Chorus]
Egg-sucking do
g
I'm gonna stom
p your head in
the ground
If you don't s
tay out of my
henhouse
You dirty old
egg-sucking ho
und
[Verse 2]
Now if he don'
t stop eating
my eggs up
Though I'm not
a real bad gu
y
I'm going to g
et my rifle an
d send him
To that great
chicken-house
in the sky
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11. "Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart"
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Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3wyAzjlE9Y
[Verse 1]
From the back
door of your l
ife, you swept
me out, dear
In the breadli
ne of your dre
ams, I lost my
place
At the table o
f your love, I
got the brush
off
At the Indiana
polis of your
heart, I lost
the race
[Chorus]
I've been wash
ed down the si
nk of your con
science
In the theater
of your love,
I lost my par
t
And now you sa
y you've got m
e out of your
conscience
I've been flus
hed from the b
athroom of you
r heart
[Verse 2]
In the garbage
disposal of y
our dreams, I'
ve been ground
up, dear
On the river o
f your plans,
I'm up the cre
ek
Up the elevato
r of your futu
re, I've been
shafted
On the calenda
r of your even
ts, I'm last w
eek
[Chorus]
I've been wash
ed down the si
nk of your con
science
In the theater
of your love,
I lost my par
t
And now you sa
y you've got m
e out of your
conscience
I've been flus
hed from the b
athroom of you
r heart
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12. "Jackson"
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Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPynO42XFRw
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
We got married
in a fever, h
otter than a p
epper sprout
We've been tal
king 'bout Jac
kson, ever sin
ce the fire we
nt out
I'm going to J
ackson, I'm go
nna mess aroun
d
Yeah, I'm goin
g to Jackson,
look out, Jack
son-town
[Verse 2]
Well, go on do
wn to Jackson,
go ahead and
wreck your hea
lth
Go play your h
and, you big-t
alking man, ma
ke a big fool
of yourself
You're going t
o Jackson, go
comb your hair
Honey, I'm gon
na snowball Ja
ckson, see if
I care
[Verse 3]
When I breeze
into that city
, people gonna
stoop and bow
(Hah!)
All them women
gonna make me
, teach 'em wh
at they don't
know how
I'm going to J
ackson, you tu
rn-a loose-a m
y coat
'cause I'm goi
n' to Jackson,
"goodbye," th
at's all she w
rote
[Verse 4]
But they'll la
ugh at you in
Jackson and I'
ll be dancing
on a Pony Keg
They'll lead y
ou 'round town
like a scalde
d hound with y
our tail tucke
d between your
legs
You're going t
o Jackson, you
big-talking m
an
And I'll be wa
iting in Jacks
on, behind my
Jaypan Fan
[Verse 5]
Well, now, we
got married in
a fever, hott
er than a pepp
er sprout
We've been tal
king 'bout Jac
kson, ever sin
ce the fire we
nt out
I'm going to J
ackson, and th
at's a fact
Yeah, I'm goin
g to Jackson,
ain't never co
ming back
[Outro]
Well, we got m
arried in a fe
ver, hotter th
an a pepper sp
rout...
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13. "Give My Love to Rose"
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Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqe2kcRZo5I
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
I found him by
the railroad
track this mor
ning
I could see th
at he was near
ly dead
I knelt down b
eside him and
I listened
Just to hear t
he words the d
ying fellow sa
id
He said, "They
let me out of
prison out in
Frisco
For ten long y
ears, I've pai
d for what I'v
e done
I was trying t
o get back to
Louisiana
To see my Rose
and get to kn
ow my son
[Chorus]
Give my love t
o Rose, please
, won't you mi
ster?
Take her all m
y money, tell
her buy some p
retty clothes
Tell my boy th
at Daddy's so
proud of him
And don't forg
et to give my
love to Rose
[Verse 2]
Won't you tell
them I said t
hanks for wait
ing for me?
Tell my boy to
help his mom
at home
Tell my Rose t
o try to find
another
'cause it ain'
t right that s
he should live
alone
Mister, here's
a bag with al
l my money
It won't last
them long the
way it goes
God bless you
for finding me
this morning
Now don't forg
et to give my
love to Rose
[Chorus]
Give my love t
o Rose, please
, won't you mi
ster?
Take her all m
y money, tell
her buy some p
retty clothes
Tell my boy th
at Daddy's so
proud of him
And don't forg
et to give my
love to Rose"
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14. "I Got Stripes"
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Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmwJBxZgud4
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
On a Monday, I
was arrested
(uh huh)
On a Tuesday,
they locked me
in the jail (
oh boy)
On a Wednesday
, my trial was
attested
On a Thursday,
they said "gu
ilty" and the
judge's gavel
fell
[Chorus]
I got stripes,
stripes aroun
d my shoulders
I got chains,
chains around
my feet
I got stripes,
stripes aroun
d my shoulders
And them chain
s, them chains
, they're abou
t to drag me d
own
[Verse 2]
On a Monday, m
y momma come t
o see me
On a Tuesday,
they caught me
with a file
On a Wednesday
, I'm down in
solitary
On a Thursday,
I start on br
ead and water
for a while
[Chorus]
I got stripes,
stripes aroun
d my shoulders
I got chains,
chains around
my feet
I got stripes,
stripes aroun
d my shoulders
And them chain
s, them chains
, they're abou
t to drag me d
own
I got stripes,
stripes aroun
d my shoulders
I got chains,
chains around
my feet
I got stripes,
stripes aroun
d my shoulders
And them chain
s, them chains
, they're abou
t to drag me d
own
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15. "Green, Green Grass of Home"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLfxsneyfnY
[Verse 1]
The old hometo
wn looks the s
ame as I step
down from the
train
And there to m
eet me is my m
ama and my pap
a
Down the road
I look, and th
ere runs Mary,
hair of gold
and lips like
cherries
It's good to t
ouch the green
, green grass
of home
[Verse 2]
The old house
is still stand
ing, though th
e paint is cra
cked and dry
And there's th
e old oak tree
that I used t
o play on
Down the lane,
I walk with m
y sweet Mary,
hair of gold a
nd lips like c
herries
It's good to t
ouch the green
, green grass
of home
[Chorus]
Yes, they'll a
ll come to see
me, arms reac
hing, smiling
sweetly
It's good to t
ouch the green
, green grass
of home
[Verse 3]
Then I awake a
nd look around
me, to the co
ld, gray walls
that surround
me
And then I rea
lize that I wa
s only dreamin
g
For there's a
guard and a sa
d old padre, a
rm in arm, I w
alk at daybrea
k
Again, I touch
the green, gr
een grass of h
ome
[Chorus]
Yes, they'll a
ll come to see
me, in the sh
ade of the old
oak tree
As they lay me
'neath the gr
een, green gra
ss of home
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16. "Greystone Chapel" *
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGMVRoXelNs
* = No capo
[Intro]
[Chorus]
Inside the wal
ls of prison,
my body may be
But my Lord ha
s set my soul
free
[Verse 1]
There's a grey
stone chapel
here at Folsom
A house of wor
ship in this d
en of sin
You wouldn't t
hink that God
had a place he
re at Folsom
But he saved t
he soul of man
y lost men
Now, this grey
stone chapel
here at Folsom
Stands a hundr
ed years old m
ade of granite
rock
It takes a rin
g of keys to m
ove here at Fo
lsom
But the door t
o the house of
God is never
locked
[Chorus]
Inside the wal
ls of prison,
my body may be
But the Lord h
as set my soul
free
[Bridge]
[Verse 2]
There are men
here that don'
t ever worship
There are men
here who scoff
at the ones w
ho pray
But I've got d
own on my knee
s in that grey
stone chapel
And I've thank
ed the Lord fo
r helping me e
ach day
Now, this grey
stone chapel
here at Folsom
It has a touch
of God's hand
on every ston
e
It's a flower
of light in a
field of darkn
ess
And it's given
me the streng
th to carry on
[Chorus]
Inside the wal
ls of prison,
my body may be
But my Lord ha
s set my soul
free