song was originally performed on a 5-string banjo without the drone (e) string.
he has his own clawhammer style he uses for the plucking portions of this song.
roughly:
bass string --> downstrum --> bass string --> downstrum and then pluck high D string with middle finger

for strumming and muting patterns watch the Punk With A Camera recording or mimick the original recording.

* single downstrum but let it ring out
** single downstrum with thumb
*** single downstrum but mute 

[Intro]
    

[Verse]
            
Mama I'm so so

rry

Would never ha

ve known
      
But I need to 

tell my story
  
I need to be t

ruthful and sh

ow
       
Anyone else th

at's still in 

the struggle

You are not al

one
             
Well its truly

              
 death or glor

           
y starting now

 lets overcome

            
Mama I'm so so

rry
    
It's true I've

 done it again
             
Well I promise

              
d you and ever

              
yone I wouldn'

  
t use that her

oin
       
Well I didn't 

mean to lie
             
You see I've, 


got my hands t

ied
             
Sex drugs and 

              
rock and roll 

        
was the life I

 chose
N.C.
Now I'm payin' the price


[Chorus]


             
Well, its true

              
 this is the l

             
ast time and I

'll say it tim

e again
            
I even wrote y

              
ou all a song,


 go and check 

number 10
             
She just seeme

           
d so nice, swe

et like sugar 

bad like spice
            
My pain has de

              
ceived me I'm 

  
a fool to thin

k that it woul

dn't be twice

[intro thing again]
    

[Verse]
             
I just wanna d


ie
          
No really I wi

sh I was dead
   
So I could be 

with all my fr

iends

I was never in

vited

  
I hope I can b

ring my new fr

iend
     
What you thoug

ht I was done 

with her?
             
Sadly no but I

         
 do wish for a

 happy end

[Chorus]
              
Well this new 

             
chapters just 

              
begun so like 

  
I said let's o

vercome
            
And if one day

              
 I stop writin

          
g, you'll know

 my days are d

one
             
Well I'm so so

             
rry mama dead 

              
is your only s

            
on and bury wi

      
th my banjo
             
Well I'm so so

             
rry mama dead 

              
is your only s

       
on and bury wi

th my banjo-o-

ooh

[Verse]
            
Well I got one

              
 more thing to

              
 say before I 


go
             
Somethin' I wa

              
s taught by ma

   
ma, never give

 up hope
            
You are, loved

              
 by somebody I

         
 promise you
           
And I know tha

              
t I've lied be

         
fore but today

 I speak the t

ruth

[Chorus]
             
So promise me 

              
this is the la

            
st time and sa

y it time agai

n
            
Go and write y

              
our own song w

      
ith a very hap

py end
             
Everybody's go

              
t a song, dont

          
 leave unwritt

en or unsung
            
And, bury me w

              
ith my banjo-o

 
-ooh
             
Well I'm so so

             
rry mama dead 

              
is your only s

            
on and bury wi

      
th my banjo
            
Well I'm so so

            
rry mama dead 

              
is your only s

       
on and bury wi

th my banjo, w

hen that heroi

n has won

[Outro]