[Verse]

             
The first thin

             
g I remember k

now-in'
             
was a lonesome

          
 whist-le blow

-in,
             
And a young-on

             
's  dream of g

             
row-in up to r

ide,
             
On a freight t

             
rain leav-in t

own,
             
not know-in wh

        
ere I'm bound,
             
And no one cou

             
ld change my m

              
ind, but Ma-ma

 
 tried.

             
One and on-ly 

       
reb-el child,
             
From a fam-ily

          
 meek and mild

,
             
My ma-ma seeme

             
d to know what

        
 lay in store,
             
Spite all my S

       
un-day learn-i

n'
             
towards the ba

            
d I kept on tu

rn-in,
             
Til Ma-ma coul

             
d-n't hold me 

     
an-y-more.


[Chorus]
             
And I turned t

              
wenty-one in p

             
ris-on do-in l

ife with-out
            
pa-role, No on

              
e could steer 

             
me right but M

  
a-ma tried,
              
Mama tried. Ma

    
-ma tried to r

aise me bet-te

r,  but her
            
plead-ing I de

              
-nied, That le

              
aves only me t

  
o blame,
            
cause Ma-ma tr

ied.


[Verse]

             
Dear ol' Dad-d

            
y, rest his so

ul,
             
left my mom a 

       
heav-y load,
             
She tried so v

             
ery hard to fi

       
ll his shoes,
             
Work-in hou-rs

          
 with-out rest

,
             
Want-ed me to 

         
have the best,
             
She tried to r

             
aise me right 

         
but I re-fused


[Chorus]
             
And I turned t

              
wenty-one in p

            
rison do-in li

fe with-out
            
pa-role, No on

              
e could steer 

             
me right but M

     
a-ma tried,
              
Mama tried. Ma

    
-ma tried to r

aise me bet-te

r,  but her
           
plead-ing I de

-nied,
              
That leaves on

         
ly me to blame

 cause Ma-ma t

ried..