[Verse 1]

I hear the train a-comin', it's rolling 'round the bend

And I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when

I'm stuck in Folsom prison, and time keeps draggin' on

But that train keeps a-rollin' on down to San Antone

[Verse 2]

When I was just a baby, my mama told me, "Son

Always be a good boy, don't ever play with guns"

But I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die

When I hear that whistle blowin', I hang my head and cry

[Verse 3]

I bet there's rich folks eatin' in a fancy dining car

They're probably drinkin' coffee and smoking big cigars

Well, I know I had it coming, I know I can't be free

But those people keep a-movin', and that's what tortures me

[Verse 4]

Well, if they freed me from this prison, if that railroad train was mine

I bet I'd move it on a little farther down the line

Far from Folsom prison, that's where I want to stay

And I'd let that lonesome whistle blow my blues away