Every son wants to follow
In the footsteps of his dad
That's why my boy
Is in this cell next to me
Tonight I'll sing him a song
About mama and home
For tomorrow
He'll meet his destiny
So I'll sing him a song
About mama and home
It's all that's kept him
From losing his mind
I'll sing him a song
About mama and home
But tonight
I'll sing my last time
In the morning at sunrise
They're gonna take my boy
Out to hang
And the scaffold and thirteen steps
They built near by my door
But I know that
When the warden
Leads him past my cell
That he's gonna say, "Papa
Sing me a song once more"
Papa, sing me a song
About mama and home
It's all that's kept me
From losing my mind
Papa, sing him a song
About mama and home
But sing a song
To die by this time
Papa, sing me a song
To die by this time