Lyrics
I hear the train a comin'
I hear the train approaching
It's rollin' 'round the bend,
The train is moving around the bend
And I ain't seen the sunshine
I haven't seen sunlight for a long time
Since, I don't know when
Uncertain period since I last saw sunlight
I'm stuck in Folsom Prison
I am confined in Folsom Prison
And time keeps draggin' on
Time feels slow and tedious
But that train keeps a-rollin'
The train keeps moving, contrasting with my stagnant life
On down to San Antone
Heading down towards San Antone
When I was just a baby
Recalling childhood memories
My Mama told me, ""Son
Mother advised to be a good person
Always be a good boy
Emphasizing the importance of good behavior and avoiding guns
Don't ever play with guns, ""
Avoiding involvement with firearms
But I shot a man in Reno
Admits to shooting a man in Reno
Just to watch him die
Expresses a seemingly callous attitude, finding entertainment in death
When I hear that whistle blowin'
Feeling remorseful when hearing the train whistle
I hang my head and cry
Expressing emotional pain and regret
I bet there's rich folks eatin'
Suggesting wealthier people enjoying luxuries on the train
In a fancy dining car
Imagining an opulent dining car
They're probably drinkin' coffee
Rich individuals likely sipping coffee and smoking cigars
And smokin' big cigars
Contrast between their indulgence and the narrator's imprisonment
But I know I had it comin'
Acceptance of deserving imprisonment
I know I can't be free
Realization of an inability to attain freedom
But those people keep a-movin'
Observing the world moving forward, causing mental anguish
And that's what tortures me
The perpetual movement of others intensifies the narrator's suffering
Well, if they freed me from this prison
If released, contemplating freedom
If that railroad train was mine
Expressing a desire to own the train
I bet I'd move out over a little
Would move away from the prison if in control of the train
Farther down the line
Yearning to distance oneself from Folsom Prison
Far from Folsom Prison
Desiring to remain far from Folsom Prison
That's where I want to stay
Expressing a preference for staying away from the prison
And I'd let that lonesome whistle
If freed, the sound of the train could alleviate the narrator's sadness
Blow my blues away
Hoping the train's sound could dispel the narrator's blues
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