Lyrics
The warden led a prisoner down
The warden is escorting a prisoner.
The hallway to his doom
They are heading down a hallway toward the prisoner's impending fate.
I stood up to say goodbye like all the rest
The speaker stands to bid farewell, a customary gesture.
And I heard him tell the warden
The prisoner speaks to the warden.
Just before he reached my cell
Before reaching the speaker's cell, the prisoner makes a request.
Let my guitar playing friend do my request
The prisoner asks the warden to let his guitar-playing friend fulfill his request.
Let him sing me back home
The request is for the friend to sing the prisoner back home.
A song I used to hear
The song requested is one the speaker used to hear.
Make my old memories come alive
The song is intended to evoke old memories.
Take me away and turn back the years
The hope is for the song to transport the speaker to the past.
Sing me back home before I die
The request is urgent, to sing the speaker back home before death.
I recall last Sunday morning
The speaker reminisces about a Sunday morning.
A choir from off the street
A street choir enters to sing gospel songs.
Came in to do a few old gospel songs
They perform a few old gospel songs.
And I heard him tell the singers
The speaker hears a particular song that their mama used to sing.
There's a song my mama sang
The speaker requests to hear the specific song before the choir moves on.
Could I hear it once before you move along?
The requested song is a link to the speaker's past.
Won't you sing me back home
A repetition of the request for the friend to sing the speaker back home.
A song I used to hear
Reiteration of the desired song, invoking nostalgia.
Make my old memories come alive
Emphasis on the song's role in reviving old memories.
Take me away and turn back the years
Expressing the desire to be transported to the past.
Sing me back home before I die
Repeating the urgency to sing the speaker back home before death.
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