I hear the train a comin', it's rollin' '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
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

I bet there's rich folks eatin' in a fancy dinin' car
They're probably drinkin' coffee and smokin' big cigars
Well, I know I had it comin', I know I can't be free
But those people keep a movin' and that's what tortures me

Well, if they freed me from this prison
If that railroad train was mine
I bet I'd move it on over 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