Knockin' on Joe

These chains of sorrow
They are heavy, it is true
And these locks cannot be broken
No, not with one thousand keysO Jailer, you're dragging
Ball and chain, you cannot see
You can lay your burden on meYou can lay down your burden on me
You can bring burden down upon me
But you can't lay down your memories, noHere I go, knockin' on Joe
This square foot of sky will be mine til I die
Knockin' on Joe, all down the row
Knockin' on JoeO Warden, I surrender to you
Your fists can't hurt me anymore
You know, these hands will never mop
Your dirty 'Death Row' floorsPreacher, come closer
You don't scare me anymore
Just tell Nancy not to come here
O, tell her not to come
And let me die in the memory of her armsAll down the row, knockin' on Joe
O you Kings of halls, ends of halls
You will die within these walls
And I'll go, all down the row, knockin' on JoeO Nancy's body is a coffin
She wears my tombstone at her head
Her body is a coffin
She wears my tombstone at her headShe wears her body like a coffin
She wears a dress of gold and red
She wears a dress of gold and red
She wears a dress of red and goldGrave robbers at my coffin
Before my body's even cold
It's a door for when I go
Knockin' on JoeO, these hands will never mop
Your dirty row floors
No and you can hide, you can run
You can run, you can hideYou'll stay, you'll come
O but your trial is yet to come
O you can run, you can hide
But you have yet to be triedYou can lay your burdens down here
You can lay your burden down
Knockin' on JoeYou can lay your burden upon me
You can lay your burden on me
Knockin' on JoeYou can lay it down here
You can bring burden down
Knockin' on JoeYou can't hurt me anymore, no
You can't hurt me anymore, no
Knockin' on JoeYou can bring burden down
You can bring burden down