San Quentin Lyrics
You've cloistered me since 1963.
I've seen 'em come and go and I've seen 'em die.
And long ago, I stopped asking why.
You've cut me, and you've scarred me through and through.
And I'll walk out a wiser, weaker man.
Mister congressman, you can't understand.
Do you think I'll different when you're through?
You've bent my heart and mind, and you warp my soul.
Your stone walls turn my blood a little cold.
May your walls fall, and may I live to tell.
May all the world forget you ever stood.
And may all the world regret you did no good.
The lyrics on this song varies a little bit on different recordings, it seems.
These are the changes that I can remember:
"Cloistered" - "Hosted"
"Mister Congressman, you can't understand" - "Mister Congressman, why can't you understand"
The last line is sometimes "San Quentin, you've been living hell to me", I think.
This song reminds me of my school. I hate the damn place, and I'm sick of doing useless crap for no reason at all.
I should play this on the last-day-of-school-show-thing and change San Quentin to my school's name. That'd be sweet.
Oh, and "warp my soul" is sometimes "maim my soul" or something like that!
A brilliant song that really really portrays how a man can feel in prison. Johnny Cash was a wise man, he hatred the crimes but never the criminals.