I was told by an old ex-felon that this song is about the electric chair, which is called "The Midnight Special" in the song. \n\nIt starts with the miserable conditions in prison. Miss Rosie loves her man and is desperate to save him. She\'ll do anything, even go to the Governor\'s Office and beg him to sign a pardon. Executions happen at midnight. They put a cap on top of your head, and a blue light shines down. The singer requests his own execution in the chorus. It ends with him giving a warning so that this doesn\\'t happen to you, too: don\'t get in fights in Houston, because you\'ll be in prison quickly if you do.\n\nSomeone else commented that the original songwriter, Leadbelly, spent time in prison. Execution by electric chair has been used in the US since 1890.
I was told by an old ex-felon that this song is about the electric chair, which is called "The Midnight Special" in the song. \n\nIt starts with the miserable conditions in prison. Miss Rosie loves her man and is desperate to save him. She\'ll do anything, even go to the Governor\'s Office and beg him to sign a pardon. Executions happen at midnight. They put a cap on top of your head, and a blue light shines down. The singer requests his own execution in the chorus. It ends with him giving a warning so that this doesn\\'t happen to you, too: don\'t get in fights in Houston, because you\'ll be in prison quickly if you do.\n\nSomeone else commented that the original songwriter, Leadbelly, spent time in prison. Execution by electric chair has been used in the US since 1890.