| Well, early one evening I was roamin' around;
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| I was feelin' kind of mean, I shot a deputy down
|
| I strolled along home, and I went to bed
|
| Well, I laid my pistol up under my head
|
| He strolled along home (I took my time)
|
| And he went to bed (Thought I’d sleep some)
|
| Laid his pistol (Big twenty-two)
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| Up under his head; |
| (I keep it handy)
|
| Well, early next morning 'bout the break of day
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| I figured it was time to make my getaway
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| I was steppin' right along but I was steppin' too slow
|
| Got surrounded by the sheriff down in Mexico
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| He was steppin' right along (Were a hot-footin' it) but he was steppin' too
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| slow (It was a sultry day)
|
| Got surrounded by a sheriff (Boxed in)
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| Down in Mexico (I didn’t even have a chance to see the country)
|
| When I was arrested; |
| why, I didn’t have a dime
|
| The sheriff said, «Son, you’re ridin' free this time
|
| Where you’re goin' you won’t need a cent
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| 'Cause the great state of Texas gonna pay your rent
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| 'Cause where you’re goin' (I think he means jail)
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| You won’t need a cent (When he knows I’m broke)
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| 'Cause the great state of Texas (Yippee!)
|
| Gonna pay your rent. |
| (I'm mighty grateful, fellas)
|
| Well, I didn’t have a key and I didn’t have a file
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| So natur’lly I stayed around until my trial
|
| The judge was an old man; |
| ninety-three
|
| And I didn’t like the way the jury looked at me
|
| The judge was an old man (Too old)
|
| Ninety-three (Entirely too old)
|
| I didn’t like the way…
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| The jury looked at me. |
| (I think they were suspicious.)
|
| The judge and the jury, they did agree
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| They all said murder in the first degree
|
| The judge said, «Sam, I don’t know whether to hang you or not. |
| But this here
|
| killin' of deputy sheriffs has just naturally got to stop! |
| «(«You've got a point there, judge! «)
|
| It was a most unsatisfactory trial
|
| They gave me ninety-nine years on the hard rock pile
|
| Ninety and nine on the hard rock ground
|
| And all I ever did was shoot a deputy down
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| Ninety and nine (It could have been life.)
|
| On the hard rock pile (They might-a hung me)
|
| And all he ever did…
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| Was shoot a deputy down
|
| (This whole thing has sure been a lesson to me.) (Bang! You’re dead!) |