New Huntsville Jail (Take 1)

Write me a letter, and send it by mail
I want you to tell my dear old Mother I'm in the new Huntsville Jail

I want you to tell her, beans is tough, and meat is so fat
I want you to tell my dear old Mother, it's hard for me to eat that

And if I had listened to what my Mother said
I might have been rollin', somewheres in a foldin' bed

And I fooled around with my long, hard head
Now I'm layin' here in the new Huntsville Jail, and I'm almost dead

Ashes to ashes and dust to dust
If God don't have me, you know the devil must

As I lay down in my cell at night, I try so hard to take my rest
Cockroaches and chinches begin to crawl all over my breast