State of Georgia

Down in old Savannah
Shots rang through the night
A man lies pistol whipped in the corner
A cop crumbles in the streaking light

Now they see me molly-hawking over the haystack now
See me swimming with a bow-legged hound
Detective man, he do what he got to do
When a black man shoot a white man down

Now they want retribution
Don't like trouble of this kind
They round up all the witnesses and suspects
And accuse them of lesser crimes

And now they see me molly-hawking over the haystack now
See me swimming with a bow-legged hound
Detective man, he do what he got to do
When a black man shoot a white man down

So now we calling on Lady of Justice
Tell her we need her medicine
I'm about to be killed by the state of Georgia
And it don't matter if I'm innocent

Oh, and the pieces were gone
Little city got it wrong
It's just a trial that should not please the court

Whoa, jumping Jehoshaphat
Where you gonna turn?
The system has done failed you
And it'll fail the next hang-bird

All we're asking is for a true day in court
After nineteen years on the death row bed
Seven of nine say they gave false witness at the time
But the judge, he still want me dead

'Cause there was no physical weapon
No murder evidence, no appeal, no clemency
Judge said willing I was only fit for killing
Unworthy to believe in God or him in me

Oh, and of pardons and paroles
No one ever seems to know
It's just a black hole of expediency
But I'm about to be killed by the state of Georgia
No, it don't look good for me

'Cause I'm about to be killed
'Cause I'm about to be
'Cause I'm about to be killed