Last time we were here at Folsom Prison, they were hanging Joe Bean.
Is Joe still here...Joe Bean?
Hang the son of a bitch anyways, right?
Well, they're hanging Joe Bean this morning, for killing a man in Arkansas.
Funny thing about it, Joe Bean has never been to Arkansas.
On top of that, Joe Bean never heard of the man.
In fact, today is Joe Bean's twentieth birthday.
See through the prison bars, Joe Bean, see where the gallows stand.
Just twenty short years from the day you were born, you died by the hangman's hand.
Yes, they're hanging Joe Bean this morning, for a shooting that he never did.
He killed 20 men, by the time he was 10, he was an unruly kid.
Yes, they're hanging Joe Bean for the one shooting that Joe Bean never did.
Well, Joe - your mother is at the Capitol, asking the governor for a stay.
And it's hard on her, 'cause she knows where you were, on that particular day.
You were working Joe Bean, hard working, robbing the Santa Fe.
Well, the telegraph wires are humming.
Here, the governor's words come through.
He said, "I can't set you free, it's not up to me, but there's much, Joe Bean, I'll do.
I'll join your mother in extending Birthday greetings to you.
Happy Birthday, Joe Bean."
Is Joe still here...Joe Bean?
Hang the son of a bitch anyways, right?
Well, they're hanging Joe Bean this morning, for killing a man in Arkansas.
Funny thing about it, Joe Bean has never been to Arkansas.
On top of that, Joe Bean never heard of the man.
In fact, today is Joe Bean's twentieth birthday.
See through the prison bars, Joe Bean, see where the gallows stand.
Just twenty short years from the day you were born, you died by the hangman's hand.
Yes, they're hanging Joe Bean this morning, for a shooting that he never did.
He killed 20 men, by the time he was 10, he was an unruly kid.
Yes, they're hanging Joe Bean for the one shooting that Joe Bean never did.
Well, Joe - your mother is at the Capitol, asking the governor for a stay.
And it's hard on her, 'cause she knows where you were, on that particular day.
You were working Joe Bean, hard working, robbing the Santa Fe.
Well, the telegraph wires are humming.
Here, the governor's words come through.
He said, "I can't set you free, it's not up to me, but there's much, Joe Bean, I'll do.
I'll join your mother in extending Birthday greetings to you.
Happy Birthday, Joe Bean."
Contributed by Bartolomeo Pestalozzi - 2010/8/23 - 10:37
Language: English
Versione del 1966 dall'album "Everybody Loves a Nut"
Well they're hangin' Joe Bean this mornin' for killin' a man in
Arkansas
Funny thing about it Joe Bean never even heard of the man
In fact Joe Bean never has been to Arkansas
And to top that all today is Joe Bean's 20th birthday
See where the gallows stand Joe Bean see where the gallows stand
Just twenty short years from the day you were born you'll die by the
hangman's hand
They're hangin' Joe Bean this mornin' for a shootin' that he never did
He killed twenty men by the time he was ten he was an unruly kid
But they're hangin' Joe Bean for the one shootin' that he never did
See through the prison bars Joe Bean see where the gallows stand
Just twenty short years from the day you were born you'll die by the
hangman's hand
Well your mother's in capitol city asking Governor Simms for a stay
And it's really hard on her cause she knows
Where you were on that particular day
You were workin' Joe Bean hard workin' robbing the Santa Fe
Well the telegraph wires're hummin' hear the Governor's words come
through
I can't set you free cause it's not up to me but this much Joe Bean
I'll do
I'll join your mother in extending birthday greetings to you
Happy birthday Joe Bean happy birthday Joe Bean
Happy birthday dear Joe happy birthday to you
Arkansas
Funny thing about it Joe Bean never even heard of the man
In fact Joe Bean never has been to Arkansas
And to top that all today is Joe Bean's 20th birthday
See where the gallows stand Joe Bean see where the gallows stand
Just twenty short years from the day you were born you'll die by the
hangman's hand
They're hangin' Joe Bean this mornin' for a shootin' that he never did
He killed twenty men by the time he was ten he was an unruly kid
But they're hangin' Joe Bean for the one shootin' that he never did
See through the prison bars Joe Bean see where the gallows stand
Just twenty short years from the day you were born you'll die by the
hangman's hand
Well your mother's in capitol city asking Governor Simms for a stay
And it's really hard on her cause she knows
Where you were on that particular day
You were workin' Joe Bean hard workin' robbing the Santa Fe
Well the telegraph wires're hummin' hear the Governor's words come
through
I can't set you free cause it's not up to me but this much Joe Bean
I'll do
I'll join your mother in extending birthday greetings to you
Happy birthday Joe Bean happy birthday Joe Bean
Happy birthday dear Joe happy birthday to you
Contributed by Bartolomeo Pestalozzi - 2010/8/23 - 10:47
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Album “At Folsom Prison”
Scritta da B. Freeman e L. Pober.
Si tratta di un brano eseguito da Cash nel suo storico concerto del gennaio 1968 alla Folsom State Prison in California, espunto dal disco originario e poi reincluso nella riedizione del 1999.
Johnny Cash at Folsom State prison, January 13, 1968
Ha scritto pagine di storia della musica con i pezzi incisi alla Sun di Sam Phillips, ha iniziato a girare con il suo show (che poi diverrà fenomeno tv) insieme ad artisti come la Carter Family, Carl Perkins, Statler Brothers (che lo accompagnano ovviamente a Folsom) oltre che con la sua amata June, che di lì a pochi mesi diverrà sua moglie, ma ha anche vissuto l'altro lato della medaglia, storie di anfetamine e tranquillanti, overdose sfiorate e arresti con conseguenti soggiorni al gabbio.
Quello che si presenta davanti al pubblico di Folsom, quindi, non è solo un artista pronto a proporre il suo repertorio di canzoni, è una persona tribolata che parla ad altre persone come lui.
Infatti le canzoni in scaletta non sono, come si suol fare in occasioni del genere, i pezzi forti di Cash, non ci sono "Walk The Line", "Hey Porter" o "Ring Of Fire", ma le canzoni scelte raccontano storie che interessano da vicinissimo il pubblico astante.
A parte la celebre "Folsom Prison Blues", splendida nel suo ritmo galoppante, al suo pubblico Cash porge ballate di solitudine ("I Still Miss Someone") e di morte ("The Long Black Veil"), storie di tentativi suicidi di evasione ("The Wall"), toccanti testamenti amorosi ("Give My Love To Rose") e struggenti lettere dal carcere ("Send a Picture Of Mother").
Ma Johnny non vuole solo toccare il cuore dei detenuti con la malinconia ("Green Green Grass Of Home") e, da stoyteller nato qual è, smorza i toni e diverte.
Scherza sulla miseria beffarda nel valzer di "Busted", sbeffeggia il patibolo in "25 Minutes To Go", esibisce un esilarante cinismo in "Joe Bean" e strappa risate in quantità industriale con "Dirty Old Egg-Sucking Dog", storia di uno scalcinato bastardino mangia-galline, e "Flushed From The Bathroom Of Your Heart", il cui titolo basta e avanza. […]” (Gianni Candellari da Ondarock)