SING SING PRISON BLUES
Porter Granger & Freddie Johnson
Bessie Smith       rec 8/12/24 NY



Gonna journey up the Hudson, goin' on a lonesome trail,
Gonna journey up the Hudson, goin' on a lonesome trail,
They can put me in the debt house, or keep me in Sing Sing jail.


I wrote in, asked the warder, why they call the jail "Sing Sing",
I wrote in, asked the warder, why they call the jail "Sing Sing",
He said, "Stand here by this rock pile and listen to them hammering"


The jury's in the courthouse, papers sellin' for fifty cents,
The jury's in the courthouse, papers sellin' for fifty cents,
All the jury's tryin' to jail me, my lawyer pleadin' self defence.


The judge says, "Listen Bessie, tell me why you killed your man",
The judge says, "Listen Bessie, tell me why you killed your man",
I said, "Judge, you ain't no woman and you can't understand".


You can send me up the river, or send me to that mean old jail,
You can send me up the river, or send me to that mean old jail,
I killed my man and I don't need no bail










(Contributed by Peter Akers - January 2008)