I see the snow comin’ in
We’ve finally reached November’s end
And the world is all slowed down for a while

My mind goes back to a time
I almost done a dime for crimes
I didn’t do, I swear on my life

And if it weren’t for that fat man
My cellmate in that goddamn can
I’d still be behind bars or probably worse

Everybody called him Red
He ran the joint instead
Of his old job on the outside way up north

He’d been in just under a year
He said to me me, with a tear
“I’m busting out before the 24th”

I asked if I could join
Decided by a coin
He said son it’s tails and you had my word of course

B&E was his charges, he was guilty not doubt
Police they watched him cry
You know the judge did pout
Oh Santa was my cellmate
The escape was his idea
We broke out of San Quintin with the help from his reindeer
We broke out of Christmas cleared with convict cheer