Swaying, it's a hard decision am I gonna leave this prison
If they tell me one more time to get in line, I'm gonna breakaway
But I'm sure that every single prison guard that walks around this prison yard
Is gonna have a shot at me if he sees me running for the gate

I'd be better off dead, full of lead, rather than delay one more day
Letting my mind and my body rot away in this awful place
I'd be floating way up so high looking down
At all my buddies saying, “You chumps, you suckers
I hope one day you can find the guts to escape”

Well, you might say, “How come you so sure heaven's where you're going?
You ain't exactly been showin' the ways of an angel, glory bound”
I must admit you got a point, but I got a feeling the ceiling ain't so far
And Yahweh just may want a couple words with yours truly

So I'll be walking right up to those big pearly gates, saying, “Hey Saint Peter, ol' Buddy, ol' pal
How's the family, how's work, how's the kids?
What do you say, how's about crackin' those gates?
And lettin' a fine upstanding fellow like myself join the club?”

And he might say, “Ah, Mr. Avett you can save it, I ain't gonna be buying any of that lyin’, jive, hustlin'
Boldfaced, fake conman nonsense that you used to get by with
Down there on Earth

And I'll say, “Come on, surely you and God of all people ought to know
I was innocent of those crimes, I told you so
Every night by myself in that cell
Surrounded by nothing but grey and quiet”
Well dear God, maybe I should just be talking straight to you
The truth is I lost my way somewhere along the way
And if you got a minute would you spend it with a sinner?
Just long enough to give me some directions home