Every son wants to follow in the footsteps of his dad
That's why my boy is in this cell next to me
Tonight I'll sing him a song about mama and home
For tomorrow he'll meet his destiny

So, I'll sing him a song about mama and home
It's all that's kept him from losing his mind
I'll sing him a song about mama and home
But tonight I'll sing my last time

(In the morning at sunrise they're gonna take my boy out to hang
And the scaffold and thirteen steps they built near by my door
But I know that when the warden leads him past my cell
Yes he's gonna say papa sing me a song once more)

Papa sing me a song about mama and home
It's all that's kept me from losing my mind
Papa sing him a song about mama and home
But sing a song to die by this time

Papa sing a song to die by this time...