Jailbird from Jailbird by AK Patterson

Echoing deep within the prison
I sing for the men behind the bars
And as each one contemplates his freedom
He steals a piece of my heart

Joey’s been away since he was eighteen
Got in trouble with the fire brigade
Now he’s building barrel wagons made of matchsticks
Just to pass the time away

Well he flew in as a boy
He believes he’ll always be a Jailbird

Antonio's in solitary confinement
For stealing the truncheon from the screws
Back in college he was always hailed the class clown
Cos his smile knew how to bend the rules

Well he flew in as a boy
He believes he’ll always be a Jailbird

Rob reads Dostoevsky on the top bunk
Has made a home of sixty eight square feet
Says out there I’m just a captive of the free world
Waiting for the trouble to catch me

Well he flew in as a boy
Plays with guns instead of toys
Was the last thing daddy left
Before he died in self defence
Was just doing what he must
When we blew the bank doors off
And who can judge a wounded jailbird

I’ll be here same time next week
Oh these promises I’ll keep
Cos scarce the wind blows in for Jailbirds

• Alternative
• art pop
• chamber pop
• folk
• indiefolk
• lilith
• melancholia
• singer-songwriter
• Cambridge