Over dese prison bars I would fly.
An’ I would fly to the arms of my po’ darling,
An’ dere I’d lay down and die.
[40] Except for a few minor variations, this is the now popular Prisoner’s Song. It was of folk origin, however.
Woke up Wid My Back to the Wall
O Lawd, I woke up in the morning,
Woke up wid my back to the wall.
O Lawd, I woke up in the morning,
Woke up wid my back to the wall.
I took a peep out at the bars