Early one mornin’ while makin’ the rounds,
I took a shot of cocaine and I shot my woman down;
I went right home and I went to bed; I stuck that lovin’ 44 beneath my head.
Got up next mornin’ and I grabbed that gun, took a shot of cocaine and away I run;
Made a good run, but I run too slow; they overtook me down in Juarez, Mexico.
As I lay in the hot joint, a-takin’ those pills, in walked a sheriff from Jericho Hill;
He said, «Willy Lee your name is not Jack Brown,
You’re the dirty hack that shot your woman down.»
Said, «Yes oh yes, my name is Willy Lee, if you’ve got a warrant just a-read it to me;
Shot her down because she made me sore,
I thought I was her daddy but she had five more.»
When I was arrested I was dressed in black,
They put me on a train and they took me back.
Had no friends for to go my bail, they slapped my dried up carcass in that county jail.
Early next mornin’ bout a half past nine, I spied the sheriff coming down the line;
Up then he coughed as he cleared his throat,
He said
Into the courtroom my trial began where I was handled by twelve honest men;
Just before the jury started, out I saw that little judge commence to look about.
In about five minutes in walked a man, holding the verdict in his right hand;
The verdict read in the first degree I hollered «Lordy Lordy have ‘mercy on me.»
The judge he smiled as he picked up his pen, 99 years in the Folsom pen;
99 years underneath that ground, I can’t forget today I shot that bad bitch down.
Come on you gotta’ listen to unto me, and lay off dat whiskey, and let that cocaine be.