Walking Down Death Row - Steve Earle

Walking down death row

I sang for three men destined for the chair

Walking down death row

I sang of lives and loves in other years

Walking down death row

I sang of hopes that used to be

Through the bars

Into each separate cell

I sang for one and two and three

«If you’d only only stuck together

You’d not be here

If you could’ve loved each other’s lives

You’d not be sitting here

And if only this you could believe

You still might, you might still be reprieved»

Walking down death row

I turned the corner and found to my surprise

There were women there as well

With babies in their arms before my eyes

Walking down death row

I tried once more to sing of hopes that used to be

But the thought of that contraption down the hall

Waiting for whole families

One dozen, two, or three

«If you’d only stuck together

You’d not be here

If you could’ve loved another’s child as well as yours

You’d not be sitting here

And if only this you could believe

You still might, you might still be reprieved»

Walking down death row

I concentrated, singing to the young

I sang of hopes that flickered still

I tried to mouth their many separate tongues

Walking down death row

I sang of life and love that still might be

Singing, singing down death row

To each separate human cell

One billion, two, or three

«If we’d only stick together

We’d not be here

If we could learn to love each other’s lives

We’d not be sitting here

And if only this you would believe

We still might, we might still be reprieved»