He's just waiting for a pardon
Old Saint John on death row
He's just waiting

All the white boys in the stay pressed slacks
They're home for the summer from college
Staying out late, getting rowdy at the bar
And looking for trouble uptown

They come up my block, 'bout 5 or 6 of them
Smashing their bottles in the gutter
Yelling all kinds of obscenities
About woman and God and law

Another supper time in the hole
Supper time
I shame my family, shame my home
Supper time

A young girl turned the corner with a clerk dress on
That girl was my sister
Just got off the night shift at Pennington's Place
Just wanna go home and get some sleep

Butch grabbed her by the waist with the caffeine eyes
The hands all [Incomprehensible]
I picked up a brick from my papa's front yard
And threw it at the tallest boy's face

Well, blood was streaming like a well that sprung
I couldn't believe what I had just done
Well, the other boy ran and this one stayed
On the ground and he would never move again

Old Saint John on death row
He's just waiting for a pardon
Old Saint John on death row
He's just waiting for a pardon

All us boys on death row
We're just waiting for a pardon
All us boys on death row

Yours truly on trial, I testify
I gotta keep on running 'til the well runs dry
Yours truly on trial, I testify
I gotta keep on running 'til the well runs

Yours truly on trial, I testify
I gotta keep on running 'til the well runs dry
Yours truly on trial, I testify
I gotta keep on running 'til the well runs dry