I'm in a women’s prison
With bars all around
I caught my darlin' cheatin'
That's when I shot him down.
I caught him in a honky tonk
With a girl I used to know
The door to my cell is open wide
And a voice cries out, oh no.
The judge says I'm guilty
My sentence is to die
I know I've been forgiven
But the price of love is high.
The crowd outside screamin'
“Let that murderer die!”
But above all their voices
I can hear my mama cry.
I'm sittin' here on the death row
And Lord, I've lost my mind
For love I've killed my darlin'
And for love I'll lose my life.
I can hear the warden coming
From the pinging of his keys
But when they come to get me
They'll have to drag me off my knees.
The door to my cell swings open
It's time for me to go
The priest is reading my last rights
He says, “Dyin's part of livin'”, ya know.
There's a crowd outside screamin'
“Let that murderer fry!”
But above all their voices
You can hear my mama cry.
Now they've strapped me in the chair
And covered up my eyes
And the last voice that I hear on earth
Is my mama's cry.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I'm found
Was blind but now I see...