Couldn't look me in the eye
There's ninety-seven men here
He just stood up and closed his briefcase
My ears rang like a bell
And then go home, tell yourself, sir
The court appointed lawyer
That I don't deserve to die
It's been so long since I left home
And they shave off all my hair
Knowing Hell was waitin' there?
And I believe I could'a run
The shot rang out like thunder
When they sentenced me to die
So, when the preacher comes to get me
So, I just called the cops myself
Like I'd done a hundred times
With a sure and steady hand
'Cause I only killed one man
The kid done like I told him
Mostly black, brown and all poor
But my trial was over quickly
I won't stand here to tell you
They took their time to get there
I was born in Oklahoma
Yeah and most of us are guilty
But I never shed tear one
Name is Billy Austin
Could you take that long walk with me
And who are you to say for sure?
I held up a filling station
Never thought I'd cross that line
I was born in Oklahoma
Like I've always been alone
Could you pull that switch yourself, sir
Now, my wait is over
Didn't mean to hurt nobody
Hell, I didn't even make the papers
As the final hour drags by
That you're better than I am
Don't remember Oklahoma
I'm twenty-nine years old
I knew I should be feeling something
And then the long, hard wait began
He lay face down on the floor
Guess I'll never know what made me
It's like I've always been in prison
I'll turn and walk back through that door
No one come runnin'
Quarter Cherokee, I'm told
