I'm Here To Get My Baby Out Of Jail
Billie Joe + Norah Lyrics

I'm not in your town to stay,
The woman tells the warden she's not staying long and just wants to get her son out of jail.

Said a lady old and gray
The woman describes her physical appearance to the warden.

To the warden of the penitentiary
The woman addresses the person in charge of the jail.

I'm not in your town to stay
The woman reiterates that she's only passing through and won't be in town for long.

And I'll soon be on my way
The woman implies that she's eager to leave once her son is free.

I'm just here to get my baby out of jail
The woman's sole purpose for being in town is to rescue her son from prison.

Oh warden,
The woman addresses the warden again.

I'm just here to get my baby out of jail
The woman repeats her request to get her son released.

I tried to raise my baby right
The woman shares her efforts to raise her son properly.

I have prayed both day and night
The woman reveals that she's been constantly praying for her son's safety.

That he wouldn't follow the footsteps of his dad
The woman expresses her hope that her son wouldn't make the same mistakes as his father.

I have searched both far and wide
The woman has been searching extensively for her son.

And I feared that he had died
At some point, the woman was worried that her son had passed away.

But at last I've found my baby here in jail
The woman finally found her son in prison.

Oh warden,
The woman calls for the warden's attention once more.

At last I've found my baby here in jail
The woman reiterates that she's found her son in jail.

It was just five years today
The woman reveals that it's been five years since her husband's passing.

When his daddy passed away
The woman's husband passed away five years ago.

He was found beneath the snow so cold and white
The woman's husband died during winter.

T’was then I bowed to take his ring
The woman took her husband's ring after he passed away.

And his gold watch and his chain
The woman also took her husband's watch and chain.

Then the county laid his daddy in the grave
The county buried the woman's husband.

Yes warden,
The woman speaks to the warden again.

The county laid his daddy in the grave
The woman repeats that her husband was buried by the county.

I will pawn you his watch
The woman promises to pawn her husband's watch to get her son released.

I will pawn you his chain
The woman also promises to pawn her husband's chain.

I will pawn you my diamond wedding ring
The woman will pawn her wedding ring to raise money for her son's bail.

I will wash all your clothes
The woman offers to do the warden's laundry in exchange for her son's release.

I will scrub all your floors
She also offers to clean the prison floors.

If that will get my baby out of jail
The woman is willing to do anything to free her son from prison.

Yes warden,
The woman calls out to the warden again.

If that will get my baby out of jail
The woman repeats that she's willing to do anything to free her son.

Then I heard the warden say
The woman listens as the warden speaks.

To the lady old and gray:
The warden addresses the elderly woman.

I'll go bring your darling baby to your side
The warden agrees to release the woman's son to her.

Two iron gates swung wide apart
The gates of the prison opened to let the mother and son reunite.

She held her darling to her heart
The woman embraces her son tightly.

She kissed her baby boy and then she died
The woman dies after reuniting with her son.

But smiling,
Despite her death, the woman's last expression was a smile.

She kissed her baby boy and then she died
The woman repeats that she passed away after seeing her son.

I'm not in your town to stay,
The song starts and ends with the woman telling the warden she's not in town for long.

Yes warden,
The woman calls out to the warden for the last time before dying.

I'm just here to get my baby out of jail
The song title is repeated in the final line of the song, emphasizing the woman's singular purpose for being in town.