I'm Free from the Chain Gang Now
Cash Johnny (Johnny Cash) Lyrics

I got rid of the shackles that bound me and the guards that were always around me
I have finally escaped the physical and emotional confines of being imprisoned and constantly guarded.

There were tears on the mail mother sent me in jail
My mother was emotional when sending me letters while I was incarcerated and it was evident through the tears that appeared on the mail.

But I'm free from the chain gang now
I am no longer being held captive and controlled by the law enforcement system.

Back home I was known and respected then one day I was wrongly suspected
I was previously well-regarded in my community but suddenly became falsely accused of a crime.

So they put me in chains in a cold freezin' rain but I'm free from the chain gang now
I was placed in restraints in the midst of a cold, inclement weather, but I ultimately broke free from my imprisonment.

All the years I was known by a number how I kept my mind is a wonder
For years, I was identified not by my name, but by a number while in jail, and it's a miracle that I was able to maintain my mental health.

And the bare prison cell that was one step from hell
My jail cell was bleak and empty, like a gateway to hell.

But I'm free from the chain gang now
I am finally unburdened from my enslavement under the penal system.

I prayed that the gossip will spare me when I return to the one I will marry
I hoped that rumors and negative talk about me wouldn't ruin my reputation with my future spouse once I was released from jail.

Like a bird in a tree I got my liberty and I'm free from the chain gang now
I am finally free after being confined for so long, and it feels as liberating as a bird being released from a tree.