Cocaine Blues
Johnny Cash Feat. June Carter Lyrics

Early one mornin' while makin' the rounds
The singer was making his usual rounds in the morning

I took a shot of cocaine and shot my woman down
He shot his woman after taking cocaine

I went right home and I went to bed
After shooting his woman, he went home and slept

I stuck that lovin' forty-four beneath my head.
He kept his gun under his head while sleeping

Got up next mornin' and I grabbed that gun
In the morning, he took his gun

Took a shot of cocaine and away I run
He took cocaine before running away

Made a good run but I run too slow
He tried to escape but was caught

They overtook me down in Juarez, Mexico.
He was caught in Juarez, Mexico

Laid in the hot joint takin' the pill
He was in jail and taking drugs

In walked a sheriff from Jericho Hill
A sheriff entered from Jericho Hill

He said Willy Lee your name is not Jack Brown
The sheriff addressed the singer as Willy Lee instead of Jack Brown

You're the dirty hack that shot your woman down.
The sheriff accused the artist of killing his woman

Say yes oh yes my name is Willie Lee
The singer confirmed that his name is Willie Lee

If you've got a warrant just read it to me
He asked the sheriff to show him the warrant

Shot her down because she made me slow
He killed his woman because he thought she was seeing other men

I thought I was her daddy but she had five more.
The artist thought he was the only man in his woman's life, but she had multiple partners

When I was arrested I was dressed in black
He was wearing black clothes when he was arrested

They put me on a train and they took me back
He was taken back on a train

Had no friends for to go my bail
He had no one to pay his bail

They slapped my dried up carcass in the county jail.
He was put in the county jail

Early next morning about a half past nine
The following morning at 9:30 AM

I spied a sheriff comin' down the line
He saw a sheriff walking towards him

Coughed and coughed as he cleared his throat
The sheriff cleared his throat by coughing

He said come on you dirty hack into that district court
The sheriff asked him to accompany him to the district court

Into the court room my trial began
His trial started in the courtroom

Where I was handled by twelve honest men
Twelve men judged him

Just before the jury started out
Before the jury made its decision

I saw that little judge commence to look about.
The judge looked around the court

In about five minutes in walked a man
A man walked in after five minutes

Holding the verdict in his right hand
The man held the verdict in his right hand

The verdict read in the first degree
The verdict was guilty

I hollered Lordy Lordy have mercy on me
He asked for mercy

The judge he smiled as he picked up his pen
The judge smiled before giving his verdict

Ninety nine years in the Folsom pen
He was sentenced to 99 years in Folsom prison

Ninety nine years underneath that ground
He would spend 99 years in prison and then be buried

I can't forget today I shot that bad bitch down
He couldn't forget the day he killed his woman

Come on you gotta listen unto me
He asked the listener to listen to him

Lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be
He warns against using cocaine and alcohol together

These man have receptions. Matlock, eight five oh six three two
This line is seemingly unrelated to the rest of the song and is likely an advertisement for a phone service

And Batshelter, eight three nine eight seven nine
This line is seemingly unrelated to the rest of the song and is likely an advertisement for a phone service

They have receptions
This line implies that the phone services have good receptions

I doubt that.
This line seems skeptical of the idea that phone services have good reception, but the singer's tone is not clear and it may be difficult to fully understand the intended meaning.