Cocaine
Phil Boroff Lyrics
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I took a shot of cocaine and shot my woman down
I went right home and I went to bed
I stuck that lovin' forty-four beneath my head.
Got up next mornin' and I grabbed that gun
Took a shot of cocaine and away I run
Made a good run but I run too slow
Laid in the hot joint takin' the pill
In walked a sheriff from Jericho Hill
He said Willy Lee your name is not Jack Brown
You're the dirty hack that shot your woman down.
I said yes sir my name is Willie Lee
If you've got a warrant just read it to me
Shot her down cause she made me slow
I thought I was her daddy but she had five more.
When I was arrested I was dressed in black
They put me on a train and they took me back
Had no friends for to go my bail
They slapped my dried up carcass in the county jail.
Early next morning about a half past nine
I spied a sheriff comin' down the line
Coughed and coughed as he cleared his throat
He said come on you dirty hack into that district court
Into the court room my trial began
Where I was handled by twelve honest men
Just before the jury started out
I saw that little judge commence to look about.
In about five minutes in walked a man
Holding the verdict in his right hand
The verdict read in the first degree
I hollered Lordy Lordy have mercy on me
The judge he smiled as he picked up his pen
Ninety nine years in the Folsom pen
Ninety nine years underneath that ground
I can't forget the day I shot that bad bitch down
Come on you gotta listen unto me
Lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be
The lyrics to Phil Boroff's song Cocaine tell the story of Willie Lee, a man who was under the influence of cocaine when he shot and killed his woman. The song describes how Willie took a shot of cocaine while making the rounds one morning and then went home and put a 44 beneath his head. The next morning, he took another shot of cocaine and ran away, but he was eventually caught in Juarez Mexico. In jail, he was accused of being the "dirty hack" who shot his woman down and was sentenced to 99 years in prison.
The song draws attention to the dangers of drug abuse and how it can lead people into making terrible mistakes. The cocaine use is depicted as a form of escape and leads Willie to murder. He is caught and he pays the ultimate price for his crime. The lyrics encourage listeners to stay away from both drugs and alcohol because they can alter judgment and lead to dangerous situations.
Line by Line Meaning
Early one mornin' while makin' the rounds
One morning while I was out and about
I took a shot of cocaine and shot my woman down
I used cocaine and killed my significant other
I went right home and I went to bed
I immediately went home and to sleep
I stuck that lovin' forty-four beneath my head.
I kept my gun close by me while I slept
Got up next mornin' and I grabbed that gun
The next morning, I picked up my gun
Took a shot of cocaine and away I run
I used cocaine and fled the scene
Made a good run but I run too slow
I ran far but not fast enough
They overtook me down in Juarez Mexico.
They caught me in Juarez, Mexico
Laid in the hot joint takin' the pill
I was in prison, taking medication
In walked a sheriff from Jericho Hill
A sheriff from Jericho Hill entered
He said Willy Lee your name is not Jack Brown
The sheriff addressed me as Willy Lee, not Jack Brown
You're the dirty hack that shot your woman down.
He accused me of killing my girlfriend
I said yes sir my name is Willie Lee
I admitted that my name was Willie Lee
If you've got a warrant just read it to me
I requested to see a warrant if they had one
Shot her down cause she made me slow
I shot her because she held me back
I thought I was her daddy but she had five more.
I believed I was the father figure in her life, but she had others
When I was arrested I was dressed in black
I was wearing black when I was taken into custody
They put me on a train and they took me back
They transported me back by train
Had no friends for to go my bail
I had no friends to bail me out
They slapped my dried up carcass in the county jail.
They placed me in county jail
Early next morning about a half past nine
The next morning at 9:30 am
I spied a sheriff comin' down the line
I saw a sheriff approaching
Coughed and coughed as he cleared his throat
The sheriff cleared his throat as I coughed
He said come on you dirty hack into that district court
He ordered me to go to court
Into the court room my trial began
My trial started in the courtroom
Where I was handled by twelve honest men
Twelve honest men judged me
Just before the jury started out
Before the jury left the courtroom
I saw that little judge commence to look about.
I noticed the judge was looking around
In about five minutes in walked a man
A man entered after five minutes
Holding the verdict in his right hand
He had the verdict in his hand
The verdict read in the first degree
The verdict was a guilty verdict in the highest degree
I hollered Lordy Lordy have mercy on me
I cried out for mercy
The judge he smiled as he picked up his pen
The judge smirked as he grabbed his pen
Ninety nine years in the Folsom pen
I was sentenced to 99 years in Folsom Penitentiary
Ninety nine years underneath that ground
The sentence would last until my death
I can't forget the day I shot that bad bitch down
I still remember the day I killed my girlfriend
Come on you gotta listen unto me
Listen to my story
Lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be
Stop drinking and using cocaine
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: T.J. ARNALL, WILLIAM A NICHOLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ChavezRey
Thanks for posting this classic. I saw Phil Boroff in San Diego, 2010 with Roland White, they were amazing together!
Gilles Malkine
One of the only recordings of this song that I could find that's close to the original by Luke Jordan in 1927 for Victor - love it!