Prison Song
g. nash Lyrics

One day a friend took me aside
One day, a friend took the singer aside to inform them of something important.

And said I have to leave you
The friend told the singer that they had to part ways.

For buying something from a friend
The reason for the friend leaving was because the singer had bought something from a friend.

They say I've done wrong
The friend and others have deemed the singer's actions to be morally wrong.

For protecting the name of a man
The singer was trying to protect the reputation of someone else through their actions.

They say I'll have to leave you,
The general consensus is that the singer must bid farewell to their friend.

So now I'm bidding you farewell
The singer is saying goodbye to their friend.

For much too long.
The separation will be longer than either of them would like.

And here's a song to sing,
The singer is providing a song for others to sing.

For every man inside,
This song is specifically for men who are incarcerated.

If he can hear you sing
If the men can hear the song, it gives them hope for a way out.

It's an open door.
The song represents an opportunity to leave prison behind and start anew.

There's not a rich man there,
Even the wealthy are subjected to the same rules as everyone else.

Who couldn't pay his way
If a rich man wanted out of prison, he could easily pay for it.

And buy the freedom that's a high price
Freedom is costly, both in terms of money and morality.

For the poor.
Those who are poor cannot afford to buy their way out of prison.

Kids in Texas
There are young people in Texas who are imprisoned.

Smoking grass,
They are incarcerated for using marijuana.

Ten year sentence
They were given a 10-year prison sentence.

Comes to pass
This is the reality of their situation.

Misdemeanor
In Ann Arbor, a less serious offense is considered a misdemeanor.

Ask the judges
The singer is telling listeners to question those who hold power in the judicial system.

Why?
Why is it that minor offenses are punishable by such harsh sentences in some places?

One day a friend said to her kids
The singer recounts another story, this time involving a friend and her children.

I'm gonna have to leave you
The friend is telling her children that she has to leave them behind for a while.

For selling something to the man
The reason for the friend's punishment is because she sold something to an authority figure.

I guess I did wrong
The friend believes that she made a mistake.

And although I did the best I could
The friend tried her hardest, but it wasn't enough to avoid punishment.

I'm gonna have to leave you
The friend reiterates that she has to leave her children behind.

So now I'm kissing you farewell
The friend is saying goodbye to her children.

For much too long.
The separation will be lengthy.