Stripes On My Back

D  A  D
D  A  D

          D
Well them 4 walls of Raiford are 
closing in on me
     A                       
Doin 3-5 hard labor for armed 
      D
robbery
       D
I have 2 years behind me, I could 
not wait the time
      A                            
Every time I thought about it well 
                   D
I died some more inside
          D
And I had stripes on my back and 
memories that hurt
    A                           
The only time I seen sunshine is 
                D
when I went to work
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        D
Diggin' ditches for the chain gang, 
sleepin' the hole
   A                           
Oh Lord please forgive me for I 
                      D
could not wait for parole

              G                    
And I'm comin home to see Jesus, I 
D
feel so close this time
            A                      
Please take mercy on a soldier from
                     D
 the Florida/Georgia line
          G                        
When they find me they must kill 
       D
me, Lord Jesus, save my soul
        A                          
I can't go back down to Raiford, I 
                   D
can't take that anymore


Well these last few years behind me,
 Oh Lord have been so sad
I fought proudly for my country when
 the times were bad
But now they say I'm guilty and when
 they find me I must die
Only me and Jesus know I never stole
 a dime
Well when Vietnam was over there was
 no work here for me
I had a pretty wife a-waitin' and 2 
kids I had to feed
Well I'm one of America's heroes and
 when they shoot me down
Won't you fly Old Glory proudly, put
 my medals in the ground

Chorus