A mile and a quarter of treacherous water keeps men in Alcatraz
Three men did what folks have claimed for years could not be done
Three men broke through prison walls and left there on the run
Tried to make a liar out of anyone who says
Once you’re on the rock there’s no escape from Alcatraz

A mile and a quarter of treacherous water keeps men in Alcatraz
A mile and a quarter of treacherous water keeps men in Alcatraz
They dug holes with sharpened spoons and then one night these three
Climbed a shaft a twelve foot fence and took a raft to sea
Not the first to try but the first to almost get away
From that fortress in the heart of San Francisco Bay

Two men tried in ‘37 and three in ‘38
Then again in ‘43 four convicts made a break
Jumped a cliff into the cold swift water of the bay
Three were caught and one was shot just as he swam away

Three men thought they had it made but traces have been found
Memos at a rain soaked raft tell us these men were drown
Which just goes to prove it’s true what everybody says
Once you’re on the rock there’s no escape from Alcatraz