Every son wants to follow in the footsteps of his dad That's why my boy is in this cell next to me Tonight I'll sing him a song about mama and home For tomorrow he'll meet his destiny. So, I'll sing him a song about mama and home It's all that's kept him from losing his mind I'll sing him a song about mama and home But tonight I'll sing my last time. (In the morning at sunrise they're gonna take my boy out to hang And the scaffold and thirteen steps they built near by my door But I know that when the warden leads him past my cell Yes he's gonna say papa sing me a song once more) Papa sing me a song about mama and home It's all that's kept me from losing my mind Papa sing him a song about mama and home But sing a song to die by this time. Papa sing a song to die by this time...