Fairport Convention - Part VIII lyrics

There's a tiny little window and the sun comes shining through Dancing with the dust that's in my cell There's a sparrow sitting on the sill and he stays for a minute or two But he's frightened by the ringing of the bell There's a bed that I must lie on when at night I take my rest And a chair for me to sit on through the day The men who wait beside me always know what's best For a man who doesn't have too much to say Throw a laugh into the corner, blow a tear against the wall Learn a game to play, improve the mind Confess your sins, you sinners, see how the seconds fall Leave all earthly cares and woes behind And when my short affair with life is ended and I'm gone Will you tell the world the story of John Lee? All you see is nothing and yet everything lives on I was born to pay the hangman's fee