Ellis Unit One written by Steve Earle
[E]I was fresh out of the service
It was [A]back in ?82
[E]I raised some Cain when I came back t[B]o town [A]
[E]I meant to be all I could be
[A]Come home without a clue
[E]Married Dawn and had to settle[B] down [E]
So I [E]hired on at the prison
Guess I alw[A]ays knew I would
[E]Just like my dad and both my uncl[B]es done [A]
[E]Worked on every cell block
Now, thing[A]s're goin' good
Then they [E]transferred me to Ellis Unit O[B]ne[E]
[A]Swing [B]low
[E]Swing [A]low
B E (repeat)
Swing low and carry me home
[E]Now, my daddy used to talk about them l[A]ong nights at the walls
And [E]how they used to strap ?em in[B] the chair [A]
[E]The kids down from the college and they'd[A] bring their beer ?n all
[E]When the lights went out, a cheer rose in th[B]e air [A]
I guess [E]folks just got too civilized
[A]Old Sparky's gatherin' dust
[E]No one wants to touch a smo[B]kin' gun [A]
[E]They got that injection now
They don't [A]mind as much, I guess
[E]Put ?em down on Ellis Unit[B] One [E]
[A]Swing [B]low
[E]Swing [A]low
B E (repeat)
Swing low and carry me home
[E]Well, I've seen ?em fight like lions, boys
[A]I've seen 'em go like lambs
[E]And I've helped to drag ?em when they could [B]not stand [A]
[E]And I've heard their mamas cryin' when they [A]heard that big door slam
[E]I've seen the victim's family's [B]holdin' hands [E]
[E]Last night I dreamed that I woke up with strap[A]s across my chest
[E]And something cold and black pullin' through m[B]y lungs [A]
[E]Even Jesus couldn't save me though I know he did his bes[A]t
But he [E]don't live on E[B]llis Unit [E]One
Chorus x2
[E]I was fresh out of the service
It was [A]back in ?82
[E]I raised some Cain when I came back t[B]o town [A]
[E]I meant to be all I could be
[A]Come home without a clue
[E]Married Dawn and had to settle[B] down [E]
So I [E]hired on at the prison
Guess I alw[A]ays knew I would
[E]Just like my dad and both my uncl[B]es done [A]
[E]Worked on every cell block
Now, thing[A]s're goin' good
Then they [E]transferred me to Ellis Unit O[B]ne[E]
[A]Swing [B]low
[E]Swing [A]low
B E (repeat)
Swing low and carry me home
[E]Now, my daddy used to talk about them l[A]ong nights at the walls
And [E]how they used to strap ?em in[B] the chair [A]
[E]The kids down from the college and they'd[A] bring their beer ?n all
[E]When the lights went out, a cheer rose in th[B]e air [A]
I guess [E]folks just got too civilized
[A]Old Sparky's gatherin' dust
[E]No one wants to touch a smo[B]kin' gun [A]
[E]They got that injection now
They don't [A]mind as much, I guess
[E]Put ?em down on Ellis Unit[B] One [E]
[A]Swing [B]low
[E]Swing [A]low
B E (repeat)
Swing low and carry me home
[E]Well, I've seen ?em fight like lions, boys
[A]I've seen 'em go like lambs
[E]And I've helped to drag ?em when they could [B]not stand [A]
[E]And I've heard their mamas cryin' when they [A]heard that big door slam
[E]I've seen the victim's family's [B]holdin' hands [E]
[E]Last night I dreamed that I woke up with strap[A]s across my chest
[E]And something cold and black pullin' through m[B]y lungs [A]
[E]Even Jesus couldn't save me though I know he did his bes[A]t
But he [E]don't live on E[B]llis Unit [E]One
Chorus x2
