These chains of sorrow, they are heavy, it is true

And these locks cannot be broken,

No, not with one thousand keys

O jailer, you drag a ball-n-chain you cannot see

You can lay your burden on me

You can lay your burden down on me

You can lay your burden down upon me

But you cannot lay down your memory





Woooo wooo wooo

Woooo wooo wooo

Here i go!

Knockin on joe!

This square foot of sky will be mine til i die

Knocking on joe

Woooo wooo wooo

All down the row

Knockin on joe





O warden i surrender to you

Your fists can't hurt me anymore

You know, these hands will never mop

Your dirty death row floors

O preacher, come closer, you don't scare me anymore

Just tell nancy not to come here

Just tell her not to come here anymore

Tell nancy not to come

And let me die in the memory of those arms





O woo woo woo

Woo woo woo

All down the row

Knockin on joe

O you kings of halls and ends of halls

You will die within these walls

And i'll go, down the row

Knockin on joe





O nancy's body is a coffin,

She wears my tombstone at her head

O nancy's body is a coffin,

She wears my tombstone at her head

She wears her body like a coffin

She wears a dress of gold and red

She wears a dress of gold and red

She wears a dress of red and gold

Grave-looters at my coffin

Before my body's even cold





It's a door for when i go

Knockin on joe

These hands will never mop

Your dirty death row floors

No! you can hide! you can run!

O but your trial is yet to come

O you can run! you can hide!

But you have yet to be tried!

You can lay your burdens down here

You can lay your burden down

Knockin on joe

You can lay your burden upon me

You can lay your burden upon me

Knockin on joe

You can lay it down here

You can bring your burden down

Knockin on joe

You can't hurt me anymore

You can't hurt me anymore

Knockin on joe





(ad lib)


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