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 sinner, and think 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