All night long , I tried, but couldn't sleep

Tried to be a man, tried not to weep

Now, I hear the turning of the key

Silently, the guard motions to me



Now, I realize the end is near

And I find I can't control my fear

As I pass the guard, I start to cry

And I whisper, " I don't want to die"



Then, from Death Row comes a whisper

"Charlie, be a man"

Then, I scream, "Just wait 'til your turn

Then, see if you can"



Down the hall, they push and carry me

Blind with fright and tears won't let me see

Through a door and then, I stop and stare

'Cause I see it, there it is, the chair



Then, they strap me in and turn to leave

And the Prison Chaplain says, "Believe

Faith in God will cause Him to forgive"

I have faith, but still, I wanna live



Suddenly, I'm paralized

This must be the end

My body jerks and trembles

And they turn it on again



As quickly as it came, the pain is gone

I hear music. Someone sings a song

Suddenly, I seem to float through air

Something's wrong, 'cause I'm still in the chair



In the room, there's hardly any light

And I see the Doctor dressed in white

I hear every word that's plainly said

Did I hear him say, "This man is dead"