Green Green Grass of Home
Written by Claude “Curly” Putman Jr., “Green Green Grass of Home” was recorded into two popular versions in the mid-sixties, once by Porter Wagoner and a year later by Bobby Bare. The following year, the Tom Jones recording became #1 on the UK charts. The song tells the story of of someone returning home only to wake up inside a prison cell and realize it was only a dream.
‘Changes’- Tupac
Tupac Shakur raps about the hardship of growing up being African American in the United States. He raps about dealing drugs, abusing drugs, confronting violence and murder, and how things are not looking like they are going to change.
‘Locked Up’- Akon
Akon sings about what it is like to be locked up in prison. He sings about how he was dealing drugs and got caught. He has left behind a family and he is barely getting visits from them.
[AKON]
Im steady tryna find a motive,
Why do what i do?,
Freedom aint gettin no closer,
No matter how far i go,
My car is stolen, no registration,
Cops patrolin, and now they done stop me,
And i get locked up,
[Chorus]
They won’t let me out, they won’t let me out, (im locked up)
They won’t let me out no, they wont let me out, (im locked up)
They won’t let me out, they won’t let me out, (im locked up)
They won’t let me out no, they won’t let me out
[Akon]
Headin up town to ria,
Back with a couple peeps,
Caught a blocks on fire,
Under covers dressed as fiends,
Makin so much money,
Ride up smooth and fast,
Put away the stash,
And as i sold the last bag fucked around and got locked up
[CHORUS]
They won’t let me out, they won’t let me out, (my nigga im locked up)
They won’t let me out no, they wont let me out, (i got locked up)
They won’t let me out, they won’t let me out, (baby girl im locked up)
They won’t let me out no, they won’t let me out
Cuz visitation no longer comes by,
Seems like they forgot about me,
Commissary is getting empty,
My cell mates getting food without me,
Can’t wait to get out and move forward with my life,
Got a family that loves me and wants me to do right
But instead Im here locked up
[CHORUS]
They won’t let me out, they won’t let me out,
(ohhh im locked up)
They won’t let me out no, they wont let me out,
(my nigga im locked up)
They won’t let me out, they won’t let me out, (im locked up)
They won’t let me out no, they won’t let me out
Maybe a visit (they won’t let me out)
Send me some magazines (they won’t let me out)
Send me some money orders (they won’t let me out, no)
Maybe a visit baby (they won’t let me out)
Cuz im locked up, they won’t let me out.
Wheres my lawyer? (they won’t let me out)
Im locked up, they won’t let me out, no.
Get me outta here (they won’t let me out)
Im locked up, they won’t let me out, they won’t let me out.
Baby Im locked up they won’t let me out, no
Where’s my niggaz?
On the lock-down.
Damn, im locked up, they won’t let me out.
Im locked up, they won’t let me out.
Ohhh… they won’t let me out.
Can you please accept my phone calls?
Cuz Im locked up, locked up, locked up.
Social Distortion- Prison Bound
California Punk Rockers, Social Distortion are famous for their gritty attitude and innovative songwriting. Their songs “Ball and Chain,” “Reach for the Sky” and their cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” are mega hits for radio stations and fans. Here’s a video of them at KROQ’s weenie roast playing “Prison Bound” off their 1988 album of the same name.
Jenny Was a Friend of Mine – The Killers
This is a song about a man who is getting interrogated by the police about murdering his friend. In certain songs, the lyrics are unclear and the story could go in any direction. Here the meaning of the words ‘I swore I would never let her go’ are unclear.
We took a walk that night, but it wasn’t the same
We had a fight on the promenade out in the rain
She said she loved me, but she had somewhere to go
She couldn’t scream while I held her close
I swore I’d never let her go
Tell me what you wanna know
Oh come on, oh come on, oh come on
There ain’t no motive for this crime
Jenny was a friend of mine
So come on, oh come on, oh come on
I know my rights, I’ve been here all day and it’s time
For me to go, so let me know if it’s alright
I just can’t take this, I swear I told you the truth
She couldn’t scream while I held her close
I swore I’d never let her go
Tell me what you wanna know
Oh come on, oh come on, oh come on
And then you whisper in my ear
I know what you’re doing here
So come on, oh come on, oh come on
There ain’t no motive for this crime
Jenny was a friend of mine
Oh come on, oh come on, oh come on
Tupac – Trapped music video
Tupac raps about his experience as a young black man living in California and the different pressures he faces from society, his community, and tensions with the police.
*WARNING: explicit lyrics
The House of the Rising Sun
“The House of the Rising Sun” is an American folk song made popular in 1964 by an English band The Animals. The meaning of the song’s lyrics debatedly refer to various New Orleans “houses” – from brothels to plantations to prisons. Folk singer, Dave van Ronk wrote in his autobiography that pictures he had seen of the old New Orleans Prison for Women, showed a rising sun design decorating the entrance. Though the song never mentions it directly, many believe that The House of the Rising sun is in reference to a brothel or a prison:
Well, there is a house in New Orleans, they call the Rising Sun. And it’s been the ruin of many a poor girl(boy) and God I know I’m one.
In the Jailhouse Now
Coen brothers' "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" (2000)
In the 2000 Coen brothers film Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? the Soggy Bottom Boys recreate “In the Jailhouse Now,” a novelty song originally found in Vaudeville performances from the early twentieth century, written by “The Father of Country Music”, Jimmie Rodgers.
Johnny Cash to Michael Franti, Thanks to Cheri Snook
At 4:30AM Dr. James Weidell of New Folsom Prison of Sacramento was inspired. Some 60 miles away in Nevada City, CA, predawn radio host Cheri Snook was playing one of her favorite artist, Buddy Tabor. Dr. Weidell later contacted Cheri, which led to a further conversation with Jim Carlson (the head of a fine arts program at the prison). From then on Cheri and Jim have banded together to bring many artist to the prison, including Buddy Tabor, and Michael Franti.
Here is a podcast featuring an interview with Cheri and songs from various concerts.
Here is a recent article from union.com about Cheri.
1940’s Country Western Prison Sensation Brought Back to Life
The Goree Girls String Band is famous for being one of the first all female country and Western bands (ie: Dixie Chicks circa 1940’s), for having over 6 million listeners weekly, and for being prisoners at what was once Texas’s only female prison – the Goree Farm.
This amazing story in American music history, nearly forgotten, is now in production to be a feature film, thanks to a number of people, namely the author of the Texas Monthly article “O Sister, Where Art Thou?” Skip Hollandsworth, film and television actress Jennifer Aniston, and most importantly the Goree Girls.
Read Skip Hollandsworth’s article.
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