Charlie Daniels Willie Jones
Willie Jones was a man I met when I lived in Baltimore
I was a guard and he was doing time
In the three long years he stayed there I got to know
him well
Willie Jones he was a friend of mine
He used to say buddy you know where I'm going when they
let me out of here
Alabama could be heaven if the Lord was there
And he talked about the southland though he'd drifted
from its shores
I never seen a man who loved it more
He talked about the whippoorwills in the Alabama night
Honeysuckle vine and sugar cane
Swimming holes and fishing poles and early morning
frost
And sleeping under a tin roof when it rained
He talked about a country road and a cabin in the pines
And a girl with wavy long chestnut brown hair
He talked about the beauty of his Blue Ridge Mountain
home
And darn near made me think that I was there
He used to say buddy you know where I'm going when they
let me out of here
Alabama could be heaven if the Lord was there
When a man ain't got no freedom the time sure passes
slow
Willie Jones had ten long years to go
It's been almost a years now since that hot night in
July
Willie hit the guard and jumped the fence
I had my rifle ready but I couldn't let it fly
I shot over his head and we ain't seen him since
Then last week the postman brought a letter to my door
Marked No Return Address and No Reply
It just said nobody north of Birmingham is gonna see
this boy again
But if you're ever down our way won't you please drop
by
He used to say buddy you know where I'm going when they
let me out of here
Alabama could be heaven if the Lord was there
And he talked about the southland though he'd drifted
from its shores
I never seen a man who loved it more
