Samson And The Warden

Once I got locked up in a dirty old jail

And the coffee was cold & the cornbread was stale

And I didn't cry. I tried to be brave

Till the warden tried to give me a haircut & a shave

Warden you can hold me for a year in your jail

But don't shave off my beard. Don't cut my ponytail.

All you really found was some stems & some seeds

I'll give you my earring & I'll give you my beads

I don't mind wearing one o your prison suits

I'll give you my bell-bottoms & my cowboy boots

Don't shave off my beard. Don't cut off my hair.

It took me two years to grow it, & it just isn't fair

Listen to me warden, won't you listen to me beg

Chop off a toe, a foot, or take a whole leg

I'm down on my knees man, you're robbing my strength

Take it easy warden, won't you leave me some length

I want a lawyer warden, I want a priest

Oh take it easy warden, leave the moustache at least

The warden didn't hear a single word that I said

He took off all the hair on my face & on my head

But one day someone's gonna come

And gonna put up my bail

And I'm gonna walk out of this dirty old jail

And the warden who's the reason I'm sheddin my tears

I'm gonna mail him in a snapshot in two or three years