Intro:  Ab  Cm  Fm  Cm  Db...  / Ab - Db... Db / (2x) 
 
     Fm           Db         Eb           Fm 
It crawls on his back, won't ever let him be 
               Db              Eb                Fm 
Stares at the walls until the cinder blocks can breathe 
              Db           Eb          Fm 
His eyes have gone away, escaping over time 
            Db            Eb            Fm 
He rules a crowded nation... insi...ide his mind 
 
Ab  Cm  Fm  Cm  Db...  / Ab - Db... Db / (2x) 
 
               Fm             Db            Eb            Fm 
He knows that night like his hand, he knows every move he made 
                 Db               Eb                 Fm 
Late shift, the bell that rang, a time card... won't... fade 
           Db                Eb                    Fm 
10:05 his truck pulled home, 10:05 he climbed his stair 
          Db            Eb              Fm 
About the time he was accused of being there 
 
Ab  Cm  Fm  Cm... 
 
        Db...       / Ab - Db... Db / (2x) 
But I'm not the man 
                  Ab             Eb/G  Ab  Db 
He goes free as I... wait on the row... 
         Ab                Eb/G        Ab            Db 
For the man... to test the rope he'll slip around my... throat... 
Ab  -  Cm -     / Fm...    Fm / (2x) 
   and    silen...   ce me 
 
       Fm          Db       Eb          Fm 
On the day he was tried no witness testified 
            Db                Eb          Fm 
Nothing but evidence, not... hard to falsify 
            Db            Eb          Fm 
His own confession was a prosecutor's prize 
            Db           Eb                  Fm 
made up of fear, of rage... and of outright lies 
  
 Ab Cm  Fm  Cm... 
 
        Db          / Ab - Db    D / (2x) 
But I'm not the man 
                     Ab           Eb/G  Ab  Db 
He goes free as the candle vigil glows  
        Ab         Eb/G    Ab  Db 
As they... burn my clothes 
 
/ Ab - Cm - Fm / Fm - Ab 
 
       Eb/G             Ab        Db          Ab 
As the cro... owd cries... "Hang him... slow!" 
      Eb/G         Ab          Db      Ab    Cm     Fm      / Fm / (2x) 
And I...   feel my... blood go... cold...   he goes... free 
 
Fm  Db  Eb  Fm 
 
             Db           Eb            Fm 
Call out the KKK, they're... wild after me 
               Db               Eb            Fm 
And with that frenzied look of half-demented zeal 
                Db            Eb       Fm 
they'd love to serve me up my... final... meal 
 
Db  Eb  Fm 
 
 Db            Eb       Fm       Db         Eb     Fm 
Who'll read my... final rite and... hear my... last... appeal? 
    Db             Eb         Fm 
Who... struck this... devil's... deal?