Lyr/Chords Add: Prison Trilogy (Joan Baez)

Subject: Prison Trilogy - Joan Baez
From:
Date: 01 Sep 00 - 12:50 AM

I am looking for the chords to Joan Baez's "Prison Trilogy" Help! Thanks! You can email me at [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Prison Trilogy - Joan Baez
From: WyoWoman
Date: 01 Sep 00 - 01:43 AM

I haven't seen that particular title. I'll keep checking to see what gets posted because it sounds interestig. However, I do have the words (somewhere) for the one that starts out "Billy Rose was a low rider, Billy Rose was a knife fighter ..." which might be part of that trilogy. Do you know which one I'm talking about?

I don't have chords for it, but I can get you the words if you're interested.

Good luck and I'll stay tuned ...

WyoWoman

Subject: ADD: Prison Trilogy - Joan Baez
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Sep 00 - 01:45 AM

Ah, what a find! Click here for Baez lyrics.
-Joe Offer-

---

PRISON TRILOGY
(Words and Music by Joan Baez)

Billy Rose was a low rider, Billy Rose was a night fighter
Billy Rose knew trouble like the sound of his own name
Busted on a drunken charge
Driving someone else's car
The local midnight sheriff's claim to fame

In an Arizona jail there are some who tell the tale how
Billy fought the sergeant for some milk that he demanded
Knowing they'd remain the boss
Knowing he would pay the cost
They saw he was severely reprimanded

In the blackest cell on "A" Block
He hanged himself at dawn
With a note stuck to the bunk head
Don't mess with me, just take me home

Come and lay, help us lay
young Billy down

Luna was a Mexican the law called an alien
For coming across the border with a baby and a wife
Though the clothes upon his back were wet
Still he thought that he could get
Some money and things to start a life

It hadn't been too very long when it seemed like everything went wrong
They didn't even have the time to find themselves a home
This foreigner, a brown-skin male
Thrown into a Texas jail
It left the wife and baby quite alone

He eased the pain inside him
With a needle in his arm
But the dope just crucified him
He died to no one's great alarm

Come and lay, help us lay
Young Luna down
And we're gonna raze, raze the prisons
To the ground

Kilowatt was an aging con of 65 who stood a chance to stay alive
And leave the joint and walk the streets again
As the time he was to leave drew near
He suffered all the joy and fear
Of leaving 35 years in the pen

And on the day of his release he was approached by the police
Who took him to the warden walking slowly by his side
The warden said "You won't remain here
But it seems a state retainer
Claims another 10 years of your life."

He stepped out in the Texas sunlight
The cops all stood around
Old Kilowatt ran 50 yards
Then threw himself down on the ground

They might as well just have laid
The old man down
And we're gonna raze, raze the prisons
To the ground
Help us raze, raze the prisons
To the ground

© 1971, 1972 Chandos Music (ASCAP)

---

Subject: RE: Prison Trilogy - Joan Baez
From: WyoWoman
Date: 01 Sep 00 - 01:46 AM

Oh. Nevver mind. I just saw the "Billy Rose" thread.

Ww

Subject: RE: Prison Trilogy - Joan Baez
From: WyoWoman
Date: 01 Sep 00 - 01:54 AM

Oh. I wonder why "trilogy" if it's only one song?

ww

Subject: RE: Prison Trilogy - Joan Baez
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Sep 00 - 02:19 AM

Uh, Wyo....
Count the prisoners.
I admit it took me a while to figure it out, too.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Prison Trilogy - Joan Baez
From: canoer
Date: 01 Sep 00 - 08:29 AM

What a great song! (And site, too, Joe, thank you.)

Now, back to the original question: how would a person find the music -- apart from long searches for long-gone Baez recordings -- ?

Merci b. -- canoer

Subject: RE: Prison Trilogy - Joan Baez
From: Midchuck
Date: 01 Sep 00 - 08:40 AM

It's a lovely song.

I wonder if Ms. Baez ever considered the remote possibility that some - a very few - of the people in the prisons just might have behaved in a way that makes it unsafe to allow them to remain at liberty. Of course, we could execute them all, but I have a feeling that she'd object to that too.

Granted, prisons don't work worth a damn in terms of turning people's lives around. But at least while the people in them are in them, they aren't murdering or raping or robbing.

Of course, the ones who are in for essentially victimless drug "crimes" are a different issue...but some of them really are dangerous.

Peter.

Subject: RE: Prison Trilogy - Joan Baez
From: Giac
Date: 01 Sep 00 - 09:18 AM

One of my favorites! Thanks, Joe, for the great site. Was that written during the time her husband, David, was, um, incarcerated? And, was it on "David's Album"?

Seems like I have that somewhere ...

Giac, wandering off muttering about dusty records, lost tunes, idealism, burnt toast ...

Subject: RE: Prison Trilogy - Joan Baez
From: wildlone
Date: 01 Sep 00 - 02:18 PM

I have the Prison Trilogy on the lp
Come From The Shadows AMLH 64339 rec 1972
Unfortunatly I do not have a record player

Subject: RE: Prison Trilogy - Joan Baez
From: WyoWoman
Date: 01 Sep 00 - 05:34 PM

Joe --

Doh!

ww

Subject: prison trilogy Billy Rose
From: rock chick
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 06:25 PM

can anyone help outthere, i'v been trying to fing the lyrics and cords to Prison Trilogy Billy Rose, I just ove this song and would love to play and sing it. I'v only ever heard it by Joan Baez, any help would be really appriciated

Thanks

Subject: Lyr Add: PRISON TRILOGY (Joan Baez)
From: Sorcha
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 06:38 PM

From http://www.joanbaez.com/Lyrics/pristrilogy.html -


PRISON TRILOGY
(Words and Music by Joan Baez)

Billy Rose was a low rider.
Billy Rose was a night fighter.
Billy Rose knew trouble like the sound of his own name,
Busted on a drunken charge,
Driving someone else's car,
The local midnight sheriff's claim to fame.

In an Arizona jail,
There are some who tell the tale
How Billy fought the sergeant for some milk that he demanded,
Knowing they'd remain the boss,
Knowing he would pay the cost.
They saw he was severely reprimanded.

In the blackest cell on "A" Block,
He hanged himself at dawn,
With a note stuck to the bunk head:
"Don't mess with me, just take me home."

Come and lay, help us lay young Billy down.

Luna was a Mexican
The law called an alien,
For coming across the border with a baby and a wife.
Though the clothes upon his back were wet,
Still he thought that he could get
Some money and things to start a life.

It hadn't been too very long
When it seemed like everything went wrong.
They didn't even have the time to find themselves a home.
This foreigner, a brown-skin male,
Thrown into a Texas jail,
It left the wife and baby quite alone.

He eased the pain inside him
With a needle in his arm,
But the dope just crucified him.
He died to no one's great alarm.

Come and lay, help us lay young Luna down,
And we're gonna raze, raze the prisons to the ground.

Kilowatt was an aging con of 65
Who stood a chance to stay alive
And leave the joint and walk the streets again.
As the time he was to leave drew near,
He suffered all the joy and fear
Of leaving 35 years in the pen.

And on the day of his release,
He was approached by the police
Who took him to the warden walking slowly by his side.
The warden said "You won't remain here,
But it seems a state retainer
Claims another 10 years of your life."

He stepped out in the Texas sunlight. The cops all stood around.
Old Kilowatt ran 50 yards then threw himself down on the ground.

They might as well just have laid the old man down
And we're gonna raze, raze the prisons to the ground.
Help us raze, raze the prisons to the ground.

© 1971, 1972 Chandos Music (ASCAP)

Subject: Lyr Add: prison trilogy Billy Rose
From: Sorcha
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 06:42 PM

(!@#$%^&*)Forgot to put an Add in the subject box!! Doing it now.........also, it's not in the Joan Songbook that I have. I have the one that is mostly ballads and laments.

Subject: Chords req 'Prison Trilogy (Billy Rose)'
From: rock chick
Date: 28 Jun 01 - 10:10 AM

Pleaqse does anyone know the chords to Prison Triolgy (Billy Rose) sung by Joan Baez, I have been unable to find the chords anywhere and I am not good enough a guitar player to be able to work them out from the CD.

I just love this song, so if anyone can help it would be great.

Thanks

Subject: RE: Chords req 'Prison Trilogy (Billy Rose)'
From: IvanB
Date: 30 Jun 01 - 12:27 PM

rock chick, when I posted the chords for 'Love Song to a Stranger,' I got them by playing the CD. I tried doing this one at the same time but I have to admit the progression is a bit beyond my skill to determine it. I'll keep trying, but I don't expect I'll get them anytime soon. But then, again, lightning could strike with a sudden flash of insight. Who knows?

Subject: Chords Add: PRISON TRILOGY (Joan Baez)
From: IvanB
Date: 30 Jun 01 - 01:13 PM

Well, thank God for the capo! I had that flash of insight and put one on the first fret, intending to move it up until I established a key for the song. As luck would have it, it sounds in the key of Ab on my CD, which meant that playing in G with the capo on the first fret, I was able to play along with the song. Much to my surprise, the chord progression is very straightforward:

  G
  Billy Rose was a low rider;
  Em
  Billy Rose was a night fighter
  C                                D7
  Billy Rose knew trouble like the sound of his own name
  C           D7
  Busted on a drunken charge
  C               D7
  Drivin' someone else's car
      C              D7                 G
  The local midnight sheriff's claim to fame
  G                            Em
  In an Arizona jail there are some who tell the tale how
  C                                  D7
  Billy fought the sergeant for some milk that he demanded.
  C                D7
  Knowing they'd remain the boss
  C                D7
  Knowing he would pay the cost
  C                 D7          G
  They saw he was severely reprimanded
         Em                D7          Em                D7
  In the blackest cell on "A" Block he hanged himself at dawn
         Em                D7
  With a note stuck to the bunk head
        C                          D7
  Don't mess with me, just take me home.
           G            D7              G
  Come and lay, help us lay young Billy down.

  

I'm sure I've missed some passing chords in the process, but this progression scans pretty well.

Subject: RE: Chords req 'Prison Trilogy (Billy Rose)'
From: Sorcha
Date: 30 Jun 01 - 01:32 PM

Well, Hot Diggity! Good job, Ivan!!

Subject: RE: Chords req 'Prison Trilogy (Billy Rose)'
From: rock chick
Date: 30 Jun 01 - 01:52 PM

Well what can I say Ivan, MY HERO, What smashing people I meet on this site, it's the best so are you. (all)

Thanks a MILLION

Subject: RE: Prison Trilogy - Joan Baez
From: Panny
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 11:25 PM

In case anyone is interested, Joan Baez plays this song on the DVD "Live at Sing Sing" 1974, released 2004.

Subject: RE: Prison Trilogy - Joan Baez
From: GUEST,Mary Katherine
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 11:29 PM

I think I have sheet music for this song (and lots of other Baez ones) - PM me if you're interested, and I'll send it to you if you'll pay postage.

Subject: RE: Chords Req: Prison Trilogy (Joan Baez)
From: GUEST,Sadie F
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 09:24 AM

Hi Mary Katherine,
I want the sheet music but don't know how to PM you. (not a member - just found this through google)
let me know when you see this! my email address is sadie _at_ speedlimit5000. com
thanks

Subject: RE: Chords Req: Prison Trilogy (Joan Baez)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Jun 22 - 11:03 PM

Joe - do cleanup