These are the words as given in Lomax and Lomax (1936) Negro Folk Songs As Sung by Lead Belly New York: Macmillan pp231-235.

Lead Belly Sings:

In nineteen hundred and thirty-two,
Honorable Governor O. K. Allen, I'm appealin' to you.

Lead Belly Speaks:

Now this song I compose in nieteen-thirty-two. I sung it on up into nieteen-thirty-four. And on the first day of July the good, cool, kind, boss, better known as Mr. John A. Lomax, and his son, better known as Mr. Alan Lomax, they come down to the Louisiana State Penitentiary, which is at Angola. The boss told me, says, "This song you made about Governor O. K. Allen," says "if you'll sing it through my mikeaphone, I'll take it to Governor O. K. Allen for you." I thanked him, says, "Boss, if you take it to Governor O. K. Allen, I sho believe he'll turn me a-loose." And sho 'nough de boss, I sung this song to him, and he taken it to Baton Rouge; and one month from that day Governor O. K. Allen told me to go home.

Lead Belly Sings:

I left my wife wringin' her hands an' cryin',
Sayin', "Governor O. K. Allen, save this man of mine."

Lead Belly Speaks:

Mr Hymes was runnin' all through de penitentiary system - he was de General Manager, next to the Governor O. K. Allen - seein' how many mens they had. Well, de penitentiary was runnin' over wid men, and they had to make some 'rangements to turn some o' them loose. They started 'prievin' them out in nineteen hundred and thirty-two, and the first number was three hundred and twenty five.

Lead Belly Sings:

And Honorable Mr. Hymes looked over de pen,
Told Governor O. K. Allen, "You've got too many men."

Lead Belly Speaks:

Governor O. K. Allen began to get up and turn around to try to do a little somepin' about turning some of them loose.

Lead Belly Sings:

Governor O. K. Allen begin to turn about,
"Got to make some'rangements to turn some of them out."

Lead Belly Speaks:

Warden Long was Governor Huey Long's first cousin. Mr Hymes goes and tells Warden Long the 'rangements him and Governor O. K. Allen done made.

Lead Belly Sings:

And Honorable Mr. Hymes says to Honorable Warden Long,
"Done made some 'rangements to let the men go home."

Lead Belly Speaks:

When I looked in the Shreveport Times - was our paper out of Shreveport, Louisiana - the first number I saw was three hundred and twenty-five.

Lead Belly Sings:

I looked in the paper and I was surprised,
When I saw the number - three hundred and twenty-five.

Lead Belly Speaks:

I begin to think about the woman I had left behind in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Lead Belly Sings:

I know my wife gonna jump and shout,
When the train rolls up and I come steppin' out.

Lead Belly Speaks:

I begin to praise Governor O. K. Allen for the kindness he had done. He hadn't turned me loose, but I b'lieve when he heard this song he gonna turn me loose.

Lead Belly Sings:

Governor O. K. Allen, 'member you the rest of my life,
You studied up a plan to send so many men to their wives.

Lead Belly Speaks:

I wanted all the boys to think about Mr Fournet's son, who was Lieutenant Governor behind Governor O. K. Allen and head of the board of pardons at New Orleans. His name was Mister Fournet. When they write a letter to the pardon board, I want 'em to mention his name in the letter.

Lead Belly Sings:

When you write you a letter, please don't forget,
Lieutenant Gov'nor, Honorable Mr. Fournet.

Lead Belly Speaks:

And here's the last verse I said to Governor O. K. Allen and here's just what he done.

Lead Belly Sings:

Had you, Governor O. K. Allen, like you got me,
I'd wake up in de mornin', let you out on reprieve.