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02 Jul 03 - 10:54 PM (#975689) Subject: Lyr Req: Steve Earle death row song From: michaelr Saw an old "Sessions at West 54th" with Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band (together!). Steve, who is a tireless anti-death penalty activist, sang a devastatingly brilliant song which he wrote from the viewpoint of a Death Row prison guard... it contains "Unit One" in the chorus. Anyone have the lyrics to this? Cheers, Michael |
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03 Jul 03 - 01:25 AM (#975722) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Steve Earle death row song From: toadfrog You might try THIS WEBSITE. I'm not a real fan, but you might be able to find it. |
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03 Jul 03 - 04:48 AM (#975774) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Steve Earle death row song From: Big Tim The song is "Ellis Unit One" from the movie "Dead Man Walking" starring Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn (1995). The soundtrack album is a great one with original songs by Springsteen, Cash, Vega, Lovett, Nusrat Feteh Ali Khan (great Pakistani singer), Waits, Shocked, MC Carpenter, Earle, Patti Smith, Eddie Vedder. If you can't get the lyrics froma website, I'll post them later. |
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03 Jul 03 - 02:55 PM (#976121) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Steve Earle death row song From: Walking Eagle I found them at the website that Toadfrog provided. Can anyone provide music or chords? |
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03 Jul 03 - 03:11 PM (#976130) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Steve Earle death row song From: Clinton Hammond Probably... Steve Earl tends tend to write songs of 3 or 4 chords at most... Also check out his song "I'm Going Over Yonder"... another great death row song... |
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03 Jul 03 - 03:49 PM (#976154) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Steve Earle death row song From: Raptor Both "Billy Austin" And "Over Yonder" Are Steves Death row songs And are in Double drop D tunings. "Billy Austin" Is on "THE Other Kind" ALBUM AS well As "Shut up and die like an Aviator" Steve Earl Live "Over Yonder" is on the "Trasindental Blues" Album As well as The New Steve Earl Live Concert From Convocaton Hall In Toronto Now out on DVD "Ellis Unit one" Lyrics can be found atHere Can be Found on the "Dead Man Walking" soundtrack as well as on the program Steve Earle Live at The Ottawa Blues Festival |
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03 Jul 03 - 07:30 PM (#976283) Subject: Lyr Add: ELLIS UNIT ONE (Steve Earle) From: michaelr Thanks all. Here are the lyrics: ELLIS UNIT ONE (Steve Earle) I was fresh out of the service It was back in '82 I raised some Cain when I come back to town I left to be all I could be Come home without a clue Now, I married Dawn and had to settle down So I hired on at the prison Guess I always knew I would Just like my dad and both my uncles done And I worked on every cell block Now, things're goin' good But then they transferred me to Ellis Unit One Swing low Swing low Swing low and carry me home Well, my daddy used to talk about them long nights at the walls And how they used to strap 'em in the chair The kids down from the college and they'd bring their beer 'n all 'N when the lights went out, a cheer rose in the air Well, folks just got too civilized Sparky's gatherin' dust 'Cause no one wants to touch a smokin' gun And since they got the injection They don't mind as much, I guess They just put 'em down at Ellis Unit One Swing low Swing low Swing low and carry me home Well, I've seen 'em fight like lions, boys I've seen 'em go like lambs And I've helped to drag 'em when they could not stand And I've heard their mamas cryin' when they heard that big door slam And I've seen the victim's family holdin' hands Last night I dreamed that I woke up with straps across my chest And something cold and black pullin' through my lungs 'N even Jesus couldn't save me though I know he did his best But he don't live on Ellis Unit One Swing low Swing low Swing low and carry me home Swing low Don't let go Swing low and carry me home |
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19 Jan 23 - 08:40 AM (#4162942) Subject: Lyr Add: BILLY AUSTIN (Steve Earle) From: Felipa also BILLY AUSTIN by Steve Earle My name is Billy Austin I'm Twenty-Nine years old I was born in Oklahoma Quarter Cherokee I'm told Don't remember Oklahoma Been so long since I left home Seems like I've always been in prison Like I've always been alone Didn't mean to hurt nobody Never thought I'd cross that line I held up a filling station Like I'd done a hundred times The kid done like I told him He lay face down on the floor Guess I'll never know what made me Turn and walk back through that door The shot rang out like thunder My ears rang like a bell No one came runnin' So I called the cops myself Took their time to get there And I guess I could'a run I knew I should be feeling something But I never shed tear one I didn't even make the papers 'Cause I only killed one man But my trial was over quickly And then the long hard wait began Court appointed lawyer Couldn't look me in the eye He just stood up and closed his briefcase When they sentenced me to die Now my waitin's over As the final hour drags by I ain't about to tell you That I don't deserve to die But there's twenty-seven men here Mostly black, Brown and poor Most of them are guilty Who are you to say for sure? So when the preacher comes to get me And they shave off all my hair Could you take that long walk with me Knowing hell is waitin' there Could you pull that switch yourself sir With a sure and steady hand Could you still tell youself sir? That you're better than I am My name is Billy Austin I'm twenty-nine years old I was born in Oklahoma Quarter Cherokee I'm told Source of lyrics: Musixmatch Songwriters: Steve Earle Billy Austin lyrics © Wb Music Corp., Duke Of Earle Music, Warner Olive Music Llc. |
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19 Jan 23 - 09:01 AM (#4162948) Subject: Lyr Add: Over Yonder by Steve Earle From: Felipa Subject: RE: Songs about capital punishment. From: Brian Peters - PM Date: 19 Jan 23 - 07:49 AM As a guest called 'cittern' mentioned twenty years ago, Steve Earle has long been a vocal opponent of the death penalty and has spent time with Death Row prisoners. To 'Ellis Unit One', mentioned previously, you can add 'Over Yonder' OVER YONDER (Jonathan's Song) The warden said he'd mail my letter The chaplain's waitin' by the door Tonight we'll cross the yard together Then they can't hurt me anymore. I am going over yonder Where no ghost can follow me There's another place beyond here Where I'll be free I believe. Give my radio to Johnson Thibodeaux can have my fan Send my Bible home to Mama Call her every now and then. I suppose I got it comin' I can't ever pay enough All my rippin' and a runnin' I hurt everyone I loved. The world'll turn around without me The sun'll come up in the east Shinin' down on all of them that hate me I hope my goin' brings 'em peace. You can read Steve's account of the background to the song here: Death in Texas https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2001/jan/22/features11.g2 |
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19 Jan 23 - 09:32 AM (#4162953) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Steve Earle death row song From: Felipa more of this ilk - see the list of related threads at the top of the page https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=128473 Until the Day I Die https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=29850 Steve Earle sees a friend killed - is a discussion based on the Guardian article Death in Texas about the inspiration for Over Yonder (Jonathan's Song) |
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24 Jan 23 - 05:25 PM (#4163460) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Steve Earle death row song From: robomatic I'm a fan of Steve Earle but perhaps not enough of one; and will look for this. |