harlan howard
This song was written by Harlan Howard, and first released by Freddie Hart in 1959. George Hamilton IV covered it in 1961, and Johnny Cash recorded it for his 1965 album "Orange Blossom Special". Followed only by his own guitar ... and omitting a verse ... he performed it at Folsom Prison January 1968, and further covers ought to be neglected.
Howard himself, in an interview, said that writing good country songs depended on "3 chords and the truth". Howard himself was never jailed, so he never knew cell block ten. And he never knew many chords either, so I added a few. Still it is a good song.
there's a lot of strange men in cell block ten
but the strangest of them all
was a friend of mine who spent his time
staring at the wall : staring at the wall
in his hand was a note that his gal had wrote
proving crime don't pay
was the very same gal he robbed and stole for
namin' their wedding day : namin' their wedding day
as he looked at the wall so strong and tall
I heard him softly curse
«nobody at all ever climbed that wall
but I'm going to be the first
I'm going to be the first»
then the warden walked by and said «son don't try
I'd hate to see you fall
because there is no doubt they'll carry you out
if you ever touch that wall : ever touch that wall»
well a years gone by since he made his try
but I can still recall
how hard he tried and the way he died
but he never made that wall : never made that wall
well there's never been a man ever shook this can
but I knew a man who tried
the newspapers called it a jailbreak plan
but I know it was suicide:
I know it was suicide
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
G there's a lot of strange men in cell block ten D7 but the strangest of them all C G Em was a friend of mine who spent his time C E7 A7 D7 G staring at the wall : staring at the wall G C G as he looked at the wall so strong and tall C G I heard him softly curse C G Em nobody at all ever climbed that wall C D7 E7 A7 D7 G but I'm going to be the first I'm going to be the first
