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How I Got In the Penitentiary Lyrics by Alan Lomax

Negro Prison Blues And Songs

1958

[Alan Lomax is the interviewer, denoted Q; Bama is the interviewee, denoted A]
A: I learned that song in Tennessee
Q: Were you raised on a farm?
A: Yes sir, country farm, [all laugh]
Q: Well uh, how come you got in so much trouble?
A: Well, boss, the way I got in trouble the first time, the folks was barrin' me and I just got in the penitentiary and just worked and worked and worked so much. I had to work, and cut up the fellow, and shoot him up and then, when I got out of the penitentiary, I thought I had worked enough, and I decided I could make my livin' without workin' and I commenced with puttin' pistols on folks and that wouldn't do and then I commenced to stealin' еverything wasn't hot and nailed down and the policеs just commenced to runnin' me every which-a-way, every way I turn, so, after I got 'em started runnin' me, I just kept on doing wrong--fightin', stealin', you know, and robbin', and sometimes I wouldn't be done done nothin' but I'd been doin' so much till that when they'd get me that I'd due to been got anyhow. And one, two time they arrest me and I told'm I hadn't done nothin' and they said, "Well I arrest you in advance, you gonna do somethin'." So that way I just stayed in the penitentiary all the time, boss. In and out
Q: In and out all
A: In and out, in and out for the last s-... eighteen years!
Credits
Alan Lomax

Alan Lomax

About “How I Got In the Penitentiary” by Alan Lomax

Read the complete lyrics to "How I Got In the Penitentiary" by Alan Lomax from the album "Negro Prison Blues And Songs" in 1958. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Interview.

"How I Got In the Penitentiary" is performed by Alan Lomax. from the album "Negro Prison Blues And Songs" in 1958 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "How I Got In the Penitentiary", explore more songs by Alan Lomax using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"How I Got In the Penitentiary" is credited to Alan Lomax. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"How I Got In the Penitentiary" appears on "Negro Prison Blues And Songs" in 1958.

Visit the Alan Lomax artist page at /artist/alan-lomax for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.