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Jail Lyrics by Dan Bern

The Swastika EP

0

Well, I wish you well on your travels
My friends I wish you well along the way
This is the story of how I came to be
In jail for a night and a day

Well, I'm driving my '88 Olds Cutlass
It's raining and it's dark
My wipers are beating slow and steady
Like the thump, thump, thumping of my heart

I'm rolling down from up in Colorado
Some little town in Texas tonight
When my rear view flashes blue, blue, blue
It's the cop; my license plate's missing a light

He smells sweet green Colorado
Hidden in the lining 'bove my head
Next thing I know there's four cop cars flashing
And around my wrists are bracelets of lead

Well, take my license, take my fingerprints
Take my wallet that I'll no longer need
Take my belt in case I want to hang myself
For a nickel bag of weed

Then put me in a cell on an old mattress pad
To measure out in minutes this night
One cup of water in styrofoam
Four walls and one fluorescent light

And this is my one phone call
And baby I'm calling you
You tell me, "Stay strong boy."
I say, "Well, I'll do the best I do."

And I wish you well on your travels
My friends I wish you well along the way
This is the story of how I came to be
In jail for a night and a day

Now at first I'm thinking, man, I'm such a fuck-up
My head is lonesome and bowed
Figure I'll join some program, get religious
My abstinence will make my mother proud

And I stare at the stone cold floor
I guess that's what you do in the pen
Then I get to thinking what I'd really like to do
Is to come back here and fight this to the end

Your Honor, think of Johnny Cash
And Elvis and Hank Williams too
Whatever it took to go get those songs
Those good old boys would do

If it's illegal, then throw out Blonde On Blonde
And every Beatles song since "Hard Day's Night"
Go ahead and burn Walt Whitman
Unpaint Starry Night

Coltrane, Louis Armstrong, let 'em burn
Kerouac, Thelonious Monk
Alice in Wonderland, Picasso
Burroughs, Blake, Ginsberg, throw it out, it's junk

Then throw out all your favorite records
Throw your books of poetry away
Close the museums, burn the paintings
Restore us to Galileo's Day

Then to the drug store we will go
For Vicodin and Chloraseptic spray
Scarf a couple Darvocets and Xanax
And then we'll go floating away

Dear Governor, dear Governor, dear Governor
The final enforcer of my fate
Did I interrupt your three-martini lunch?
Are you off on your cigarette break?

I wish you well on your travels
My friends I wish you well along the way
This is the story of how I came to be
In jail for a night and a day

The next day, my buddies bail me out
Toward late afternoon
And the grass, it never smelled greener
Sun drips honey like from a golden spoon

I jump in the car and drive on out of there
Soon we're miles away
And I get to thinking what awaits me
When I come back some not-so-distant day

Will I stand before the judge
And say, "Your Honor, this law, it is wrong."
Or do I just do the time and pay my fine
Shake this town from my boots and be gone

I wish you well on your travels
My friends I wish you well along the way
This is the story of how I came to be
In jail for a night and a day
Credits
Dan Bern

Dan Bern

About “Jail” by Dan Bern

Read the complete lyrics to "Jail" by Dan Bern from the album "The Swastika EP". 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 Pop.

"Jail" is performed by Dan Bern. from the album "The Swastika EP" 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 "Jail", explore more songs by Dan Bern 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.

View all songs and biography for Dan Bern · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Jail" is credited to Dan Bern. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Jail" appears on "The Swastika EP".

Visit the Dan Bern artist page at /artist/dan-bern for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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