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Ben, In The Pen Lyrics by Stompin’ Tom Connors

Bud The Spud

1972

[Chorus]
They call me Ben, there in the pen
They take the guff, and they suffer
But I'll be free, when I'm fifty-three
And I bet I'll be a lot tougher
I bet I'll be a lot tougher
[Verse 1]
As a lad, I was really bad
It wasn't smart to be good
I beat up my dog, and I choked my frog
And I acted just as mean as I could
I hit all the girls, and put gum in their curls
'Cause I liked to hear 'em cry and bleat
I'd punch the little boys, and steal all their toys
'Cause I knew they weren't smarter than me
[Chorus]
They call me Ben, there in the pen
They take the guff, and they suffer
But I'll be free, when I'm fifty-three
And I bet I'll be a lot tougher
I bet I'll be a lot tougher
[Verse 2]
When I was sixteen, I was really mean
I could scrap at the toss of a coin
I was leader of a gang: Rough Orangutans
And you had to be a good thief to join
Yeah, we had the black jackets and the motor bikes
And we forced all the girl to... skip school...
And the cops, they'd all try to sympathize
We told them how our parents were so cruel
[Chorus]
They call me Ben, there in the pen
They take the guff, and they suffer
But I'll be free, when I'm fifty-three
And I bet I'll be a lot tougher
I bet I'll be a lot tougher
[Verse 3]
When I turned twenty-one, I had to have a gun
'Cause I planned me a robbery one day
And the girlfriend said, that she'd rather be dead
Than to hang around with a guy like me
Well, I granted her a wish, and dumped her in wish the fish
And then I went to meet Frank
Yeah, that's the same day I shot, and killed me a cop
He didn't wanna let me into the bank
[Chorus]
They call me Ben, there in the pen
They take the guff, and they suffer
But I'll be free, when I'm fifty-three
And I bet I'll be a lot tougher
I hope I'll be a lot tougher
(Ehh, what's the use? I ain't a very good bluffer)
(I backed it outta hammerman, back to the hammer)
Credits
Stompin’ Tom Connors

Stompin’ Tom Connors

About “Ben, In The Pen” by Stompin’ Tom Connors

Read the complete lyrics to "Ben, In The Pen" by Stompin’ Tom Connors from the album "Bud The Spud" in 1972. 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 Country.

"Ben, In The Pen" is performed by Stompin’ Tom Connors. from the album "Bud The Spud" in 1972 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 "Ben, In The Pen", explore more songs by Stompin’ Tom Connors 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

"Ben, In The Pen" is credited to Stompin’ Tom Connors. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Ben, In The Pen" appears on "Bud The Spud" in 1972.

Visit the Stompin’ Tom Connors artist page at /artist/stompin-tom-connors for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.