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Walls Of Red Wing |
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Oh, the age of the inmates |
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I remember quite freely: |
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No younger than twelve, |
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No older 'n seventeen. |
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Thrown in like bandits |
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And cast off like criminals, |
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Inside the walls, |
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The walls of Red Wing. |
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From the dirty old mess hall |
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You march to the brick wall, |
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Too weary to talk |
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And too tired to sing. |
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Oh, it's all afternoon |
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You remember your home town, |
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Inside the walls, |
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The walls of Red Wing. |
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Oh, the gates are cast iron |
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And the walls are barbed wire. |
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Stay far from the fence |
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With the 'lectricity sting. |
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And it's keep down your head |
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And stay in your number, |
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Inside the walls, |
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The walls of Red Wing. |
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Oh, it's fare thee well |
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To the deep hollow dungeon, |
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Farewell to the boardwalk |
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That takes you to the screen. |
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And farewell to the minutes |
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They threaten you with it, |
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Inside the walls, |
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The walls of Red Wing. |
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It's many a guard |
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That stands around smilin', |
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Holdin' his club |
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Like he was a king. |
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Hopin' to get you |
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Behind a wood pilin', |
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Inside the walls, |
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The walls of Red Wing. |
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The night aimed shadows |
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Through the crossbar windows, |
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And the wind punched hard |
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To make the wall-siding sing. |
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It's many a night I pretended to be a-sleepin', |
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Inside the walls, |
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The walls of Red Wing. |
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As the rain rattled heavy |
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On the bunk-house shingles, |
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And the sounds in the night, |
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They made my ears ring. |
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'Til the keys of the guards |
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Clicked the tune of the morning, |
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Inside the walls, |
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The walls of Red Wing. |
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Oh, some of us'll end up |
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In St. Cloud Prison, |
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And some of us'll wind up |
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To be lawyers and things, |
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And some of us'll stand up |
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To meet you on your crossroads, |
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From inside the walls, |
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The walls of Red Wing. |