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I WEAR THE STRIPES

(learned during the 1960s from Charlie Brown Artman)

I wear the stripes and seven numbers,
And round my leg the ball and chain,
The judge and jury have made me a prisoner,
And my only friend is that old freight train.
    For it takes my spirit away from this prison,
    Away from my prison, away from my cell,
    And as long as I hear it out there in the darkness,
    My spirit is free and out of this cell.

At night I lie awake and listen,
I listen for its soothing roar,
For a few brief moments I'm out there with it,
I'm out of this prison, outside of the door.
    And someday that train will take me with it,
    It'll take me away, and set me free.
    I'll sit in the engine, and blow on the whistle,
    And never come back to this misery.

(from miriam berg's folksong collection)