Paul Crump Phil Ochs

[Verse 1]
In the state of Illinois 'bout nine years ago
A cold blooded killer he went against the law
He killed a factory guard when his robbery did fail
And they caught him and they threw him into jail
He lay there in his cell locked up with his hate
Not many men knew of him and less cared for his fate
And he knew no peace of mind when his trial was comin' by
The judge said, "You are guilty you must die"

[Chorus]
But Paul Crump is alive today
He's a-sittin' in a cell, he's got somethin' to say
Every man has got something to give
And if a man can change, then a man should live

[Verse 2]
They sent him to Cook County Jail, a jail known far and wide
Where pity was a stranger and brave men often cry
They locked him in the death row to count the days before
'Til the day they came a-knockin' at his door
But another warden came along, Jack Johnson was his name
He knew how prison living could drive a man to shame
He had no need of pistols for the solitary cells
When a word of trust would help him just as well