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