This page contains lyrics to the following song(s):
Robert Pete Williams was serving a lifetime sentence in Angola prison, Louisiana, where he and a number of fellow prisoners-bluesmen were recorded on a number of sessions in the late Fifties and early Sixties; this song is from 1960. You can hear the birds whistle in the background; the song was recorded in open air. Robert Pete sings here how his third request for pardon was denied; but later he was, eventually, set free, helped by his reputation as a true blues artist, well deserved as this song shows.
Lord I got myself on the pardon board You know I got denied again Been on the board three times Each time I was denied But I hope in the Good Lord Lord have mercy on me They tellin' me the Governor was on the board All around the board looking at them Peter's case Lord they must have passed mine around and Because they denied me again Lord have mercy on me Lord have mercy on me I've been tryin', I've been tryin', Lord every day of my life Please Lord have mercy on me Says I worried, then I worried They would give me some kind of chance Please please Lord give 'em hearts (?) the people round the pardon board And Lord let 'em feel my sorry too Lord have mercy on me Hmmmmmmmmmmmm... I fell down on my knee I prayed, I prayed both night and day Hoping they would help me Lord Oh Lord have mercy on my dying soul Oh Lord Oh Lord Well I know my cases ain't too bad Lord I just can't see, just can't see why they did me this way Lord have mercy on my dying soul I got, I got a big family on my hands They's out there in that free world waiting on me to reappear Oh Lord they want me to return again back to my home Oh Lord have mercy on me I got a man told me that he would write Now a letter to the Governor for me And I hope he would help me Lord Praying to the Lord he hear my prayer I wish that Governor would take sides with me Oh Lord have mercy on me This all I got to say To you today Please help me Lord In the name of God
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