Paul crump lyrics

Artist  : Phil ochs 
Song : Paul crump
 
Pre>
Dm			 g
In the state of illinois ’bout nine years ago
Dm	   c 	bb		 a
A cold blooded killer he went against the law
Dm			    g
He killed a factory guard when his robbery did
fail
Dm			 c		g
And they caught him and they threw him in the
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."

Bb		   f
But paul crump is alive today
C				 f
He’s a-sittin’ in a cell, he’s got somethin’ to
say
Dm		   g
Every man has got something to give
C			  am
And if a man can change, then a man should live.

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
To 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 in a solitary cell
But a word of trust would help him just as well

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.

Between the warden and the convict a friendship
slowly grew
And one learned from the other that a man can
live anew.
Then the warden called the convict, "you
must leave the devil’s plan
"the time has come for you to be a
man."
Then the convict found religion and he started
him to learn
He wrote himself a novel called _burn killer
burn_.
And as his dying day grew near, to the warden he
did cry
"you must pull the switch and I must
die."

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.

It was up to governor kerner to keep him from the
grave
Was rehabilitation a reason to be saved? 
The hour was comin’ closer, the word was spread
around
A new and better answer must be found.
Well the electric chair was cheated, the convict
didn’t pay.
A new concept of justice was born and raised that
day.
Now throughout this peaceful land there are
others set to die
What better time than now to question why? 

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.
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