D C G D   4x

[Verse 1]
 D                                   G
Willie Jones was a man I met when I lived in Baltimore
Em                              A
I was a guard and he was doing time
          D                            G
In the three long years he stayed there I got to know him well
 Em              A               D
Willie Jones he was a friend of mine

[Chorus]
               C
 He used to say buddy you know where
                      G
 I'm going when they let me out of here
E                     A
 Alabama could be heaven if the Lord was there
         D
 And he talked about the south-land
               G
 Though he'd drifted from its shores
Em               A                D
 I never seen a man who loved it more

D C G D   2x

[Verse 2]
    D                                    G
He talked about the whippoorwills in the Alabama night
 Em                         A
Honeysuckle vine and sugar cane
  D                                   G
Swimming holes and fishing poles and early morning frost
       Em             A                D
And sleeping under a tin roof when it rained
    D                                 G
He talked about a country road and a cabin in the pines
       Em                            A
And a girl with wavy long chestnut brown hair
    D                               G
He talked about the beauty of his Blue Ridge Mountain home
     Em                 A                D
And damn near made me think that I was there

[Chorus]
C
 Buddy you know where
                      G
 I'm going when they let me out of here
E                     A
 Alabama could be heaven if the Lord was there
        D
 When a man ain't got no freedom
 G
 Time sure passes slow
Em                 A                D
  Willie Jones had 10 long years to go

D C G D   4x

[Verse 3]
      D                                 G
It's been almost a year now since that hot night in July
Em                                    A
 Willie hit the guard and jumped the fence
   D                        G
I had my rifle ready but I couldn't let it fly
    Em                    A                 D
I shot over his head and we ain't seen him since
  D                                   G
Then last week the postman brought a letter to my door
        Em                         A
Marked No Return Address and No Reply
              D
It just said nobody north of Birmingham
             G
Is going to see this boy again
               Em            A                     D
But if you're ever down our way won't you please drop by

[Chorus]
C
 Buddy you know where
                      G
 I'm going when they let me out of here
E                     A
 Alabama could be heaven if the Lord was there
         D
 And he talked about the south-land
               G
 Though he'd drifted from its shores
Em               A                D
 I never seen a man who loved it more