Willie Jones was a man I met when I lived in Baltimore I was guard and he was doing time In the three long years he stayed there I got to know him well Willie Jones was a friend of mine He used to say Buddy you know where I'm going when they let me outta here Alabama could be heaven if the Lord was there And he talked about the Southland though he'd drifted from it's shores I never seen a man who loved it more He talked about the whippoorwills and the Alabama night Honeysuckle vine and sugar canes Swimmin' holes and fishin poles and early morning frost Sleeping under a tin roof when it rains He talked about a country road and a cabin in the pines And a girl with wavy long chestnut brown hair Talked about the beauty of his blue ridge mountain home Dern near made me think that I was there He used to say Buddy you know where I'm going when they let me outta here Alabama could be heaven if the Lord was there But when a man ain't got no freedom Time sure passes slow Been almost a year now since that hot night in July Willie hit the guard and jumped the fence I had my rifle ready but I couldn't let it fly I shot over his head and we ain't seen him since Then last week the postman brought a letter to my door Marked no return address and no reply It just said nobody North of Birmingham's going to see this boy again But if you're ever down our way won't you please drop by He used to say Buddy you know where I'm going when they let me outta here Alabama could be heaven if the Lord was there And he talked about the Southland Though he'd drifted from it's shores I never seen a man who loved it more