Introduction
“San Quentin” is a song written by Bob Dylan and performed by Johnny Cash. It was released in 1968 on Cash’s album “Johnny Cash at San Quentin.” The song is about a man who is sentenced to life in prison for a crime he did not commit. The man is sent to San Quentin State Prison, where he spends the rest of his life. The song is a powerful indictment of the criminal justice system.
Background
Bob Dylan wrote “San Quentin” in 1967. The song was inspired by the story of a man who was wrongfully convicted of a crime. Dylan gave the song to Johnny Cash, who recorded it in 1968. Cash’s version of the song is more famous than Dylan’s.
The lyrics of “San Quentin” tell the story of a man who is sentenced to life in prison for a crime he did not commit. The man is sent to San Quentin State Prison, where he spends the rest of his life. The man is haunted by the thought that he will never be free. He is also angry at the criminal justice system, which he believes has wronged him.
The lyrics of “San Quentin” are also full of imagery. The song mentions the cold, hard walls of the prison, the smell of disinfectant, and the sound of the prison gates closing. This imagery helps to create a sense of the bleakness and hopelessness of the man’s situation.
Video
Lyrics
🎵 Let’s sing along with the lyrics! 🎤
“I was thinking about you guys yesterday. Now, I’ve been here three times before, and I think I understand a little bit of how you feel about some things. It’s none of my business how you feel about some other things, and I don’t give a damn about how you feel about some other things. But anyway, I tried to put myself in your place, and I believe this is how I would feel about San Quentin…”
[Verse 1]
San Quentin, you’ve been livin’ hell to me
You’ve hosted me since nineteen sixty three
I’ve seen ’em come and go and I’ve seen them die
And long ago I stopped asking why[Verse 2]
San Quentin, I hate every inch of you
You’ve cut me and have scarred me through and through
And I’ll walk out a wiser weaker man
Mister Congressman, you can’t understand[Verse 3]
San Quentin, what good do you think you do?
Do you think I’ll be different when you’re through?
You bent my heart and mind and you warp my soul
And your stone walls turn my blood a little cold[Verse 4]
San Quentin, may you rot and burn in hell
May your walls fall and may I live to tell
May all the world forget you ever stood
And may all the world regret you did no good
Harley